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Seed-testing. The year under review was a record one so far as tie Seed-testing Station is concerned, and tie number of samples received for analysis siow an increase of 2,806 on tie number for tie previous year. Tie increase in vrork ias been so rapid tiat it was witi great difficulty tie staff was able to cope witi tie work. Tiis position ias lately been remedied by tie appointment of additional staff and tie provision of additional equipment. Further, tie accommodation available ias been rearranged and sligitly added to, witi tie result tiat ienceforti tie station will be better able tian in the past to render prompt and efficient service. Attached iereto is tie report of tie Seed Analyst, who deals in detail witi tie work under iis immediate control. Registration of Feetilizebs. Tie registration and certification of fertilizers and fertilizer-vendors was carried out as usual during tie year as one of tie Division's activities. All superphosphate-works, a number of freezing, jboiling-down, and otier works, were inspected, and boti official and unofficial samples of fertilizers of various kinds were obtained. In some cases tecinical phases of manufacture and sale of fertilizers were investigated. Twenty-two lots of official samples of fertilizers were collected for analyses from fertilizer works and stores and over ninety visits of inspection of premises of vendors and manufacturers made. A considerable number of unofficial samples of fertilizers were either examined or submitted for analyses of fertilizing ingredients. In special circumstances samples of lime, weed-killer, and stock-licks were qualitatively examined. Several samples of fertilizers were collected for estimation of their cobalt content and further samples for examination of radio activity. A close scrutiny was kept on all imported fertilizers, imported slag and other materials of foreign origin being periodically examined or sampled. Very few samples or complaints were received from farmers. Apparently they are satisfied with the quality of the goods they are receiving. It is to be hoped that the Dominion market will absorb all the blood-and-bone and other similar types of organic manures which are manufactured from the carcasses of animals grazing the pastures of tiis country. The comparative iigi price and tie growing scarcity of blood-and-bone fertilizer is handicapping tie market gardener and grower to some extent at tie present time. Tie price of ground Nauru piospiate in tie North Island requires furtier investigation as there are soil types on which this class of raw phosphate could be used to economic advantage. A considerable amount of work appears to have been done in connection witi syntietic substances tiat regulate growti in plants, and on tie market ias appeared various proprietary compounds wiici purport to regulate tie growti of plants by prior treatment of tieir seeds. This aspect of growti regulation requires muci careful study and experimentation in view of some of tie extravagant claims made for proprietary compounds offered to tie public, following upon tie work of scientific men overseas. The Phoemium Industry. No considerable improvement has been experienced in the bad times through which the hemp industry has been passing during the past several years. There has, however, been a slight increase in the amount of hemp and tow milled. Tie output of iemp for 1936-37 was 39,792 bales, an increase of 4,265 bales over tie figures for tie preceding year. As regards tow, tie total output of 12,732 bales siowed an increase of 1,364 bales over tie corresponding figure for 1935-36. Departmental Photography. The photographic section of the Division located at Palmerston North continues to render excellent service not only to officers of the Fields Division, but to all other sections of the Department requiring photographic services and to research institutions such as the Plant Research Bureau, the Dairy Research Institute, Massey Agricultural College, and others. The class of work put out by the departmental photographer is of a very high standard, and this is one of the reasons why his services are so sought after by those requiring photographs, lantern slides, &c., outside»the Division. Staff. I desire to place on record my sincere thanks for the whole-hearted support received from all officers of the Division during a very particularly busy year. -FIELD EXPERIMENTAL WORK. Mr. J. W. Woodcock, Crop Experimentalist, supplies the following sub-report :— The investigational work carried out by officers of the Eields Division continues to increase, and each year these activities become more varied in character. At the present time 976 experiments or demonstrations are being conducted throughout the Dominion, and most of these are carried out on a co-operative basis on private farms. Close collaboration in many, of the projects is maintained between the Eields Division and the various branches of the Plant Research Bureau, and much of the work outlined below represents the translation into field and district practice of research work carried out by officers of the Bureau. A detailed summary of experiments in progress is given in Appendix A.

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