SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
Personal. 
Mr. A. E. V. RICHARDSON, M.A., B.Sc. 
Mr. A. E. VY. Richardson, whose portrait appears in this issue, occupies 
a foremost place in the ranks of agricultural scientists in Australia. 
Since his association with the Victorian Department of Agriculture as 
Agricultural Superintendent, which dates back to 1911, he has initiated 
and controlled the experimental work on the State experimental farms, 
and has been largely responsible for the impetus given to the technical 
development of agriculture during the past decade. ; 
Mr. Richardson came to Victoria from South Australia, where he 
occupied the position of Assistant Director of Agriculture. Success, 
therefore, came to him early in life, for he is now only 36 years of age. 
Rapid promotion, however, was but the fulfilment of the promise of 
youth. His collegiate and university record was a brilliant one. ‘He 
was dux of the Adelaide Agricultural School in 1898, and in 1901 won a 
first class diploma of the Roseworthy Agricultural College. In 1907 
he graduated Bachelor of Arts, and in 1908 Bachelor of Science. Two 
years later he obtained the degree of Master of Arts. First class 
honours were won in chemistry, agricultural chemistry, botany, biology, 
and geology, and he was highly commended by the Sydney University 
for his thesis for the science degree in Agriculture. 
Wheat-breeding, and the advancement of the wheat-growing industry 
by improved cultural methods was one of the first subjects to which 
Mr. Richardson directed: his attention. For two years he was super- 
intendent of the Parafield Wheat-breeding Station in South Australia, 
and the work which he accomplished there soon brought him under 
the notice of wheat-growers, and he. was successful in securing their 
co-operation for the carrying out of field experiments, and the testing 
of new varieties. It is interesting to note that Gallipoli, a new variety, 
which during the last season gave specially good results in the Mallee 
and the drier wheat-growing areas of Victoria, was crossed by Mr. 
Richardson while at Parafield, and it was later fixed by him at the 
Werribee Research Farm. bes 
The establishment of the Research farm at Werribee in 1913 inaugu- 
rated a scheme of experimental and investigational work of great magni- 
tude, and of far-reaching importance. There always has been, and pro- 
bably there always will be in some quarters, opposition to the expendi- 
ture of money for agricultural research. The history of the agricultural 
progress of the United States of America, of Denmark, and of Germany 
during the last thirty years shows the benefit conferred upon those 
countries by sustained scientific investigation, and as time goes on the 
value to Victoria of the Werribee institution will become more and more 
apparent. Notwithstanding that much of the experimental work had 
to be abandoned during the war period, the results so far gained must 
tend to improve general farm practice, and so increase production; but 
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