69 : 
Experiments with wheats and testing them a; to milling quali- 
ties, Kc. j 
Practical experiments in the field. 
Investigations about stock-poisoning. 
Experiments and analyses of insecticides. 
Preservation of meat and other products. 
Experiments and investigations in agricultural industries, as 
sugar, wine, tanning, &c., Xe. 
The value of soil analyses to the farmers has been much discussed. Some 
authorities deny all value, and others again put too much faith init. The 
truth must lie somewhere betwecn these two extremes. 
Chemical analysis alone is very often misleading, and I have analysed soils 
which according to the analysis should be first-class soils, but which as « matter 
of facet would not grow anything on account of their heavy clayey nature. © 
This adverse property would, of course, have been found out by the mechanical 
analysis, which at the same time would point out that these soils could be 
improved by draining or green manuring. 
Very often the analysis of a soil shows its deficiency in certain necessary 
constituents. 
It is principally the want of nitrogen from which many of our soils in 
Queensland suffer, and this, perhaps, has to be attributed to adverse climatic 
conditions. ‘The advantages of green manuring have been known for a 
very Icng time, but the scientific explanation of the fact that nitrogen ts He 
assimilated from our atmosphere by the help of the root-nodules of legu- 
minous plants is only a recent discovery made by Professor Ifellriegel. 
The astive agents of this wonderful process are Bacteria found in these root- 
nodules. 
Our farmers will find no cheaper or better way of supplying this want of — 
nitrogen to their soils than by green manuring with leguminous crops; and the 
cow-pea (Dolichos sinensis), introduced from America by Professor Shelton, 
seems especially suited for this purpose, and yields excellent crops in different — 
parts of this colony. i 
A crop of cow-pea grown in the Mackay district could be ploughed under 
after eight weeks’ growth. This crop weighed 9°7 tons (vines and roots) per 
acre, and supplied to the soil per acre 2°87 tons organic matter, 150 lb. of 
nitrogen, 85 Ib. of phosphoric acid, and 96 1b. of potash; these ingredients 
representing a manuring value of £5 per acre. ; 
The analyses of waters, chiefly water used for irrigation purposes, is 
important, as very often the water during its passage through the earth may 
take up constituents which are detrimental to plant lite. 
The analyses of artificial manures is undoubtedly part of the most 
important work of the agricultural chemist. 
It is of the greatest importance to the farmer to know if he really receives 
value for his money spent in manures, and it is a great pity that the lertilisers 
Bill, regulating and controlling the sale of manures, was not passed by the last 
session of Parliament. “ 
The farmer cannot afford to experiment with various manures, and in the 
choice of his manures he should be guided by the analyses and by practical 
results obtained at experiment stations. 
Another important branch of the analytical work is the analysis of dairy 
products, foods for our own consumption, and feed-stuffs or fodder for our 
cattle. 
Interesting experiments can be made with regard to the preservation of — 
fodder in silos, which would show how far the nutritious value of the fodder | 
is influenced by storage. _ 
With regard to the testing of wheat, a large amount of work has been - 
done in the New South Wales Agricultural Department by Dr. Cobb and Mr. 
Guthrie. 
