SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
post-graduate studentships attached to these and other chairs, by means 
of which promising men can be trained in methods of research. The 
Committee has made a small beginning by having arranged with the 
British Cotton Industry Research Association to co-operate in offering 
five such studentships, to be held in the coming year. The Committee 
recommended the Government to take this matter into serious considera- 
tion in consultation with the cotton industry, and many others which 
depend on agricultural products for their raw materials; and it also 
recommends that liberal contributions for this purpose should be recog- 
nised as part of the expense of increasing the cotton supply. 
2 
THE MARKETING OF COTTON. 
Keonomic considerations are discussed in addition to questions of 
scientific research, and the Committee explains that, in the infancy of 
cotton development in any new district, special arrangements are neces- 
sary to secure to the grower prices proportionate to the quality of his 
cotton. It is also pointed out that financial assistance must occasionally 
be afforded during the period of growing. This may sometimes take 
the form of fixing prices ahead, in others, it may be necessary to make 
monetary advances against the crop. or all such work, it is felt that . 
some agency independent of Government will be needed; and it is 
recommended that an agreement should be made with the British Cotton- 
growing Association, subject to that body foregoing commercial profits 
and being guaranteed against loss on this part of the business. It is, in 
the first place, pointed out that, apart from the large capital required 
every year to finance and market the crops, promotion of cotton-growing 
will involve the expenditure of a good deal of money. Some forms 
of expenditure have already been indicated. There are also many other 
matters, often of pressing importance, for which a large amount of 
money will eventually be required. The great need in almost every 
Colony or Protectorate is for better transport facilities. Roads, rail- 
ways, water communications, and harbour works, are almost everywhere 
demanded. There are also, in many places, present or prospective needs 
for irrigation and drainage. 
ELECTROLYTIC TREATMENT OF SEEDS. 
An important announcement is made by Dr. Russell, Director of 
_ Rothamsted Experimental Station, upon the treatment by an electrolytic 
process of the seeds of various farm crops. Discussing the Wolfryn 
process, he states that the cost of the treatment in the case of wheat 
seed is about 28s. per quarter, which works out at about 7s. to 10s. 6d. 
per acre, assuming the usual rate of seed of about 2 or 3 bushels per 
acre. In the Journal of the Ministry of Agriculture of January last, he 
states that up to the present agricultural experts have not been particu- 
larly enthusiastic about the treatment, because the samples of: seed 
tested at colleges and experimental stations have in the main proved no 
better than untreated seed. Similar results have been obtained by 
certain farmers who have taken the trouble to weigh up their produce. 
142 
