SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.—M. 383 
but it does not necessarily imply wheat. This a trite saying to the Scottish farmer, 
and the English farmer, as the statistics show, has widely accepted it. 
‘Constructive’ agricultural policies are commonly supported by two main 
arguments—(a) the political advantage of greater self-sufficiency in wheat supplies, 
and (b) the sociological advantage of ‘ keeping the plough going.’ The two arguments 
do not inevitably lead to the same conclusion. 
This paper is not concerned with hypothetical political action. It assumes the 
operation of economic forces, unassisted or unhampered by State intervention. 
The future of corn-growing depends on three factors, which may be described as 
(a) practical, (6) scientific, (c) economic. The greatest of these three—for the purpose 
of the paper which is intended to introduce and provoke discussion—is economic. 
An attempt is made to indicate the probable effect of economic tendencies on the 
future of corn-growing in this country, taking not only insular but also international 
and Imperial conditions into account. 
It is suggested that the importance of corn as a ‘ cash crop’ is declining, and will 
continue to decline, but that this is not inconsistent with the maintenance and 
extension of arable cultivation. 
Other speakers: Sir Jonn Russe xt, F.R.S., Mr. F. L. Enciepow, 
Mr. A. W. Asupy, Mr. C. Hetcuam. 
4, Miss A. D. MacKenziz.—Fruit Preservation in Natural Colours. 
These experiments in fruit preservation consist of preserving different kinds of 
fruits with green foliage in their natural colours, so that each variety can be identified 
when the fruit is not in season. 
The work was started in 1923 at the Ministry of Agriculture, the object being to 
have eventually a complete collection, for educational purposes, of the principal 
commercial varieties of fruits grown in England. 
The specimens preserved in 1923 were shown at Wembley in 1924 by the Ministry 
of Agriculture, and the experiments were continued with the 1924 crop at East 
Malling Research Station. The specimens preserved in both seasons (1923 and 
1924) are now being shown at Wembley, 1925. 
It cannot be claimed that the collection originally aimed at is as yet complete, 
_but enough has been done to show that it is possible to preserve different varieties 
_ of fruit indefinitely, seeing that the fruits grown in 1923 are in quite as good a state of 
preservation as those of the 1924 crop. 
The Ministry’s collection now includes most varieties of apples grown in England 
commercially, several varieties of plums, pears, and gooseberries, some cherries and 
the black currant types. Experiments have also been successfully carried out with 
pathological specimens of fruit and foliage. 
Saturday, August 29. 
Sectional excursion to Hampshire Farm Institute, Sparsholt, &c. 
Monday, August 31. 
5. Presidential Address by Dr. J. B. Orr on he Inorganic 
Elements in Animal Nutrition. (See page 204.) 
6. Mr. W. Goppren.—The Composition of the Herbage of Cultivated and 
' Hill Pastures, with special reference to the Mineral Constituents. 
_ The analytical data for over three hundred samples of herbage from cultivated and 
hill pastures are summarised. It is shown that the hill pastures are much poorer in 
total ash and in each of the ash constituents than the cultivated pastures. Dividing 
the samples into grass which sheep eat and grass which they do not eat, it is found 
that the latter are poorer in ash constituents than the former. Compared with the 
herbage of cultivated pastures, the grass ‘ not eaten’ is relatively poorest in calcium 
E md chlorine. Similarly the herbage from hill pastures is poorer in ash constituents 
than that of lowland pastures in the same locality. It is suggested that this deficiency 
