Scientific Agriculture. 



518 



[December 1911. 



It may fairly be advocated that any 

 timber which is immersed in an open 

 bath sufficiently to enable it to absorb 

 approximately the maximum quantity 

 of solution which it is capable of taking 

 up by capillary attraction, is sufficiently 

 impregnated for all practical purposes, 

 provided, of course, that such timber is 

 seasoned before treatment. 



The requirements of an efficient wood 

 preservative in the Tropics may be 

 summarized as follows : — 



(1) It must absolutely protect the 

 timber from termites and other insects, 

 fungus, and dry rot. 



(2) It must be easy of application, 

 either by immersion, painting, or 

 spraying, so that woodwork in situ 

 can be treated where necessary. 



(3) It must be non-corrosive so as not 

 to affect nails, spikes or other metal 

 work brought into contact with it. 



(4) It must be economical and prefer- 

 ably should be prepared in a highly 

 concentrated form, capable of dilution 

 on the spot, to reduce transportation 

 charges to a minimum. 



(5) It must not be inflammable, and 

 preferably should be of such a nature as 

 to render the wood more resistive 

 to fire. 



Doubtless there are many preserv- 

 atives aiming at these requirements at 

 present undergoing exhaustive tests in 

 the Tropics, though up to date no one 

 method appears to have met with 

 general acceptance in all quarters. We 

 notice, however, that the now fairly 

 well-known Atlas treatment is gaining 

 general favour in India and other ter- 

 mite infested countries, and appears to 

 fulfil the above-mentioned requirements 

 to a satisfactory degree. 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE. 



[This paper, though old, is perhaps 

 worth reproduction, as showiug the 

 lines upon which a modern department 

 goes to work to render scientific results 

 available to the practical agriculturist.] 



THE SCIENTIFIC DIRECTING OP 

 A COUNTRY'S AGRICULTURE. 



A Paper read before the Australasian 

 Asssociation for the Advancement 

 of Science, by A. N. Pearson. Victo- 

 rian Chemist for Agriculture, etc. 



One of the expressed objects of associ- 

 ations for the advancement of Science 

 is the popularization of science ; to 

 quote the official words, it is " to obtain 

 a more general attention to the objects 

 of science, and a removal of any dis- 

 advantages of a public kind which may 

 impede its progress." My chief object 

 in writing this paper is to give from a 

 scientific platform to the public some 

 explanation of the methods and aims 

 of scientific work in connection with 

 agriculture. I need, therefore, make no 

 apology for commencing this paper 

 with an appeal to the public, to the 

 men of affairs, and to those engaged in 

 the actual practice and business of 

 agriculture. 



, Permit me, first of all, to remove an 

 ambiguity which may attach to my 

 use of the word agriculture. This word 

 may be used in two senses. In the 

 wider sense it includes all pursuits 

 whose object is to obtain produce from 

 the soil whether that produce be in the 



form of animals pasturing on the land, 

 or of crops grown in the soil. In a 

 narrower sense the word agriculture 

 refers to the growth of crops, and the 

 pasture of animals on cultivated lands. 

 I use the word in its widest sense as 

 referring to all industries which have 

 for their object to make all kinds of 

 land bring forth their produce, both 

 animal and vegetable. 



I am profoundly impressed with the 

 importance of the subject before us. In 

 this country of Australia we are all 

 engaged in the great and historic work 

 of building up a new nation. It is mere 

 truism to state that the future develop- 

 ments of this nation, its social evolu- 

 tion, the growth of its intellectual, 

 moral, and spiritual forms, the vigour 

 and activity of all which we call the 

 higher life of a nation, will be deter- 

 mined in an important degree by the 

 nature of the foundations we are now 

 laying. 



As a determining factor- in the growth 

 and life of a nation, it is difficult to 

 over-estimate the importance of its 

 agriculture. It is the agriculture which 

 feeds the nation. In its lowest sense, of 

 course, everyone will at once see this ; 

 the material basis of our life is the 

 food we eat. But in a much wider and 

 higher sense does this statement hold 

 good ; more especially in the case of 

 countries such as the Australian colo- 

 nies. Here by far, and away, the 

 principal industries are those concerned 

 in raising produce from the soil. Let 

 us as an illustration take the concrete 



