Advisory Officers Research Articles

Survey of paspalum in New Zealand pastures

Abstract A survey was undertaken among farm advisory officers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to determine the distribution of, production from, and attitudes to Paspalum dilatatum in New Zealand. Paspalum is widespread throughout most of Northland, Auckland. Bay of Plenty, Waikato, and Poverty Bay. It is present in most of the remainder of the North Island and in north-western South Island. Abundance is decreasing in Northland and is static in most other districts except Waikato where some increase was noted. Factors such as site, soil type, and kind and intensity of farming system influence abundance. Distribution limits are set by winter temperatures, but summer temperatures influence its ability to compete with other pasture components. Growth normally begins in November, reaches a maximum in January, and declines quickly in April and May. Animal consumption is high over the whole growth period and highest from December to March. Attitudes to paspalum were related to its abundance in a district. Ability to produce herbage during summer was the characteristic considered most desirable, and exclusion of other pasture components by becoming sod-bound was regarded as the most undesirable feature.

The use of micro-counselling in the training of employment advisory officers

The use of micro-counselling in the training of employment advisory officers

Educational Poverty in the Midst of Educational Abundance: Status and Policy Implications of Teacher Supply/Demand

social development. An indication of this, he suggested, was the reestablishment of a science advisory office to the president, and the congressional establishment of an office of technical assessment. Impediments to a rational policy-setting mechanism, however, are reconciling issues of policy groups in the executive and legislative branches, and the continuing tendency of scientists to follow the example of generals who always fight last year's war.

Medicine and public affairs. Science advice - a return to the White House.

When Senators Kennedy, Goldwater, and Javits line up with Vice-President Rockefeller in support of a proposal by President Ford, it may be concluded that the matter at hand is of an inconsequential ceremonial nature or that something with a lot of power potential is stirring interest across the political spectrum.The aforementioned Senators and Vice-President did gather on June 6 in a Senate hearing room to speak kindly of Mr. Ford's intention to re-equip the White House with a science advisory office, thus reversing Mr. Nixon's decision to do away with that function. But the circumstances surrounding Mr. Ford's plan . . .

Opportunities in management training

Each alternate year the Distributive Trades Education and Training Council arranges a conference for University Careers Advisory Officers. The purpose of the conference is to outline management career opportunities for university graduates in retail and wholesale distribution, and the format usually followed is for a type of distribution to be discussed both by an executive and a management trainee. This year's conference was held at Lewis's store in Birmingham; W.J. Philpott, the writer of this report, was himself one of the speakers.

A COMPARISON OF DATA FROM AGRICULTURAL SOIL SURVEYS WITH ENGINEERING INVESTIGATIONS FOR ROADWORKS IN AYRSHIRE

SummaryRecently a number of outline soil survey maps, on a scale I: 25 000, each covering some IOO km square, have been made available by the Soil Survey of Scotland to County Advisory Officers) Planning Officers, and others who have specialist requirements. In North Central Ayrshire a number of major roadworks have been completed in recent years and the Kilmarnock and Hurlford Bypasses are at present under construction. Site investigations have been undertaken in connection with these works and construction records kept. These make possible the assessment of the usefulness of the soil survey maps for initial route and realignment planning of roads.The delineation of the various soil associations on the soil survey maps related very closely to the limits of the various engineering soils encountered. The groupings adopted by the soil surveyors for boulder clays have, however, been found to be narrower than presently required by engineers) while the groupings adopted with respect to the raised beach and alluvial deposits too wide.It is suggested that the engineering behaviour of boulder clays needs closer examination and any correlations between engineering and soil association groupings should be sought. Also if the grading, water content, and bulk density of the raised beach sands and gravels could be given by the soil survey, this information would permit engineers to make a much better judgement of the road‐bearing capacity of these materials. Alluvial deposits should be similarly tested and distinguished as either riverine or lacustrine deposits.To avoid duplication of effort in the future when geotechnical maps are produced and to gain the maximum benefit of the information so far collected, a closer liaison between engineers and the Soil Survey of Scotland is suggested.

Job matching computer

A new computer assisted placement service to match available jobs and employment-seeking graduates is to come into being in October 1972. The service is a joint development of the Standing Conference of University Appointments Services (SCUAS), encompassing all UK universities and those polytechnics that have set up careers advisory offices, the Standing Conference of Employers of Graduates (SCOEG), covering the whole spectrum of employment, and the National Union of Students (NUS).

Profit by Mutual Fund Investment Adviser upon Transfer of Advisory Office Is a Breach of Fiduciary Duty

Profit by Mutual Fund Investment Adviser upon Transfer of Advisory Office Is a Breach of Fiduciary Duty

EFFECTS OF MILKING MACHINES ON THE QUALITY OF MILK

Advisory officers and milking machine manufacturers have, in the past, criticised scientists on the ground, it is claimed, that no attempt is made to describe developments associated with farming in terms which can be understood by intelligent laymen.This article deals with the specific problem of the effects of the milking machine on milk quality. It suggests one approach to the problem of machine design. There may well be other solutions which have not yet been explored.It is realised that the requirements for high quality milk production may contradict the needs of the farmer with a large herd who is short of labour. There is also the problem of mastitis.These aspects will be examined in later articles in the series, with the thought that, out of an up-to-date consideration of all the problems involved, a working solution will emerge which will be economical, efficient and available to New Zealand farmers.

Damage to honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera) by insecticides in Great Britain, 1956-65.

AbstractMethods are described for detecting insecticides in dead bees. Bees received by the Chief Bee Advisory Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food have been analysed by these methods and it is evident that each year some are killed by insecticides. Most such happenings are in Eastern England and are caused by spraying, especially from the air, with organo‐phosphates to control aphids on pea and bean crops. The use of poison baits to kill wasps is another cause. Such happenings could mostly be prevented by taking a few elementary precautions.

ASLIB PROCEEDINGS

The Branch held a week‐end conference at Hertford College, Oxford, from 17th to 19th April, on the theme ‘Educating the user’. Mr Gordon H.Wright, County Technical Librarian of Hertfordshire, in a paper on ‘Educating tomorrow's potential information user’, discussed critical thinking and the art of communication. Mr J.E.Terry, Information Officer, AERE Harwell, described the course on information sources and library services which is run for scientific officers at AERE. Mrs Irene Veasey of Blackwell's urged that Aslib appoint advisory officers to discuss with representatives of organizations the practical aspects of information dissemination within their own concerns. Mr Jack Bird, Education Officer, Aslib, and the three speakers were on a panel to discuss points arising from the papers, and open discussion then followed.

SOME ASPECTS OF THE NODULATION PROBLEM OCCURRING IN THE WITHER HILLS

FOR SOME YEARS NOW, J. P. Beggs, Farm Advisory Officer at Blenheim, has been concerned with problems of establishing legumes in the hill country about Blenheim. The natural cover on this country consists of an almost pure sward made up of five species of Notodanthonia. Because of the steep nature of the country, oversowing is the only practical method of pasture improvement, and this fails because legumes do not establish adequately. The writer has been interested in this problem for some time and the following is an interim report on some factors which appear to be involved.

FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AS AN AID TO PASTURE IMPROVEMENT ON STEEP GREYWACKE HILL COUNTRY

The Soil Bureau tells me that there are at least eight million acres of greywacke derived soils in New Zealand. The greywacke clay hills form one of the oldest and largest soil groups in the country. In the Raglan County alone they account for about 91,000 acres or a sixth of the county area. As an Advisory Officer appointed in that district I soon became acquainted with the typical thin, dark grey topsoil formed over a weathered, sticky yellow subsoil. Well watered, but hard baked in summer, greasy in winter, these hills, with their characteristics of steepness, low natural fertility, and steady reversion to second growth, had proved the most difficult class of land to handle, and as such they offered a real challenge to the property owner and to myself as the new adviser.

THE WORK OF THE MILK SERVICE IN RELATION TO MILK HANDLING ON THE FARM

SummaryThe Milk Service is a technical service responsible for:(1) Technical work arising out of the administration of Milk and Dairies Regulations, and the Milk (Special Designations) (Raw Milk) Regulations.(2) Providing advice to milk producers on the varied problems relating to the handling of milk on the farm. It performs much the same range of advisory work as previously carried out by milk advisory officers in the National Agricultural Advisory Service, other than work relating to the farm manufacture of milk products and questions relating to the chemical composition of milk.(3) Providing some fee‐paying services to small dairies.

GRASSLAND HUSBANDRY IN THE WEALDEN DISTRICT

Grass and Forage ScienceVolume 8, Issue 2 p. 103-114 GRASSLAND HUSBANDRY IN THE WEALDEN DISTRICT H. G. Chippindale, H. G. Chippindale Grassland Advisory Officer, N.A.A.S., South-Eastern ProvinceSearch for more papers by this author H. G. Chippindale, H. G. Chippindale Grassland Advisory Officer, N.A.A.S., South-Eastern ProvinceSearch for more papers by this author First published: June 1953 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2494.1953.tb00943.xCitations: 1AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume8, Issue2June 1953Pages 103-114 RelatedInformation

Announcements

THE Ministry Agriculture and Fisheries announces the following appointments : Mr. W. Morley Davies, provincial director for the East Midland Province of the National Agricultural Advisory Service, to be senior education and advisory officer to succeed Dr. W. K. Slater, who, as already announced, has been appointed secretary to the Agricultural Research Council in succession to the late Sir John Fryer; Mr. Arthur Jones, director in Wales, National Agricultural Advisory Service, to be provincial director for the East Midland Province ; and Mr. D. Walters-Davies, deputy provincial director, to be director in Wales.

Agricultural Research Council : Dr. W. K. Slater

WITH the approval of the Lord President of the Council and after consultation with the president of the Royal Society, the Agricultural Research Council has appointed Dr. W. K. Slater to be its secretary, in succession to the late Sir John Fryer, as from May 1. The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries has agreed at the request of the Agricultural Research Council to release Dr. Slater from his present duties as a senior education and advisory officer in the National Agricultural Advisory Service. Dr. Slater was educated at the Oldham Hulme Grammar School and at the University of Manchester, where he graduated in 1914. In 1922 he joined the team working under Prof. A. V. Hill in the Department of Physiology, Manchester, and later followed Prof. Hill to University College, London. During the next six years, Dr. Slater held Junior and Senior Beit Memorial Medical Research fellowships, and carried out a series of investigations on the anaerobic phase in muscular contraction and on the general phenomenon of anaerobiosis in animals. In 1928 Dr. Slater joined the staff of the Dartington Hall Trustees to set up a research laboratory and supervise the scientific aspects of their wide-scale experiments in rural economy, and later he was placed in charge of the administration of the agricultural departments of the Trust. Although personal research work was not possible, the laboratory at Dartington Hall under Dr. Slater's general supervision co-operated extensively with the research institutes on a wide range of problems, and did valuable work on the control of potato blight and on cobalt deficiency effects in sheep. In 1942 his services were loaned to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to assist the late Sir John Fryer in connexion with the Agricultural Improvement Council, and when Sir John became secretary of the Agricultural Research Council, Dr. Slater followed him as secretary of the Agricultural Improvement Council.

Plant Pathology at the Rothamsted Experimental Station

A USEFUL report by C. Bawden from the Department of Plant Pathology and Section of Biochemistry (Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, 1947. Is. net) covering the years 1939— 45 provides an informative summary of certain aspects of research in mycology, plant virus diseases and related biochemical problems. Before 1939, virus research in this Department dealt with insect vectors, the cytology of infected plants, purification of the virus, and the chemical, physical and serological properties of viruses. This work has been continued ; but, in addition, much field work on factors affecting the rate of spread of virus diseases in potato and sugar beet has been undertaken. Mycological work has been concentrated largely on the study of soil-borne fungi, the control of which constitutes a major challenge to plant pathology. Ophiobolus graminis, Fusarium spp., Plasmodiophora brassicce, Cercosporella herpotrichoides and Helicobasidium purpureum are the disease-producing fungi which have received most attention. The Section of Biochemistry was established in 1940, under the direction of N. W. Pirie. It was originally an offshoot of the Plant Pathology Department, but has now become separate as the work has extended. Work on purification of virus extracts raised some problems with plant enzymes and other systems, which now form an important theme of work in the Section. Most of the published work of the Department and Section has been reviewed in these columns from time to time ; the collected accounts in this report will be of value to teachers, advisory officers and others who require a summary of published literature, with an overall digest of its significance.

Conference on Films in Agriculture

THE Scientific Film Association is organising a one-day conference to be held on January 17 at the Caxton Hall, London, at which the present state and the future development of the use of films in agriculture and their place in the drive for increasing production will be discussed. The chair will be taken by Prof. J. A. Scott Watson, chief scientific and agricultural adviser to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Mr. G. Goodman (Ministry of Agriculture) will speak on the scope, and Mr. A. Vesselo (Central Film Library) on the sources and distribution of agricultural films. Dr. W. K. Slater (senior education and advisory officer of the Ministry of Agriculture) will discuss the use of the instructional film in agriculture; Mr. II. Kenney, lecturer in agriculture, University of Reading, will deal with its use in university training and research; and Mr. E. Anstey (Film Centre) with the making of agricultural teaching films. In the evening a show of selected British and foreign agricultural films will be given. Further information and tickets (£1 Is. each, including buffet lunch and tea) can be obtained from the Conference Secretary, Scientific Film Association, 34 Soho Square, London, W.I.

Poultry Mission to North America

THE Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, in con-junction with the Secretary of State for Scotland, has arranged to send a mission to North America for the purpose of investigating, on behalf of the agricultural departments and their poultry advisory committees, the progress in the development of the poultry industry that has been made in the United States of America and Canada during recent years, and in particular to examine the stock improvement schemes in both countries. It is contemplated that the mission will start early in October and will spend a month in the United States, followed by a fortnight in Canada. It is proposed that the mission will consist of the following: Dr. R. Coles, superintending poultry advisory officer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries; Dr. A. W. Greenwood, acting director, Institute of Animal Genetics, University of Edinburgh; Mr. R. F. Gordon, senior research officer, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge; Mr. C. Hedderwick, Somer set Poultry Farm, Bathpool, Taunton, Somerset; Mr. J. Sutton, The Clifton Pedigree Poultry Farm, Clifton, near Preston; Mr. G. Sykes, Queen Manor Farm, Laverstock, Salisbury.