1078 



Institute of Agricultural Botany. 



[Mar., 



Headquarter Trial Ground (some 30 acres) are to be devoted to- 

 the work of the Crop Improvement Branch. At a later date it 

 is proposed to erect a seed-cleaning plant near the farm buildings. 



The Crop Improvement Branch. — The future scope of thi& 

 portion of the Institute's work is only limited by the question of 

 finance. Among the diverse problems which come within it& 

 legitimate scope the following are the most outstanding : — Yield 

 trials; quality tests; the introduction of new varieties and 

 species ; the study of varieties and strains with a view to the 

 supplying of stocks suitable for the various conditions of soil and 

 climate of the country, and by this means, possibly, the provision 

 of material rendering a profitable return for the growing of crops 

 hitherto considered unsuited to specific districts ; the study of 

 problems of seed-growing and retention of purity of stocks ; seed- 

 storage problems; the testing of varieties and strains for resist- 

 ance to disease and insect attack ; synonymity and other 

 questions. At present it has only been found possible to begin 

 work on the more pressing of these matters. 



To j)erform its functions it is essential that the Institute shall 

 only assist in the distribution of varieties which have proved 

 their superiority in some desirable characteristic over those 

 already in cultivation. Not only does this hold good in the case 

 of varieties distributed through the Institute, but encouragement 

 will also be given to worthy productions from other sources. 

 At the present time, high yielding capacity is of paramount 

 importance, and, for this reason the Institute is devoting much 

 of its attention to yield testing on a field scale, cereals being the 

 first group to be dealt with. To obtain results of more than local 

 value the Institute is endeavouring to establish relations with 

 institutions or individuals in the principal agricultural districts 

 with a view to their co-operation in the conduct of field-trials, 

 on a fixed plan, of the crops of special interest to their own areas. 

 Varieties are to undergo a three years' trial, the first year on 

 one of the Institute's properties in order to eliminate the effects 

 of previous cultivation and climatic conditions, the two suc- 

 ceeding years (" full trials ") simultaneously at several statio-n^ 

 Varieties of established merit serve as standards, and a new 

 system of alternating strips of standard and new varieties, which 

 has been proved to give unprecedented accuracy of result, is 

 employed throughout. The trials are open to all who undertake 

 to withhold their entries from the market until after the publi- 

 cation of the results of the third year of the trials, and who agrpe 

 to defray their quota of the costs. Storks are only eligible on 



