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F. REPORT OF CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, 1912. (The Canterbury College and Canterbury Agricultural College Act, 1896.) Visitor. —His Excellency the Governor. Board of Governors. Appointed by His Excellency the Governor —J. Rennie, Esq. Elected by members of the Legislature—Hon. E. C. J. Stevens (Chairman) ; M. Murphy, Esq., F.L.S. ; and H. A. Knight, Esq. Elected by governing bodies of agricultural andfpastoral associations—J. Deans, Esq.; T. Blackley, Esq.; and R. Rhodes, Esq. Staff. Director. —R. E. Alexander. Lecturer on Veterinary Science. —A.Taylor, M.A., M.R.C.V.R. Lecturer on Chemistry. —G. Gray, F.C.S. Lecturer on Biology. —F. W. Hilgendorf, M.A., D.Sc. Lecturer on Applied Mathematics. —H. M. Budd, M.Sc.

Sir,- REPOET. I have the honour, by direction of the Board of Governors, in pursuance of the Canterbury College and Canterbury Agricultural College Act, 1896, to submit the following report on the work of I lie institution for the year ending 31st December, 1912 : — The attendance of students was maintained at the limit of accommodation throughout the year, and altogether 54 students were enrolled, the same number as last year. lam glad to be able to report that the progress of t he student s in residence in 1912 was on the whole must, satisfactory both as regards the general interest taken in their studies and the practical work on the farm. I might make special reference to the reports of the examiners on the work of the diploma students, which was generally classed as excellent. As in previous years, a number of students took part in the judging competitions for young farmers, promoted by the Agricultural and Pastoral Association at their November show, and among a large number of competitors the students won a large proportion of the prizes. Twenty-eight students left the College during 1 be year : of these. 4 had been one year at the College, II two years, 4 almost three years, and 9 completed the full course and were awarded diploma special prizes. Their names and addresses are as follows :A. D. Anderson, Invercargill; M. J. Thomson, Dunedin ; R. J. Low, Ashburton ; W. A. Yardley, Southland ; T. A. Carroll, Napier ; M. J. Meehan, Makikihi; G. B. Chrystall, Christchurch ;C. L. Mathias. Timaru ; G. H. Holford, Christchurch. A number of public bodies and friends of the College, including the Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Messrs. G. W. R. Osborne, Leonard White, Messrs. I'yne and Co., Messrs. Booth, Macdonald, and Co., Lincoln College Old Boys' Association, a number of Rakaia farmers, and others, have presented the College with very valuable trophies to be given as prizes to the students. These gifts are very much appreciated by both staff and students, as they stimulate a very wholesome spirit in the general work of the College. Experimental work : Satisfactory progress has been made with the wheat and oats breeding experiments. It is no! possible to give reliable comparative results from the small areas grown, but i lie general appearance of the growing crops was most favourably commented on by the large gathering of farjners on Farmers' Day, and t he estimated yields are also mosl satisfactory from our point of view. We hope next season to have 25 acres of wheat grown from selected seed. A test of the feeding and yielding qualities of varieties of oats was carried out with very instructive results. The College and farm buildings have been kept in a good state of repair. An electric lighting and power plant has been installed at a cost of £1,800. The plant consists of an 18 horse-power BellissMorcom kerosene engine coupled to a Westinghouse dynamo, from which light and power can be obtained direct or run in to a Tudor battery with fifty-eight cells. The College is lighted throughout with metallic filament lamps. This addition to the equipment adds to the comfort of the students, and certainly tends to make the College a more healthy residence, and at the same time reduces the risk of fire to a minimum. Power can also be transmitted from the dynamo or battery to a motor which drives the milking and pumping plant. Another motor has also been installed in the shearing-shed for driving Ihe shearing-machines. This addition to the equipment will provide not only efficient light and power, but will also be most useful rom an educational point of view to demonstrate the use and management of electric power on Ihe farm. A motor-cur has also been purchased at £500 for the use of the College. principally to secure a quicker means of communication with the lands at Ashley Dene and Siberia. The College farm has been maintained at its high state of fertility. During the year some very high yields of oats and wheat were obtained, and this, taken together with the gross income as set forth on the balance-sheet. shows clearly that the farm is also being judiciously farmed. Every effort is made t > run the farm on a commercial basis, so that the students may have the advantage of taking part in Ihe work which is sure to be. useful to them, and which at the same time they can see is reproductive. The farm stock has also maintained its high level of merit. As an evidence of this, I append a list of prizes gained by the College stock at the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association's November show: Three champions, three reserve champions, nine first prizes, three second prizes, four third prizes, six V.H.C. tickets, and six H.C. and C. tickets. The farm with its stock and crop was inspected by over 180 farmers invited to the College in the middle of December. Great interest was generally displayed in the work being carried on, especially in regard to the experimental work, and opinions were freely expressed to tlie effect that the College was fulfilling its object in that it was teaching the students the principles of scientific agriculture and showing how these could be applied to a farm run on a commercial basis. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education. R. E. Alexander. Director,

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