December, 1911.] 



531 



Scientific Agriculture, 



Soil Survey. 



In regard to measures for acquiring 

 knowledge, one of the first things neces- 

 sary is a comprehensive and detailed ex- 

 amination of the lands from which the 

 country's wealth is derived, A farmer 

 with a large farm of varied soils will 

 have a plan of his farm, showing the 

 paddocks and the distribution of the 

 various classes of soil. And ti eating 

 the whole country as a large and varied 

 farm, one of the first essentials as a 

 matter of practical business is to make 

 a complete soil survey, to produce a 

 soil map and compile an agricultural 

 register of the country. Such a work 

 when carried out would make it possible 

 to issue to every farmer practical in- 

 formation concerning the agricultural 

 value of his land, the kind ot cultivation 

 most suitable, and the proper method of 

 treatment in order to get the maximum 

 profitable produce. 



In conducting this soil survey, note 

 would have to be taken of the geography 

 and climate of every farm, of the 

 natural vegetation, of the mode of culti- 

 vation already adopted, and the results 

 obtained. Test fields, such as I have 

 already described, would have to be 

 established ; and, after the fields had 

 served their purpose, excavations would 

 have to be made in the unmanured plots 

 down to a depth of 5 feet, more or less, 

 with a view of determining the natural 

 moisture and subsoil conditions, and for 

 taking samples for analysis and for 

 museum purposes. 



With the aid of this map and register, 

 and all the information gathered in 

 connection therewith, and of annual 

 inspections throughout the country, and 

 of statistics, it would be possible to see 

 year by year which districts were falling 

 behind a reasonable average in the 

 produce of their different crops, to 

 inquire into the causes, and to suggest 

 practicable steps for improvement. The 

 soil map and register would also serve 

 as a basis for the preparation of other 

 special maps showing distribution of 

 crops, vines, fruits, pasture, live stock, 

 and so forth. 



The carrying out of a systematic soil 

 survey in this colony was proposed by 

 me in 1891 ; and something of the kind 

 was suggested several years ago by the 

 late Mr. Cosmo Newbery. 



Experiment Stations. 

 The next important essential is the 

 establishment of permanent experiment 

 stations. Every country has its own 

 agricultural problems which lequire 

 experimental research ; and, although 

 in these new countries we can make use 



of much of the general knowledge 

 obtained at the numerous experiment 

 stations of Europe and America, yet our 

 local conditions present us with diffi- 

 culties which we must work out for 

 ourselves. The object of this experi- 

 ment station is to investigate diffi- 

 culties of this kind, and generally to 

 make useful discoveries for agricultural 

 practice. The problems to be worked 

 out at these stations are numerous and 

 varied, such, for instance, as the value 

 of drainage, of different kinds of tillage, 

 of different forms of plant food ; the 

 improvement of native plants, especially 

 pasture grasses ; the treatment of 

 diseases and insect pests, both of plants 

 and animals ; the determination of food 

 values, and so forth. At these stations 

 also new agricultural implements are 

 tried, and their merits and demerits 

 determined. Experimental factories 

 also are sometimes established at 

 these stations for the preliminary 

 trial or perfection of new industrial 

 processes. These stations serve also 

 as distributing centres for improved 

 seed. Their work is wholly distinct 

 from teaching, and although they may be 

 established in connection with colleges, 

 they need to be under separate manage- 

 ment, In Victoria we need four of these 

 stations to meet our different climatic 

 conditions. 



Systematic Examination op Produce. 



A third essential is the systematic 

 inspection and examination by analysis 

 and otherwise of the various products of 

 agriculture with a view to comparison 

 as a whole with those of other countries 

 and in detail between the produce of our 

 different districts, so that steps may be 

 taken for effecting improvement in the 

 backward districts. Such work is al- 

 ready to some extent carried out by 

 country inspections and by examination 

 of exported produce. 



As to the measures for distributing 

 and applying knowledge, these are 

 largely matters of general education and 

 instruction, which do not call for special 

 observation now. Pour distinct kinds of 

 work are required according to whether 

 it has reference to children at school, 

 youths in training, adults in practice, or 

 the general community. 



As regards children, much has already 

 been said and written about introducing 

 into primary schools simple lessons con- 

 veying a few salient facts of agriculture, 

 I will not add anything to this, except 

 in regard to one matter. Successful 

 oversight of the work of a country 

 depends much upon the use of statistical 

 returns. These statistical returns need 



