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SCIENCE AND PRODUCTION.!
Methods »r SciiMin' Council, i
Address by Professor Rivctt. i
When 1 he Victorian Fruit Council hk-
nnitlcd yesterday in Hank Hnnac, "Bank- |
Olai'C, an interest infr. address concerning
tho methods oi' the newly-formed (,'onncii
of , Scientific l.'esearoh was . Id i eel ml by
Professor A. U. D. liivett. one of tlic i
members, lie explained that it. was the
council's intention to attend pnrlicuiarly
to problems altera iny I he pvimary
imlustrics, end in' this respect the mtir,
industry would reemvo due consideration.'
(Hear, hoar.) Three linos of research work
liiui been laid down, namely, ipol eLorajte
ami transport of fruit, the irrigation
settlement problems, and the best means
to lie employed to chock tho attack of
insects generally and tuugoids iu particu
lar.
The Science Council, which had taken
lite place, of tiio Institute of Science and
Industry, hnd received .023(1.000 for three
| years' work, and also -c 100,0110 had been
invested on its behalf in bonds which
would return over .C 5000 per annum,
which would he used for training Aus
tralian graduates in research work. One
of the present problems was lo find the
suitable men to take up suelt work. Until
recently there had been no opening for
young men to embark upon u career
devoted to .scientific research. Of course,
original research work would have lo be
undertaken to a (treat extent. In regard
to cool storage eiiieiency, the Science
Council was co-opcratiug with the Food
Investigation department pf England, and
particularly its cool storage research ela
tion at Cambridge. Two delegations of
Cambridge .scientists had already visited
Australia, und their findings had proved
of great value indeed.
Some people wondered why fruit which
kept well in cool stores in Australia de
teriorated considerably in the ship's cham
ber during tho voyage to tho United King
dom. The l'ael was that the temperature
varied so considerably, from 15 to 25 dog.
in many eases. Meat cool storage was
also being carefully investigated, and in
regard to irrigation mutters Professor II.
D. Walt, of Sydney; Messrs. J. A. Pros;
rot, of tho Peter "White Institute of
South Australia, and J. Laing, of the
Water Commission," luid recently indulged
iu an extended lour, and- they had pre
sented a most valuable and startling re
port, which showed that the growers on
the irrigated areas adopted, widely differ
ing methods — methods which differed iu
fundamental principles. Work on the
soil, and the study of the sepago problems,
would also he undertaken. The Science
Council intended to co-ordinate the re
search activities of the various Stales,
Mr. J. Mill hud been appointed to investi
gate tlic problem of the underground grass
scrub, and nlso to discover the methods
of combating the pea mite, which was
working havoc in Australia. Tin: dried-
fruit grub would also be investigated.
On the motion of Mr. J. Tully, of Don-
castor, seconded by Mr. F. Cooper, of
Lancaster, it was decided, to congratulate
tlic Federal Government on its providing
sufficient funds to allow the Science Coun
cil to function effectively.
Cordial appreciation ot Professor
Rivctt'e address was expressed, and in
reply to u question he stated that the
council was now rendy to investigate vims
diseases of plants.
One of the members stated that a- con
ference of nil interested would shortly.be
called to consider n definite marketing
system.
It was decided to inform tile State
Government, that the members did not
want the £2000 io be regarded as a debit
against the funds which would lie raised
for the orchard tax.
In view of the fact that the Gerinan-
Anieiieaii trade treaty gave a preference
of 1/0 in duty ill favor of American
against Australian fruit, it was decided to
approach the Federal Government and re
quest it to obtain a similar trade treaty
with Germany.
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