56 THE LAND WE LIVE ON 



as a motive iDower, to take the place of the expensive steam 

 povrer. Wind and water power are already largely utilised. 

 The production of a cheap alcohol has made enormous 

 progress on the Continent, and no doubt the time will come 

 when we shall utilise some part of our crops, and more 

 particularly the millions of gallons of Molasses, the bye- 

 product of our sugar mills, which now almost entirely 

 go to waste, to be manufactured into alcohol, a liquid fuel 

 which can completely rejjlace petroleum and petroleum 

 spirit, imported in large quantities from America, for the 

 driving of motor cars, launches, farm engines, and also for 

 lighting and cooking. 



Electricity itself is now used as a direct aid as a plant 

 producer. I can only mention the Thwaite system of 

 Electro-culture, a system using direct light and heat pro- 

 duced by powerful arc -lamps to plants, to stimulate their 

 growth. Sir Oliver Lodge's large-scale experiments of 

 electro-culture, by passing electric currents through wires 

 and cross wires stretclied across the fields on poles, ara 

 giving according to recent reports up to 40% increase in 

 the yield of grain. Professor Lemstrom's experiments 

 to api^ly electric currents to cultivated fields, and tlie 

 French system of utilising atmospheric electricity for 

 agriculture, and the direct treatment of seeds with electricity 

 are further attempts in this direction. 



Veterinary science will help in the breeding of stock, 

 in the treatment of diseases, and in this respect a good 

 deal of work has to be done in our State, chiefly in the 

 investigation of Redwater and other diseases. 



The Entomologist and Vegetable Pathologist have to 

 investigate insect pests, plant diseases, and find remedies 

 for all, particularly to seek the most successful and practical 

 methods of combating insect pests by the introduction 

 of parasites, requires careful and painstaking labour and 

 research. One of our great problems is the destruction 

 of noxious weeds, lantana and prickly pear ; for the former 

 a natural check by insects has already been found in Hawaii, 

 and whether it is possible to find a similar remedy for the 

 prickly pear will be seen in the future. 



There are other sciences which have a more or less 

 direct bearing on agriculture, but time permits me to 

 mention only one more, and that is Education. Consider- 



