14 



TEE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



1. Visited about 40 agricultural schools 

 and colleges in the United States, Eng- 

 land, France, Germany, Denmark,Sweden. 

 Canada, Algiers, Alaska, &c. 2. Examined 

 various irrigation areas in California, 

 Colorado, Utah. 3. Inquired carefully 

 into the elevator system as used in the 

 north-western part of the U.S.A., and at 

 the Ports on the Atlantic Coast and Gulf 

 of Mexico, also at Liverpool, Antwerp, 

 and other European ports. 4. Made 

 special inquiries concerning agricultural 

 machinery as used at hundreds of points 

 in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Africa. 

 5. As appointee of the Governor of the 

 State of Mass., visited all parts of Texas 

 under guidance of the Farmers' National 

 Convention. 6. As guest of the Agricul- 

 tural College of the United States, visited 

 all the agricultural industries. 7. Exam- 

 ined into the nature, cost, and practical 

 details of the Mass. Gipsy Moth Commis- 

 sion. 8. As guest of the Government of 

 France, visited typical French agricultural 

 colleges, and all the agricultural industries 

 in Northern France. 9. Studied the date 

 industry as represented in the cases of 

 the Northern Sahara. 10. Studied the 

 fodder plants and other useful native 

 plants of the drier parts of Algeria, with 

 view to their introduction into Australia. 

 11. Made a special examination of instru- 

 ments of precision as rei)resented at the 

 Paris Exposition. 12. Investigated the 

 macaroni industry and macaroni wheats 

 of Southern Europe. 13. Investigated 

 the varieties of wheat used in the drier 

 parts of California and Texas. 14. Inves- 

 tigated the orange and pine-apple indus- 

 tries of Florida. 15. Studied in detail 

 the agricultural educational exhibit of the 

 Paris Exhibition. 1(5. Studied in the 

 field all the principal makes of combined 

 harvesters used on the Pacific coast of the 

 United States. 17. By frequent visits 

 and personal intercourse with the chiefs 

 of divisions studied the organisation and 

 interior workings of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture. 18. Made 

 researches into the various co-operative 

 agricultural industries of Denmark and 

 France. 19. Studied the growth and 

 commerce of co+ton in Texas, Arkansas, 

 Mississippi, and other Southern United 

 States. 20. Studied into the latest method 

 of dealing with th(i tick fever in Texas. 

 21. Made special inquiries into the subject 

 of aeriel photography. 22. Made extensive 



inquiries into the subject of projection 

 for educational and scientific purposes. 

 23. Made inquiries at length into the sub- 

 ject of plant-breeding, as practised in the 

 best American and European establish- 

 ments, particularly as to wheat -breeding. 

 24.Studied manual training as presented m 

 the cominon and high schools of the 

 northern United States. 25. Studied the 

 distribution of the varieties of wheat m 

 the wheat-growing regions of the United 

 States. 26. Secured in connection with 

 the above subjects 20 volumes of origmal 

 photographs. 



Dr. Cobb went first to the United States 

 and spent more time there than anywhere 

 else, because that is the leading agricultu- 

 ral country with reference to progress. 

 He went to Washington, and was cordially 

 received by the President in a private 

 interview, and afterwards by the Minis- 

 ters. All over Europe it was the same. 

 In his travels he heard numerous compli- 

 ments passed upon the work of the New 

 South Wales Department of Agriculture. 



" I spent much time," said Dr. Cobb, 

 " in looking at the combined harvesters in 

 California. I urged some of the makers 

 to send some over here, because we have 

 a lot of similar country here to that on 

 which they are used there, but it is a 

 matter for further trial here. These 

 machines are now much cheaper and 

 lighter. They are making machines that 

 will work on the sides of hills, and they 

 are running them on hills where we would 

 hardly put a reaper and binder. They 

 run large machines, needing from 24 to 

 ;')0 mules. Fairly successful efforts are 

 being made now to deliver the grain in 

 bulk instead of in bags, as the elevator 

 system has now reached the Pacific slope. 

 That means that cultivators will have to 

 abandon the system of bagging, and the 

 harvesters will have to be altered so as to 

 deliver the grain into wagons in bulk. 

 The combined harvester is not found so 

 successful outside the Pacific coast and 

 the drier parts, where wheat can be left 

 until it is ripe and the winds will not 

 knock it out. We have a good deal ot 

 similar country, I can understand anyone 

 raising objections from an Australian point 

 of view. It may be said they have not 

 been a success here, but it is to be borne 

 in mind that the machines have been 

 much improved. They are suitable for 

 rolling ground. The conclusion forced 



