Soya Beans

New Uses in America

IMPRESSED by the extensive production of soya beans in America, Mr. George H. Murray, M.L.C., New Guinea Director of Agriculture, on his return from a world tour said that at the famous Henry Ford farm typically American enterprise had greatly increased the value of the crop.

Mr. Murray arrived in Sydney by the Op Ten Noort on January 4.

After the oil, for which there was a great demand, had been extracted from the beans, the pulped residue was hardened into a substance greatly resembling bake lite, and used for the manufacture of steer ing wheel casings and various other mountings on motor cars. He had been told that really successful culture of the soya bean required the inoculation of the soil with a special bacteria.

While in England Mr. Murray attended the Imperial Congresses of Entomology and Botany and had later been present at the International Botanical Congress at Amsterdam and the International Entomo logical Congress at Madrid. He said that the value of the papers read and discussed at these conferences was enhanced by the opportunity given to agriculturists from many countries to discuss their problems.

Mr. Murray said that the agricultural possibilities of New Guinea were tremen dous, but at least one main trunk road from a suitable seaport to the fertile up lands was necessary before any real pro gress could be made with the cultivation of the interior. He had been told by an experienced Ceylon tea-planter that the New Guinea climate was suitable for the production of high grade tea, but that no tea-growing enterprise could be considered unless there were reasonably good trans port facilities.