Improvements at Kerevat Agricultural Station

At top, the very fine new laboratories which in April were nearing completion at Kerevat Experimental Station, about 30 miles from Rabaul, in New Britain. The building will also supply office accommodation for the station.

The building is well designed and was being built by a Chinese contractor. An architectural error appeared to have been made, however, in specifying a corrugated fibro-cement roof. A Force 5 earthquake that was experienced in early April had

cracked some of it and was letting in the rain; the Force 7 quake that followed later that month probably did not improve the position, although possibly some modification in screwing on the roofing sheets might have solved the problem.

Below: A new revolving hot-air dryer for coffee or cocoa that has recently been installed at Kerevat. It is made of aluminium, or a similar metal, and cost about £2,000.