Rkport oi- THE Uepaktment of Agki culture. 553 



Report No. VIII. 



CHEMISTRY. 



(liief of /)irision: Chas. F. Juritz, M.A., D.Sc, F.I.C. 



1. (h'f/cniizafion. — The iiiost important function of the year has 

 been that of hiyino- foundations for the closer co-operation of the 

 sections of the Division located in varijus parts of the Union. This 

 cannot be achieved all at once, but a few select phases of work will l)e 

 broug-ht into line step by step. Some of these will be enumerated 

 later on. The o'uidino- principle has been the resolution adopted at a 

 conference called by the Secretary for Agriculture of heads of divi- 

 sions and principals of agricultural schools (shortly before the twelve 

 months under report), viz., that the control and guidance of research 

 work should be vested in the chiefs of divisions, and that the services 

 of the technical officers (i.e. in this case the chemists) at the schools 

 should be utilized to the greatest extent possible to assist the heads of 

 divisions. The relations between the chemists at the schools and the 

 Chief of the Division in regard to research work would therefore rest 

 upon the basic principle that the former should act in a directive 

 capacity, in consultation with the principal of the school concerned, 

 in respect of any work to be carried out by any particular chemist. 



At Grootfontein the Division has in Mr. A. Stead an officer of its 

 own : he advises the principal on matters pertaining to the school's 

 chemical section, and in return the school laboratories are at his 

 disposal for the purposes of the Division. On the other hand, the 

 chemist belonging to the school staff assists in the work of the Division 

 as far as possible, subsidiarily to the exigencies of the school's own 

 requirements. On this basis the relations between the various 

 chemical laboratories of the Department have been made closer, but 

 a further rapprochement will be needed before a coherent unit is 

 evolved. Meanwhile, consolidation is being proceeded with first 

 where most urgently needed. 



The Pretoria laboratory is wholly under tlie control of the Divi- 

 sion. A great deal of the work there carried on hitherto has consisted 

 of soil investigation. 



The greatest difficulty is in regard to research work. There the 

 supervision of the Chief of the Division embraces the laboratories 

 attached to the schools as well as those directly connected with the 

 Division. The fullest and most willing co-operation from principals 

 and chemists is given in the endeavours to bring about co-ordination, 

 but development must not be forced. At present measures are taken 

 continuously to inform each institution of the progress of research 

 work at every one of the others. This makes for mutual interest and 



