RESEAECH COMMITTEES. 549 



On the 27tli February, however, shortly before the date 

 ;appointed for the meeting of the Conference, the Victorian 

 branch of the Committee — consisting of Professor W. Brown, 

 Mr. D. McAlpine, and Mr. A. N. Pearson — met in Melbourne 

 for the purpose of considering the relations of your Committee 

 to the Conference, and also of drawing up a preliminary pro- 

 gramme of work to be done, x^t this meeting it was suggested 

 that, since the Conference was likely to be only a deliberative 

 body of short duration, and as some longer-lived organization 

 V70uld be needed for carrying out the suggestions of this body, 

 your Committee, when suitably enlarged so as to meet the 

 requirements of the different colonies, might perhaps serve as 

 an executive body for carrying out the investigations to be sug- 

 gested by the Conference. At the close of their meeting the 

 members waited upon Mr. D. Martin, the Secretary for Agricul- 

 ture (in the absence of the Minister), and made this suggestion. 

 Mr. Martin stated that it was a matter for the Conference itself 

 to decide, and advised that Mr. Pearson (who had been appointed 

 as one of the Victorian members of the Conference) should 

 bring forward the proposal at the sitting of the Conference. 

 At this same meeting of the Victorian members of your Com- 

 mittee the following preliminary programme of work to be 

 done was agreed to : The work should be divided into two 

 kinds — namely : (a) the taking of evidence, and (b) experi- 

 menting and improvement of seed. 



(a.) Taking Evidence — 



1. As to the nature and life-history of rust. 



2. Species or varieties of rust in Australia. 



3. Years of occurrence. 



4. Rind of weather in years of occurrence. 



5. Time of year at which rust first shows itself. 



6. Time of sowing affected and unaffected wdieat. 



7. Areas affected. 



8. Climate of affected districts. 



9. Soil of affected districts. 



10. Manuring of affected districts. 



11. Cultivation (deep, shallow, drainage, &c.) of affected 



ground. 



12. Kinds of wheat affected and unaffected. 



13. Other plants attacked. 



14. Records of colonial experiments, observations, or re- 



searches on the subject. 



15. Amount of damage done. 



(b.) Experimenting and improving Seed — 



The experiments to be in different colonies, and in different 

 districts of each colony ; and to be continued for at 

 least three years. 



