658 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [11 Nov., 1918. 



AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



Address Delivered at Horsham by Mr. A. E. V. Richardson, 

 Agricultural Superintendent. 



(From the Horsham, Times.) 



A social smoke niglit was held on Friday evening at the Masonic 

 Hall under the auspices of the Horsham Agricultural Society, when 

 nearly 200 representative men of the Wimmera assembled. Mr. P. 

 Learmonth, president of the society, occupied the chair. Amongst the 

 guests were Mr. F. G. Clarke, M.L.C., Minister for Lands; Mr. D. S. 

 Oman, M.L.A., Minister for Agriculture; Mr. Arthur S. Rodgers, 

 M.H.R. ; Mr. James Menzies, M.L.A. ; Mr. Mclver, Chairman of the 

 Closer Settlement Board; Mr. J. Weldon Power, Victorian Wheat Pool; 

 Mr. A. E. V. Richardson, Superintendent of Agriculture; and Mr. J. 

 F. Guthrie, Geelong manager for Dalgety and Co. Ltd. 



After the loyal toasts had been honoured, the president said they had 

 gathered that evening to listen to some very important statements by 

 the Ministers for Lands and Agriculture, both of whom had visited the 

 Horsham show with the view of obtaining first-hand knowledge of 

 conditions prevailing in the Wimmera. They would also be favoured 

 by the Victorian Superintendent of Agriculture with his impressions of 

 the United States of America and the lessons suitable to Australian 

 agriculture which he had gained on his travels. He would not trench 

 upon Mr. Richardson's time by any further words of introduction of one 

 who was so well and favorably known amongst farmers. 



Mr. Richardson's Address. 



Mr, A. E. V. Richardson, Superintendent of Agriculture for Vic- 

 toria, said he was pleased to have the honour of meeting so many 

 gentlemen interested in agriculture, and would be glad to give them 

 some of his impressions of the United States of America. 



War Efforts of the Americans. 



On his visit to the greatest democracy of the world he had been greatly 

 impressed with their wonderful preparations to make the world safe for 

 democracy ; in the stupendous efforts they were making for providing for 

 men, munitions, and equipment, building of ships, production, and con- 

 serving and sending of food to the Allies. During the past fifteen months 

 America had sent 1,750,000 of soldiers of the very best picked men from 

 twenty-one to thirty-one years of age. She is arranging to send 

 4,000,000 by next spring, and is prepared to send 10,000,000 more to 

 bring this war to a close. Under the direction of Mr. Schwab, who gave 

 up a salary of 200,000 dollars to work for one dollar per annum for the 

 nation, stupendous efforts are being made to build ships. The ship- 

 building programme contemplated the production of five ships of 5,000 

 tons each a day; or one ship every five hours. By the 1st January 

 next America will be building at the rate of 8,000,000 tons of shipping 

 per annum. That is " going some." Then, as far as the food conserva- 

 tion is concerned, the whole nation went on a voluntary rationing basis. 



