§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether the Board has received official information that, as the result of the bacteriological researches of Drs. Russell and Hutchinson at the Rothamsted experimental station, it has been demonstrated that the productivity of the soil can be increased 100 per cent, by the action of heat, and at least 40 per cent, by treatment with certain antiseptics; and, if so, whether the Board will take steps, by the circulation of a leaflet on the subject or otherwise, to render information in reference to so important a discovery available to market gardeners and others engaged in intensive cultivation?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD Of AGRICULTURE (Sir Edward Strachey)The Board agree that it is very desirable that the result of the researches in question should be brought to the knowledge of those concerned, and a summary of the Report which Drs. Russell and Hutchinson contributed to the "Journal of Agricultural Science" in October last has been published in our "Journal" for the current month.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTAs the current number of the "Journal" of the Board of Agriculture is especially interesting to those engaged in the cultivation of the soil generally in the country, may I ask the hon. Gentleman whether they will be enabled to read it?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYI think so, for this particular purpose.
§ Mr. COURTHOPEWill the hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of circulating information in the form of a leaflet?
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTIn view of the enormous importance of this information to market gardeners and others engaged in intensive cultivation, could it not be made more readily acceptable to them by imparting it in a more popular way?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYI have already stated that people who are engaged in intensive cultivation are the very people who would read our "Journal."