25 JUNE 1932, Page 14

sadly few acres where grain is now grown) will be

conspicuous for some experiments in the mechanical farm that are new in scope and method, and promise further extensions when the technique is fully acquired. The most wholehearted of all is being tried out over a wide district close to the King's farm (which is one of the best in England) at Sandringham. A solid piece of land of about 7,000 acres has been devoted solely to the culture of grain, and most of it is pow under wheat and oats, promising good crops. It is to be kept as a cereal farm, and the possibility of growing wheat, oats and perhaps barley continuously or almost continuously is to be attempted, with the aid of the newest machine, which both vastly reduces the costs of harvesting and accelerates the process. The demonstration will be rather less dramatic than it would have been, because the machines are fewer than was hoped. The full number was refused, because the makers did not wish the machines to outrun the supply of mechanicians, who both knew the machine itself—not a difficult job— and had expert acquaintance of the right way to fit it to existing conditions of weather and crop.