102 Journal of Agrkult nre, Victorki. [10 Feb., 1917. 



SCIENCE AND PRODUCTION. 



At the Royal Society of Victoria, Mr. A. E. V. Richardson, M.A., 

 B.Sc, Agrinultural Superintendent, gave an address on " Science and 

 Production." 



Mr. Richardson said: — "Professor Ewart, the Secretary, asked me 

 to give an address to the members of this Society on ' Science and Pro- 

 duction.' This subject, however, presents so many phases that it would 

 be impossible to do it justice in the brief time at my disjxisal. I pur]X)se, 

 therefore, to- confine my remarks fo the cousideration of (1) some 

 typical cases in which science has assisted agriculture, (2) some agricul- 

 tural problems awaiting solution, (3) methods that might be adopted 

 to assist agricultural production." 



Science and Agriculture. 



First consider a. few cases illustrating the effect of simple scientific 

 discoveries in increasing the volume of agricultural production, choosing 

 tlie illustrations to suit the phases of agriculture to be seen in this State. 

 One of the most interesting cases is the far-reaching effect of the discovery 

 by Liebig that the insoluble tribasic phosphate as found in bones and 

 natural rock phosphates could be converted into the water soluble phos- 

 phate by treatment with sulphuric acid. Liebig, in his report to the 

 British Association in 1840, suggested that this would be a suitable form 

 in which to apply phosphoric acid to crops. 



Sir John Lawes, of Rothamsted, was one of the first to profit by this 

 discovery, for he not only tested the efficacy of the dissolved bones in his 

 famous experimental plots, but began the manufacture of superphosphate 

 from rock phosphate in 1842, and thus laid the foundation of a large 

 fortune, which he subsequently made and devoted to agricultural 

 research. Since then the practice of using superphosphate has spread to 

 every agricultural countiy in the world. These water soluble phosphates 

 are very popular in Victoria. 



In 1914, 118,000 tons of superphosphate were manufactured in Vic- 

 toria, and no less than 3,400,000 acres were manured with super. At a 

 conservative estimate, the application of each cwt. of super, applied to 

 the soil would affect an increase in the yield of wheat of at least 6 

 bushels, worth £1; Tience Liebig's discovery is worth annually £500,000 

 to the artificial manure trade, £2,000,000 to the farmers, and at least 

 £150,000 to the Railway Department for increased carriage of produce, 

 or a total of £2,650,000. 



Superphosphate has been applied to wheat lands for over twenty 

 years in Victoria, but it is only within the last seven years that the use 

 of super, has become general, and even now a large percentage of the 

 farmers are not making the most effective use of this fertilizer. The 

 average amount of super, used in the State is 56-60 lbs. per acre for 

 wheat. Experiments at the State Farms for the past four years have 

 conclusively demonstrated that 1 cwt. per acre gives a much more profit- 

 able return than a dressing of \ cwt. per acre. 



