70 
Of course it will be necessary to repeat these experiments with our own 
wheats. Over 300 varieties have been sown at the College farm. All of these will 
necd testing, and this will involve a great deal of work during the coming year. 
A great many interesting investigations can be carried out with regard to 
stock-poisoning, and to the yield of some of our native plants in volatile oils, 
valuable extracts, gums, resins, &c. Cy. 
Very important also are experiments and investigations in our agricultural 
industries, in which chemistry plays an important part. Amongst the foremost 
of these stands our sugar industry. : 
The chemist is not only necessary for the cultivation of the cane crop by 
trying to improve its quality and quantity, and regulating and controlling the 
cutting of the cane, but he is also the. principal man in the mill in order to 
control the losses and direct the process of manufacture. Other industries 
—as, for instance, preservation of meat, butter, and other products for export— 
will also come more or less under the control of the agricultural chemist. 
But let us not forget that analysis alone cannot decide everything, and 
science alone is not sufficient for successful farming. 
Experience and practice are absolutely necessary. 
The chief aim of the Agricultural College about to be started is to teach 
our youths both the practice and science of agriculture, and thus to turn out 
useful, practical farmers, who can direct and invest igate the why and wherefore 
of the necessary practical work by the elements of science. 
Mr. Warr said there was a general impression among farmers that 
fertilisers put on land were apt to be largely carried away by draining. Nitrate 
of soda, for instance, was said to be easily carried away by drainage waters. 
He would be glad to hear Mr. Briinnich’s opirion on this point. 
In reply to this and other questions, Mr. Britnxrem said in using artificial 
manures iu this colony there was always that danger. ‘Tests had been made of 
the water coming from drains, and it had always been found they contained a 
large amount of fertilising materials, and for this reason he always advocated 
green manuring. For instance, a crop of cow peas represented a manurial 
value of £5 per acre. Although the cow pea, of course, took a large amount of 
nutriment from the soil, still most of its ingredients came from the air, and 
consequently the soil was bound to benefit appreciably by the addition of the 
cow-pea vines which had grown upon it. yen such materials as phosphoric 
acid, which the cow pea did obtain from the soil, were improyed in manurial 
value by being assimilated by the cow pea, although in any event, in the case 
of phosphoric acid, soil has generally a superabundance of this substance. 
Cow peas also loosened the land mechanically, and were in most cascs 
preferable to artificial manures. The cow pea could be applied to any crop, 
although his own experience had chiefly been with cane. There was no jand so 
light that could not be benefited by it. He had made experiments with 
dozens of other plants for the purpose of obtaining similar results as those 
_ secured from the cow pea. Corn, sorghum, and several indigenous Fiji plants 
had been tried. Sunflower made an excellent green manure, as did also oats 
and rye. Leguminous plants, however, were far and away the best for this 
purpose. In the North the cow pea could be planted at almost any time, and 
about eight weeks elapsed from date of planting to the time when the crop was 
ready to be ploughed under. About 0 Ib. of seed to the acre were required, 
and it was generally sown broadcast. In reply to a suggestion of Mr. 
_ Whiteley’s, that the roots be left in the ground and the vines be fed to cattle, 
but whose manure should be returned to the soil, Mr. Briwyicmr said such a 
plan would probably be equal in manurial value to ploughing the vines under 
direct, but it would most likely he more expensive. 
Mr. Apams (Rockhampton) said he had been growing the cow pea for 
the last couple of years, and he had found it would not do in winter. It also 
seemed ‘almost a sin to plough it under, it being such an excellent fodder. 
‘Even when he did utilise the vines for feed, he had always found the ground on 
which the peas had been grown greatly improved in quality. 
