president's address — SECTION G2. 515 



both in crops and stock constitutes a splendid gauge of what 

 Austraha is capable of doing under improved conditions of pro- 

 duction. 



This development is but in keeping with what is taking 

 place in older countries, for the discoveries of the last century have 

 practically revolutionised production. In no other period of 

 history have events of such importance to agriculture taken place. 

 In young as well as in older countries the application of Science 

 and of scientific methods to the business of agriculture have bro-ught 

 about remarkable results. 



In a young country like Australia naturally considerable 

 time must elapse before a system of agriculture suitable to the 

 peculiar conditions prevailing can be evolved. It is always the 

 case, too, that the early stages of development draw largely from 

 the experience of older countries, and this has been largely the 

 case in Australia. At first the application of science to production 

 was slow to be appreciated, from the fact that virigin soil was 

 being handled. The farmer was getting such results from even 

 his rough and ready treatment of the soil as to cause him to turn 

 a deaf ear to the teachings and warnings of science ; but gradually 

 his wheat soils worked out, his stock were attacked by disease, 

 and returns were being reduced so considerably that he was com- 

 pelled to change his attitude and to introduce more scientific 

 methods into his system of agriculture. So far the work of he 

 scientist has been more in the direction of demonstrating to the 

 farmer the advantages of applying the results of investigations 

 of older workers to his business of production and of introducing 

 practices already in vogue in older countries than in dealing 

 with the investigation of problems peculiar to Australian agri- 

 culture. 



And first among the important innovations must be placed 

 the use of fertilisers. No event in Australian agriculture has had 

 such widespread effect as has the application of phosphates in 

 cereal production. Together with its introduction came that of 

 the seed and manure drill, and these mark a new era in the pro- 

 duction of cereals in Australia. Their use has placed many a 

 farmer whose outlook was hopeless ruin in a position of positive 

 affluence. Land which was a quarter of a century ago worth £1 

 per acre is selling to-day at anything from £7 to £10 an acre, and 

 its rise in value has largely been brought about by the use of 

 superphosphates and the drill. Undoubtedly the scientist has 

 been largely responsible for their use in Australia. To Professor 

 Custance must be given the credit of demonstrating the need for 

 phosphates in Austrahan soils and for pressing on the farmers 

 their use and also that of the seed drill. Following him. Professor 

 Lowrie did a very great deal to extend their use, and as the result 

 of experiments, lectures, and publication of results throughout the 

 various States their use has largely increased. From the results 

 obtained from the application of fertilisers one would expect that 

 their use would be almost universal. Such is not the case. In 



