Experimental Distinct from Demonstration Work.

In the opinion of the writer the experimental side of these farms should form a separate division of the work, and should be kept entirely distinct as regards accounts and management, from the demonstration side of the farm operations. An export in scientific agricultural experiments should have charge of this department, someone who has had experience in the keeping of accurate and detailed records of the page 6 results of such experiments, the nature and scope of which should be decided by the actual bearing of the results obtained upon the practical work of farming in the several districts of this country. The area devoted to such work upon each State farm should be comparatively small, so long as it is sufficient to afford a reliable test of the particular matter with regard to which the enlightenment of experience is sought. With the general management of the farm this scientific expert should have nothing to do.

The general manager's work is to demonstrate the results of good farming on up-to-date lines under the several sets of conditions to be met with as to soil and climate in different parts of New Zealand. He will of course. if he is a competent man, avail him-self of any of the practical lessons to be learnt from the results of the experiments carried out. But in so doing he will be guided by commercial considerations, inasmuch as he has to show how to carry on agricultural and horticultural operations under given natural conditions, so as to obtain the highest average returns from the land. He must mix science with practice and practice with science, and the whole with shrewd commonsense and alert brains.