November 19, 1914J 



NATURE 



325 



arta of these many farms devoted to experiments on 



thi.s subject ; but the keen interest taken by the staffs 



in scientific investigation in other parts of the world 



'1(1 the enthusiasm in the work of William Farrer 



'<! other Australian investigators cannot fail to im- 

 press the visitor. A whole meeting at Sydney was not 

 sufficient to exhaust the papers and discussion on 



leal breeding^. The papers read were as follows : — 



The Migration of Reserve Material to the Seeds in 

 iJarley, considered as a Factor in Production," by Mr! 

 E. S. Beaven ; "Wheat Improvement in Australia," 

 bv Mr. F. B. Guthrie ; '" William F"arrer's Work, 

 Methods, and Success : a Short Sketch," by Mr. J. T. 

 Pridham ; " Wheat Breeding in .\ustralia," bv Mr. 

 A. E. V. Richardson. Prof. Bateson, Mr. A. D.' Hall, 

 Prof. T. B. \\'ood and others took part in the dis- 

 cu>sion. The value of the Mendelian theory in pro- 

 viding a speedy and certain method for the practical 

 man, and in directing his problems on scientific lines 

 was illustrated by Mr. Beaven 's work on barley. He 

 showed that the ratio of the dry matter accumulated 

 in the seed, to the total dry matter of the plant when 

 \\\\ ripe, frequently influences the produce of grain 

 a greater extent than any other factor. This 



oefficient of migration" differs with different races 

 barley within the gross productive power which is 

 I product of the environment. 



A joint discussion with Section B (Chemistry) on 



metabolism, which took place at Sydney, will be reported 



in an article on the work of that section. Other papers 



(intributed included " Flax as Paying Crop," by Mr. 



. P. Ogilvie; "Bacterial Toxins in Soil," by Dr. 

 iitig Smith; "The Estimation of Condition in 

 ( attle," bv Mr. J. A. Murray; "A Review of Work 

 (111 Soil Inoculation," by Dr. H. B. Hutchinson, and 

 Mr. J. Golding ; and "The Effects of -Caustic Lime 

 and Chalk on Soil F'ertility," by Dr. H. B. Hutchin- 

 son and Mr. K. MacLennan. 



Highly satisfactory as they were, the proceedings 

 i the section in session cannot be taken as a measure 

 : the work achieved in 1914, for the unique advan- 

 iges which members of the section gained by a visit 

 .1 so rich and varied a field of agricultural endeavour 

 mnot fail to bear fruit rich in its benefit to the 



ience of agriculture. 



It is onlj' possible briefly to refer to the numerous 

 and valuable agricultural excursions which were 

 specially arranged, not only to meet the wishes of the 

 whole section, but also to enable individual 

 members to make independent visits to farms 

 and districts where the branches of agriculture in 

 ^vhich they had specialised were seen to the best 

 advantage. 



In Western Australia the latter type of excursion 

 uevailed, and, under the personal guidance of Mr. 

 W. Catton Grasby, Mr. J. L. Sutton, Prof. Paterson, 

 t)r. Stoward, and Sir. A. E. Weston, visits were made 

 ) see the great developments which have recently 

 [aken place in corn growing, fruit growing, and other 

 • lepartments of agriculture in the great south-west 

 area of this promising State. 



From Adelaide excursions were made to Angaston, 

 St;ppeltsfield, and Tanunda. Mr. Charles Angas enter- 

 tained a large party to lunch at Angaston. Vineyards 

 and the agricultural land in the neighbourhood were 

 afterwards visited. Roseworthy Agricultural College 

 was the objective of a most interesting excursion from 

 Adelaide. The instruction given to students is of a 

 \ery practical nature, the buildings and laboratories 

 are good, and the farm very well laid out in experi- 

 ments on crops and stock. The introduction of Ber- 

 seem (TrifoUtim alexandrium) on an irrigated plot of 

 four acres had proved very successful, twenty-five 

 cows having been kept on the produce of the plot for 



NO. 2351, VOL. 94I 



five months dunng the winter, the yield of green food 

 being 36 tons per acre. 



In Victoria the principal agricultural excursion was 

 to the Central Research Farm at Werribee. .Although 

 only started in 191J, this farm of more than 1000 acres 

 is admirably laid out in experiments on dry farming, 

 irrigation, and live stock. The organisation was quite 

 a model for similar institutions ; a large party was 

 conducted over it in a most thorough manner, all the 

 experiments being ably explained by the staff and 

 authorities from Melbourne. 



From Sydney a three days' excursion was arranged 

 which included visits to the Wagga Experiment Farm, 

 Mr. Anthony Brunskill's 12,000 acre farm, and two 

 davs in the interestmg Murrumbidgee irrigation area, 

 including the Yanco Government Irrngation E'arm and 

 Works. Motor-cars w?re provided, and nights were 

 spent in a special sleeping car. 



Mr. Wade, who himself conducted the party over 

 the irrigation area, gave a lecture and showed lantern 

 slides and plans of this great scheme, which will pro- 

 vide nearlv 70(X) farms and support .1 population of 

 100,000 people on land which until the scheme was 

 taken up bv the Government was used as sheep runs. 

 The famous Hawkesburv .Agricultural College was 

 also visited from .Svdney, where accommodation for 

 200 resident students is provided ; the farm comprises 

 some 3440 acres of land. .Ml branches of farming, 

 esneciallv the orchard, dairy, piggeni', and poultry 

 farm., were well worth a visit. 



The cultivation of sugar cane and a sugar mill in 

 full work was inspected at Nambour, Queensland, 

 bv a large partv, and opportunities were afforded for 

 smaller parties to see the work on the eradication of 

 the pricklv-pear, and to visit large sheep farms, etc. 



The most striking feature in the visits to experi- 

 m.ental farms in most parts of .Australia was tht- 

 response shown by the crops to phosphatic manures, 

 even when, as is the practice, \er}- small dressings 

 were applied with the combined manure and seed drill. 

 In one case in Western .Australia 30 lb. of super- 

 phosphate added per acre had doubled the yield of whear 

 (9 bushels raised to 18). .Sixty to 80 lb. of super- 

 phosphate per acre were commonly used in this excel- 

 lent drill. 



The section met with the greatest kindness and 

 hospitalitv on all sides, and it is invidious to par- 

 ticularise amongst such a number of generous and 

 indefatigable hosts, but special thanks are due to Mr. 

 W. Hutchinson, Minister of .\griculture for A'ictoria, 

 Dr. Cameron, Dr. Cherry, and Mr. Richardson, of 

 Melbourne, and to Prof. R. D. Watt, of .Sydney, fo' 

 the part thev took in carrying out the many and 

 valuable excursions 



BUDGETS AND STUDENTS OF UNIVER- 

 SITIES AND UNIVERSITY COLLEGES 

 IN RECEIPT OF STATE GRANTS. 



THE reports for the year 1912-13 from those univer- 

 sities and university colleges in Great Britain 

 which are in receipt of grant from the Board of 

 Education have been published in two Blue-books 

 (Cd. 7614 and Cd. 7615). The tabular matter, which 

 precedes the separate reports from the olaces of highe.- 

 education dealt with, contains detailed information as 

 to the income and expenditure of the various institu- 

 tions concerned. The following summaries have been 

 compiled from the tables, and make clear the amount 

 available for higher education and research in th' 

 universities and university colleges receiving Treasury 

 grants, and how the income is expended. 



