A. W. Hudson

The Bledisloe Medal for 1936 was awarded to Mr A. W. Hudson, on the decision of the College Board, after consultation with a sub-committee of the Association.

A brief outline of the career of Mr Hudson should be of interest: Mr A. W. Hudson, a brother of Professor E. R. Hudson, was born on February 3^rd, 1896. Subsequently to leaving the Christchurch Boys’ High School, he spent five years on dairy, sheep and arable farms, with the object of gaining experience to fit him for farming on his own account.

He enlisted as a Private of the 9^th Reinforcement at 19 and during 3 ½ years on active service rose to the rank of 2^nd Lieutenant.

Mr Hudson commenced his academic career at Canterbury College in 1920 but during 1921-22 was in residence at Lincoln, gaining the College Diploma. In 1923 he completed the B.Agr.degree at Canterbury College and a year later the B.Sc. degree. In 1922 he was President of the Students’ Association at Lincoln, Captain of the 1^st XV, and a member of the 1^st XI. In 1923 he was a member of the Canterbury College 1^st XV, and a member of and manager of the Haslam Shield shooting team.

In 1924 Mr Hudson joined the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture in Christchurch. He was in Canterbury for 4 ½ years and conducted considerable experimental work in field crops and pastures. He designed various aspects of field technique which enabled modern methods to be applied throughout the country.

In 1928 he was appointed Field Crop Experimentalist, with headquarters at the Plant Research Station, Palmerston North. Until 1934 he administered the experimental work of the Fields Division throughout New Zealand. In addition to research work on aspects of crop and pasture manuring and management, he devised an entirely new technique for the measurement of pasture production, which is considered to have no superior for the purpose for which it is used.

During this period Mr Hudson published approximately 50 articles in the N.Z. Journal of Agriculture, Empire Journal of Experimental agriculture. Imperial Agricultural Bureau Bulletins, Proceedings of the N.Z. Grasslands Conference and a very comprehensive bulletin of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Since the inauguration of the N.Z. Grasslands Association, Mr Hudson has been a member of the Executive. In 1935 he was the prime mover in the formation of the Palmerston North branch of the Old Students’ Association and has been the President of this active branch since then.

In February, 1935, he was appointed Lecturer in Soil Chemistry at the Massey Agricultural College, after having lectured for one term in each of the two preceding years. Source: Canterbury Agricultural College Magazine, 1937 November, p76-77.