Notes. 393 



uiianinious in their opinion that conferences of a like nature should 

 be held at regular intervals. In addition to the staff at the School, 

 Mr. Williams, the Under-Secretary for Agriculture, and other officers 

 (including Mr. Macmillan, Under-Secretary for Agriculture — Educa- 

 tion) from the Department's Head Office in Pretoria were present, 

 and the occasion afforded a welcome opportunity for farmers and 

 officials to fraternize. The first part of the conference was devoted to 

 a visit to the various experimental plots at the Potchefstroom School 

 of Agriculture and Experiment Station, and the officers in charge of 

 the experiments, most of which had a direct bearing on the greater 

 production of maize, gave a brief account of the objects of the tests 

 being carried out, and were able to show in a practical way the results 

 thus far obtained from the experiments this season. After lunch at 

 the School hostel, certain of the Potchefstroom staff delivered a number 

 of short lectures on matters affecting maize growing and answered 

 questions put by the visitors. For his lecture Mr. Reinecke chose the 

 subject of crop rotation, one of the most important matters in the 

 country, making special reference to the beneficial results of green 

 manuring, as demonstrated by a series of experiments at the Station ; 

 Mr. Dawson discussed the value of " ear to row " tests in seed selec- 

 tion, pointing out the need of obtaining ears from plants showing- 

 superiority to others in the same field and under the same conditions ; 

 Mr. Puttick, who has recently returned from the United States, gave 

 an interesting address on the subject of in-breeding, how it came 

 about, its effect on production, and the means of revigorating the 

 seed by the introduction, at intervals of about four years, of seed from 

 other areas; while Mr. Schlupp spoke on the insect pests found in 

 maize, making special reference to the grain weevil and the best 

 methods of combating it. Mr. Bosnian, Vice-principal of the School 

 of Agriculture, Glen, was also present, and delivered a popular 

 lecture on the subject of seed selection, which he characterized as 

 being, after water and soil, the most important factor in successful 

 maize production. He described a simple method of ascertaining the 

 germinating- qualities of seed, and urged that seed only showing a 

 very high percentage of germination should be passed by the farmer 

 as suitable for sowing. 



After an adjournment for tea, the visitors were shown some of 

 the stock and other items of interest on the farm. 



In the evening the farmers attending the conference held a 

 meeting, Mr. Horsfall, of Potchefstroom, presiding, at which 

 important matters concerning the economic side of the industry were 

 discussed. Mr. AVilliams and other officers of the Department 

 attended for the purpose of conferring with the meeting on the 

 Department's system of crop reports and the question of maize 

 export, and it is gratifying to state that this meeting of prominent 

 maize growers was united in confirming the importance of reliable 

 crop estimates, and eager to assist the Department in perfecting the 

 system which depends upon the assistance of farmers throughout the 

 country. 



As already stated, the conference served a most useful purpose, 

 and the farmers who benefited by it expressed the hope that it would 

 be the forerunner of others, recognizing the value of closer relation- 

 ships between the grower and the official of the Department, whose 

 aims were identical — the promotion of maize growing in South Africa. 



