FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9080, 5 January 1893, Page 6

FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

[FROM OUR ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL CORRESPONDENT.]

London, November 11, CANADA SCHEDULED.

In consequence of the discovery of a few animals in three cargoes of cattle from Canada affected with pleuro pneumonia, Mr. Herbert Gardner, president of the Board of Agriculture, has issued an order requiring the slaughter of all cattle from Canada at the ports of landing. For some time past Canada has been the only country allowed to send live stock to the interior of this country without restriction, it having been believed that the colony was entirely free from contagious diseases. The Canadian officials still declare that their country is free from pleuro-pneimonia, and that the malady detected in the Canadian animals is not contagious pleuro-pnemonia at all, or that, if ib is, the disease must have been contracted during the voyage, or after the landing of the animals in this country. The latter contention is absolutely invalid, as there had not been time for the development of the diseaso when it was first discovered unless the animals were affected wish it before they started from Canada. The American officials also declare that the disease detected in one of their cargoes is bronco-pneumonia, or cornstalk disease, and not the contagious malady at all. Our own veterinary authorities, however, are positive as to the character of the disease in both the cases, and in consideration of the immense importance of keeping disease out of the country, the only course which our Board of Agriculture could adopt was that of scheduling Canada while continuing the existing restrictions in relation to American cattle.

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

On Monday last Mr. Henry Dugdale, of Ware, read a papor before the London Farmers' Club on the plans of County Councils for providing agricultural education. Making all allowance for the fact that this work was quite new to the local authorities, Mr. Dugdale showed that a good deal of the money expended might have been bettor distributed than it was. Far too much attention and expenditure have been devoted to occasional lectures in different parts of each county, the idea being that they would bo beneficial to farmers already engaged in business. The fact is, however, that the lecture system is the least efficient of all methods of imparting instruction. Unless a series of lectures be held, it is clearly impossible to imparb even the elements of agricultural science, and even when a series is given, the chances are that almost every one who attends will miss one or more of the lectures. Besides, the lecturer cannot be stopped at any moment to explain a point which is not clear to any of his hearers as a class master can.be. Again, the number of men qualified to lecture in a lucid and interesting manner upon the scientific aspects of agriculture is limited, and the supply has not been nearly equal to the demand; consequently, some mere boys, fresh from agricultural colleges, have been sent about the country to enlighten experienced farmers, and this has given great dissatisfaction. The fact co keep clearly in mind is that education is mainly for the young, and that, except for the few men who study privately, it is of very little use to endeavour to impart scientific instruction to men occupied with the cares of business. By far the best method of spending money on agricultural education is to establish a school of agriculture, or an agricultural side to an existing school, in every county, and to lot this be a centre from which out-door work, such as lectures and classes in different villages can be conducted. Cases in point are the excellent colleges at Bangor, in North Wales, and Leeds for the county of Yorkshire. In each of these there are wellequipped laboratories, and qualified lecturers on all branches of science, as well as all branches of agriculture, and instructors in dairying, and from each of these institutions a great deal of excellent work in the surrounding districts emanates.

FAILURE OF THE MARGARINE ACT. More striking evidence of the failure of the Margarine Act could not be desired than that which has been supplied by the issue of a Parliamentary return showing the number of prosecutions and convictions in each administrative county and borough in the United Kingdom during the four years ending with 1891, the Act having been passed in 1887. No prosecution at all took place during the period in nineteen administrative counties in England, eight in Wales, thirty-three in Scotland, and thirty-three in Ireland. This is the more remarkable, because boroughs which have not separate commissions of the peace are included in the counties in which they are respectively situated. In 158 administrative boroughs, no prosecutions took place under the Act during the four years, and the same may be said of Edinburgh, the only burgh in Scotland in which a sheriff officiates as a police magistrate. Even where the Act has nob been obviously a dead letter, the prosecutions, as a rule, have been extremely few. In some cases only one prosecution has taken place during four years, and in a great number less titan half-a-dozen each. For the whole kingdom the prosecutions during four years number only 1694, and the convictions 1464. The total number of prosecution# includes 264 from the county of London, some of which were instituted under the Food and lirugs Act, while 135 were put down for Dublin. Thus, if we abstract the figures for the two metropolitan districts, only 1295 are left to represent the administration of the Margarine Act in all the rest of the kingdom during four years, although margarine is sold as butter in probably every town, and considerable village. At the meeting of the Chambers of Agriculture on Tuesday last, a report was adopted urging the Government to make the Act compulsory, by sending inspectors from the local Government Board or the Board of Trade, to put it into operation where local authorities neglect it, charging the expenses upon such authorities. It is further recommended that the colouring of margarine in imitation of butter should be prohibited.

A WELL-DESERVED PROMOTION. Dr. Frearo, who has acted with great ability as assistant editor of the Royal Agricultural Society's journal during the last two or three years, has just been promoted to the editorship, with a salary of £500 per annum. The duties of the secretary, Mr. Ernest Clark, who has been editor of the journal, have so greatly increased, that it was deemed necessary to relieve him of a portion of his work.

A SANGUINE ESTIMATE OF POULTRY FARMING. In a lecture on poultry farming as a national industry, delivery in London last week by Captain Cole, R.N., it was stated that a farm of 300 acres, consisting of orchards, meadows, and 50 acres of grain and root crops, would support 15,000 head of poultry, and that after paying all expeneses every acre of the farm, except the home garden, would produce a net profit of 6000 eggs, or £25 per annum. Such an undertaking, Captain Cole said, would require a capital of £5000, with an additional £5000 as a reserve, and in three months the concern would be in working order. It is always easy to show great profits on paper, but, as a matter of fact, all the attempts to establish great poultry farms in this country have been failures. There is no doubt that poultry on farms devoted chiefly to other products pay well, because the birds consume a great deal of grain and seeds which would otherwise be wasted ; but, for some reason, farms devoted entirely to poultry have rarely paid, and those which have been successful were small farms upon which the farmer and his family could take the entire management. THE BLOCK' TEST. At last week's Council meeting of the Smithfield Club a committee was appointed to inquire into the feasibility of establishing what is known as the "block test" for cattle in connection with the annual show. If the decision should be in the affirmative, prizes will be offered for the best carcases of beef and mutton, and possibly, pork also. There is no doubt that the best criterion for fat stock is the condition of their carcases.

THE JUBILEE OF THE LONDON

FARMERS' CLUB.

The London Farmers' Club attains its jubilee this year, and the event is to be signalised by a banquet, to which outsiders as well as members are invited. It will be held on December 6, and the well-known agriculturist, Mr. C. S. Bead, will preside.