E.—ll.

examples: (a) Can the milling quality of New Zealand wheat be improved ? (b.) Can the carrying-capacity of our pastures be increased through judicious selection of seeds and general treatment? (c.) Can the practice of growing forage-crops be improved in the direction of (1) making the forages or mixtures of these more healthy, and (2) increasing the feeding value? (d.) Can the ravages of parasitic diseases be reduced? These and other problems common to farmers occupy the attention of the staff, but such questions cannot as a rule be answered in one year's work, but by many years' patient observation and experiment. Wheats, for example, have each year been imported and compared with the standard New Zealand wheats, and Mr. Gray, in the chemical laboratory, follows up the field results with analyses to determine the milling value. There are so many factors determining the economic value to the farmer of different varieties of wheat that this one question becomes very complex. The stock on the farm has been maintained of high quality. The only change that has been made in this relation has been the dispersion of the Eomney stud flock. The flocks now maintained are these : (a) Southdown, (b) Shropshire, (c) Border Leicester, (d) Lincoln, (c) English Leicester. I have, &c, William Lowbie, Director. The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington.

Statement of Eeceipts and Expendituee for the Year ending 31st December, 1902. General Account. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Interest on capital .. .. .. 1,165 0 0 Balanoe, Ist January, 1902 .. .. 81 3 3 Rent of reserves and farm cottage .. 1,595 6 7 Refund to Harman and Stevens of interest Sales of live-stock— received from Canterbury College on porSheep .. .. .. .. 594 10 3 tion of its debt to Canterbury AgriculCattle .. .. .. .. 216 0 7 tural College sold to them .. .. 60 9 0 Pigs .. .. .. .. 194 19 11 Salaries of staff .. .. .. 1,316 15 11 Sales of farm produce - Maintenance of students and staff .. 1,102 4 0 Dairy produce .. .. .. 178 4 5 Farm wages (inoluding £250, proportion of Wheat .. .. .. .. 237 15 5 Director's salary) .. .. .. 673 13 0 Oats .. .. .. .. 28 3 7 Purchases of live-stock-Potatoes .. .. .. .. 51 1 1 Sheep .. .. .. .. 194 18 4 Cowgrass-seed .. .. .. 16 18 0 Horses .. .. .. .. 152 0 0 Mangolds .. .. .. .. 112 0 Trade aooounts, including horse - feed, Linseed .. .. .. .. 011 8 saddlery and repairs, freight, saoks, Barley .. .. .. .. 0 5 6 binder-twine, woolpaoks, chaff - cutting, Students'fees .. .. .. .. 855 16 5 hardware, &o. .. .. .. 271 9 8 Trade acoounts—including dipping sheep, Manures .. .. .. .. 147 13 8 sales of saoks, poultry, and eggs, rail Seeds .. .. .. .. 79 2 3 freight refunded .. .. .. 40 16 8 Implements .. .. .. .. 109 2 8 Implements—Sale of old implements .. 15 1 0 Contingencies (College), including sundry Contingencies (farm)— Prizes at shows .. 910 0 expenses of Director, accountant, and Maintenance of students and staff, inolud- housekeeper, rent of mail-bag, repairs, ing refunds for board of Director and expenses in connection with closing Col.Farm Overseer, and sale of kitchen fat.. 89 17 9 lege year .. .. .. .. 112 1 6 Students' books .. .. .. 11 7 1 Contingencies (farm), inoluding expenses Grounds and plantations—Sale of firewood 6 8 6 in oonneotion with shows and sales, Laboratories—Refund for apparatus sup- veterinary medicines, subscriptions, &c. 65 7,';0 pied .. .. .. .. 5 4 6 Insurance (College), buildings and quaOrchard —Sale of fruit .. .. .. 219 4 rantee .. .. .. .. 37 10 1 Buildings (College)— Refund for damages.. 12 2 Insurance (farm), buildings andmaohinery 29 9 10 Stationery, stamps, and telegrams, ex- Buildings (College), repairs .. .. 24 9 0 change on cheques .. .. .. 013 0 Buildings (farm), repairs .. .. 3 7 0 Workshops material—Timber sold .. 0 10 Farm fuel .. .. .. .. 18 010 Rates .. .. .. .. 55 0 6 Permanent improvements—Material and labour .. .. .. .. 16 10 1 Repairs to gates and fences .. .. 3 7 4 Scholarships .. .. .. .. 100 0 0 Students'books .. .. .. 14 2 2 Students' fees—Term-fee refunded .. 13 6 8 Students' travelling-expenses .. .. 21 11 6 Students' wages .. .. .. 5 0 5 Grounds and plantations—Labour and material .. .. .. .. 62 810 Lockhead's drain .. .. .. 2 10 0 Orchard—Labour and spraying-material .. 26 0 2 Workshops— Wages, blacksmith .. .. .. 10 11 0 Materials and tools .. .. .. 8 19 6 Manual training — Materials and Instructor's fees .. .. .. 59 9 7 Library—Purohase of books and periodicals 27 12 8 Travelling-expenses—Members of Board .. 32 8 0 Laboratories—Chemicals and apparatus .. 91 1 6 Prizes and certificates .. .. .. 12 9 6 Stationery, stamps, and telegrams .. 43 5 7 Experimental work .. .. .. 32 14 1 Printing and advertising .. .. 16 4 3 Contributions to Churches .. .. 10 0 0 Examination expenses—Examiners' honoraria .. .. .. .. 3 3 0 Balanoe 31st December, 1902 .. .. 172 13 3 £5,319 6 5 £5,319 6 5

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