Bennett's of Ballinacurra Descriptive List (Ref. B609)

B609/

B609/7

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CEREAL STATION

This section is largely based around the Cereal Station at Ballinacurra, a centre for experimentation in barley cultivation, created by the Department of Agriculture in collaboration with AGS, who largely funded it. The Department oversaw its scientific operations, and John H Bennett was its first Director, overseeing its administration. The Station managed an ongoing series of experiments to improve the quality of Irish barley, and standards of cultivation. It later conducted experiments on other crops, and operated its own farm. The Company arranged for experiments to be carried out on its own lands and those of some of its growers. Pedigree barley seed was distributed from the Station by JHB. Owing to this close relationship and the importance of the Cereal Station, JHB’s involvement in it is documented throughout the collection. In particular, correspondence series include much reference to it [e.g., B609/1/A, B609/1/D, and B609/4/C]. There is also some overlap with farm records [B609/6/D]. Information regarding the Station is also recorded in the diaries of John H Bennett (B609/9/A) and Dorothy West (B609/9/E). This section brings together records and series relating directly to the Station, including correspondence (mainly with DoA), administrative, and scientific records.

B609/7/A

Letters to the Department concerning the Cereal Station, 1932-77

Letters from JHB to the Department of Agriculture concerning the Cereal Station, 1932-77, including Proposals (agreements) between them, 1931- 61. The letters relate to day-to-day Cereal Station operations, including those at its Farm. The letters are in date order, and are numbered, with each file preceded by an index. Typical headings are Accounts; Estimates; Agreements; Barley; Oats; Wheat; Flax; Maize; Beet; Cattle; Dairy Produce; Pigs; Weather; Pamphlet; General; Root Seeds; Stocktaking; Stationery; Requisitions. Distribution and sale of seed oats and barley is a prominent subject. The files, and related index, cover one to three years. The proposals are formal signed documents agreeing to pay a certain price to the Department for a stated quantity of pedigree seed barley, delivered at the Cereal Station. Also present are some proposals relating to pedigree oats, oats drill experiments, and pedigree spring wheat (B609/7/A/22). Letters from the Department were originally filed as a separate series, generally with different files for different crops, and so have been placed in sub- section B609/7/B below. Letters relating more directly to scientific work alone were also placed on distinct files; these occur in B609/7/D below.

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