Abstract Data on the physical and financial performance of farms are collected annually by the Meat and Wool Economic Service of New Zealand. We used the available data from 1968/69 to 1995/ 96 to calculate a nutrient balance for the model high‐country farm. Our nutrient budget takes account of the loss of nutrients in the form of livestock products (meat and wool), and losses or movement due to leaching and rainfall run‐off. Inputs of nutrients occur with the application of fertiliser, in rainfall, and by legumes fixing nitrogen. While there have been large fluctuations in both the quantity of nutrients applied as fertiliser and the quantity of nutrients removed, the whole‐farm nutrient balance has remained in credit each year for the whole of the time series for all major nutrients. Separate budgets for developed and undeveloped grassland showed that the nutrient balances were in credit for four of the five nutrients in each case; in developed grassland mean potassium balances were slightly negative while in the undeveloped grassland phosphorus balances were slightly negative. The annual surplus of calcium is significantly higher than for other nutrients. The results indicate a need for re‐interpretation of nutrient losses calculated for post‐European settlement as they affect understanding of the effects of grazing on the sustain‐ability of high‐country grasslands. Over the 30 years studied there appears to have been a cessation and probably some redress of nutrient losses from the system. This indicates that losses were greater earlier in the 150‐year period of European settlement than are indicated by the long‐term averages.

A 24 year old woman presented with a prolonged clinical history of fasting and exertional hypoglycaemia, and was subsequently diagnosed with an insulinoma. Concurrent symptoms of oligomenorrhoea and hyperandrogenism of similar duration were noted. Biochemically, hyperinsulinaemia was observed in association with a raised serum luteinizing hormone (LH), raised testosterone and androstendione concentrations. Surgical removal of the insulinoma resulted in resolution of the clinical and biochemical features of the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) but minimal change was observed in the ovarian ultrasound appearances. This case demonstrates the role of insulin in mediating the hypersecretion of both LH and androgens in women with polycystic ovaries. We suggest that hyperinsulinaemia converted occult 'polycystic ovaries' to become clinically manifest as 'polycystic ovary syndrome'. This paradigm has clear implications for women with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus who presumably have systemic hyperinsulinaemia.

The association between X chromosome deletions and premature ovarian failure is well established. Previous anecdotal reports however, have not documented the prevalence of X deletions in women with premature ovarian failure. We therefore performed cytogenetic analyses on 79 women with primary or secondary amenorrhoea to assess the utility of screening for a genetic marker for familial premature ovarian failure. A normal karyotype was found in 77 women. One woman with primary amenorrhoea had an XY karyotype and a woman with secondary amenorrhoea had a deletion at Xq 26.1. This second case had a family history of premature ovarian failure, and her mother who underwent premature ovarian failure at 28 years shared this deletion. The early diagnosis of familial X deletions causing premature ovarian failure allowed for the prediction of impending menopause and the implementation of manoeuvres to advance conception. Although cytogenetic aberrations are rare in secondary amenorrhoea, the ability to predict premature ovarian failure can be vital.

Apple trees of three varieties were each treated with a single spray of 2000 ppm of dimas (‘Alar’, N-dimethylamino succinamic acid) between 47 and 75 days before harvest. Dimas accumulated in the fruit throughout the period between treatment and harvest, but the final residue concentrations in the fruit were not higher than 15 ppm. Chinese gooseberry vines of four varieties were each treated with a single spray of dimas. Concentrations of dimas in the sprays ranged up to 2500 ppm. Sprays were applied not closer to harvest than 170 days. Dimas residue concentrations increased in the fruit initially to relatively high levels (127 ppm in one variety), but declined during the later stages of growth. Harvest residues in the Chinese gooseberry fruits ranged from 1 to 41 ppm.

Sprays of boron at open cluster and at petal fall on four apple varieties in two districts over five seasons gave small but consistent increases in fruit set averaging 12% over 11 experiments. Iron sprays showed a tendency to increase fruit set, but it was not significant. Seed counts could not be related to fruit set, suggesting that treatment was not influencing pollination processes. Sprays of zinc, manganese, and molybdenum, tested similarly but on a more limited scale, had little effect on set. Seed numbers in fruits from trees close to pollinators were higher than in those from trees in the centre of large single-variety blocks commonly found in Nelson. A possible pollination problem is suggested.

Various chemical thinning programmes were applied to the apple varieties Statesman, Dunn's Favourite, and Sturmer to test their effect on biennial cropping. Two chemicals were used, sodium dinitro-ortho-cresylate (DNOC) and alphanaphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). At appropriate concentrations both chemicals improved regularity of cropping when treatment was extended over several seasons. Results have been expressed as changes in a biennial bearing index and these show clearly the effect of individual programmes on the cropping habit. Effective chemical thinning treatments, continued for four to seven years, tended to increase total yield, and to increase individual fruit weights, except in light crop years. Fruit set records indicated that variations in response of Sturmer to regular NAA thinning sprays were not caused by any change in tree susceptibility induced by repeated treatment. No change in tree growth was noted on Sturmer receiving regular chemical thinning programmes.

Equipment based on a photoelectric detection method is described which has been designed for counting apple cells (approximate size distribution 70-500 μ length) but which may be used with any reasonably opaque particles of suitable size which can be held in suspension in a clear low-viscosity liquid. The accuracy of a single run is about ±3% including sampling errors. This error may be reduced by averaging several samples.

ATTEMPTS in the past to produce parthenocarpic development of pome fruits with growth substances have had only very limited success1,2. Because of a greater natural tendency towards parthenocarpy, experiments with pears have been much more successful than with apples. Luckwill3, however, recently reported that gibberellic acid sprays caused the initial development of seedless fruitlets on several apple varieties, although with only one, Miller's Seedling, did treated parthenocarpic fruits reach maturity. In experiments at this Division during the 1959–60 season, gibberellic acid, applied as a 1 per cent lanolin paste, has produced mature seedless fruits on four apple varieties—Sturmer, Cox's Orange and two cider varieties, Strawberry Norman and Red Jersey.