CULTIVATING THE LAND

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2977, 15 January 1917, Page 5

CULTIVATING THE LAND

DRASTIC ORDERS GAZETTED (Rec. January 14, 5.5 p.m.) London, January 13. Numerous orders have been gazetted . relating to the food supply. R. E. Prothero, Minister of Agrioulture, is not only empowered to utilise vacant land, but can also direct occupiers of cultivated land how to utilise the land to most advantage, and a refusal -to grow crops as directed constitutes an offence. All occupiers of over ten acres of arable land in Ireland must cultivate another ten per .cent. '- Tho Scottish Board of "Agriculture is empowered to slaughter deer to prevent injury to crops and. wastage :-of; pastures. It has been plainly intimated that if owners fail to shoot pheasants to prevent the raiding of grain crops an order will be issued empowering fanners to shoot them.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. , POTATO FAMINE ENDED (Ree. January 13, 7 p.m.) London, January 12. The announcement that potato prices would be fixed caused a. sensation among Lancashire farmers who were holding stocks and were anxious regarding the position.'.. They started pouring in stocks on the market, and prices dropped 505., closing at £10 per ton. The potato famine has ended.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn, -.- BRITAIN'S FOOD SUPPLY CONTROLLER'S NEW ORDER. London, January 12. A new order has been issued by Lord Davenport (Food Controller). It requires tho extraction of an extra 5 per cent. of.flour from wheat, or an. addition of 5 per cent, from bailey, maize, rico and oats. It empowers tie miller to add a further 5 per cent, voluntarily, and forbids the feeding of animals with wheat suitable for seed or flour. ' The manufacture of chocolate has been made more costly, the price being now ounce retail. The price of other sweets is twopence. Retailers are forbidden to sell or the public to purchase them after March 1. i The order also restricts the quantity ' of sugar used in confectionery.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.