FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11643, 3 May 1901, Page 7

FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

|BT OUR ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL CORRESPOKDENT.] Hailshasi, March 16. A LATE START. Tins week for tho first time in the present season the land has become dry enough on tho surface to render its cultivation for spring corn crops fairly satisfactory. p re . viously only a few beans and peas had been put in; but now there is a chapco of making a start with barley and oats. It is a late beginning for the early districts of England, though not later than the start has been many a time before. If we should be favoured with a fettled period of dry weather, the work will bo finished in loss time than usual, as the land is in a friable condition on tho surface, and will do with ? minimum of harrowing. At present, how" ever, it is cold and wet internally, and needs sunshine when i, is cultivated to dry and warm it. If the weather should bo unsettled during the sowing period there will be many bad seedbeds, as rain falling on land in its present state, immediately after it has been hud open by the harrow., would reduce it to a' stare of mud. The wheats and other autumn-sown crops arc looking remarkably well, and the pastures are not nearly as bare .is they usually are at this tuno of year. There is a promise of an exceptionally abundant crop of rye for early food. j

THE LAMBING SEASON. Recent reports from tho flock districts have been much more satisfactory than early ones wore., the proportion of twins being much greater now thr.n it was at the start Tho Suffolk-* are doing remarkably well. lii one flock of this breed there are 260 ewes suckling 420 lambs, and very few of the owes that have not yet lambed will fail to produce at, least one lamb. This is a remarkable record. But other breeds are now doing well also, and it is clear that the late lambing flocks will show the best results this season. Apparently, on the whole, there, will be nearly or quite an average crop of lambs in England this season after all. MILK STANDARDS. An excellent report has been presented by the Departmental Committee of Agriculture on tho milk trade. Their distinct recommendations are as follows:

1. That regulations under Section 4 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1869, bo made by the Board of Agriculture with respect to milk (including condensed milk) and cream. 2. (a) That in tho case of any milk (other than skimmed, separated, or condensed milk) the total milk-solids in which on being dried at 100 degrees Centigrade do not amount to 12 per cent, a presumption shall be raised, until the contrary is proved, that the mill: is deficient in tho normal constituents of genuine milk. (b) That any milk (other than skimmed, separated, or condensed milk) tho total milk-solids in which are less than 12 per cent., and in which the amount of milkfat is less than 3.25 per cent., shall bo deemed to be so deficient in milk-fat as to raise a presumption, until the contrary is proved, that it. has been mixed with separated milk or wator, or that some portion of its normal content of milk-fat has been removed. In calculating the percentage amount of deficiency of fat the analyst shall have regard to the abovenamod limit of 3.25 per cent, of milk-fat. (c) That any milk (other than skimmed, separated, or condensed milk) the total milk-solids in which are loss than 12 per cent., and in which tho amount of non-fatty milk-solids is less than 8.5 per cent., shall be deemed to be so deficient in normal constituents as to raise a presumption, until the contrary is proved, that it has boon mixed with water. In calculating tlic percentage amount of mixed water, the analyst shall have regard to the abovenamod limit of 8.5 per cent, of non-fatty milk-solids, and shall further take into account the extent to which the milkfat may exceed 3.25 nor cent. 3. That the artificial thickening of cream by any addition of gelatin or other substance shall raise a presumption that the cream is not genuine. 4. That any skimmed or separated milk in which the total milk-solids are less than 9 per cent, shall be deemed to lx> so deficient in normal constituents as to raise a presumplion, until the contrary is proved, that it has been mixed with water. 5. That any condensed milk (other than that labelled " ma-chine-skimmed milk" or "skimmed milk." in conformity with Section 11 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1899) in which cither tho amount of milk is less than 10 per cent., or the amount of non-fatty milk-solids is less than 25 Tier cent., shall be deemed to bo so deficient in some of the normal constituents of milk as to raise a presumption, until the contrary is proved, that it is not genuine.

The committee further submit tho following expressions of opinion on points raised before them in evidence: —

(a) That it is desirable to call the attention of those engaged in the administration of the Food and Drugs -Act to the necessity of adopting effective measures to prevent any addition of water, separated or condensed milk, or other extraneous matter, for tho purpose of reducing the quality of genuine milk to any limits fixed by regulation of tho Board of Agriculture. (1>) That it is desirable that steps should be taken with the view of identifying or " earmarking" separated milk by the addition of some suitable and innocuous substance, and by tho adoption of procedure similar to that provided by Section 7 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1399. in regard to margarine, (c) That it is desirable that, so far as may l>e found practicable, the procedure adopted in collecting, forwarding, and retaining, pending examination, samples of milk (including condensed milk) and cream under the Food and Drugs Act should be uniform, (d) That it is desirablo that, so far as may be found practicable, the methods of analysis used in the examination of samples of milk (including condensed milk) or cream taken under the Food and Drugs Act should bo uniform, (e) That it is desirable in the case of condensed milk (other than that labelled " machine-skimmed milk" or "skimmed milk," in conformity with Section 11 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1899), that the label should state the amount of dilution required to make the proportion of milk-fat equal to that found in unoondensod milk containing not less than 3.25 per cent, of milk-fat. (f) That it is desirable in the caso of condensed whole milk to limit, and in the case of condensed machine-skimmed milk to exclude, the addition of sugar, (g) That tho official standardising of tin- measuring vessels commercially used in tho testing of milk is desirable.

All but one member of the committee signed the report, the exception being Mr. George Barham. managing director of the Dairy Supply Company. Mr. Farmer, another member of the milk trade, signs, but makes certain reservations. Mr. Tiarham, like many othor men. objects to a milk standard, because natural milk sometimes contains less than 3 per cent, of fat; and Mr. Farmer points out that the richness of milk varies in different seasons of the year. Now, it is certain that genuine milk is sometimes poor; but it is quite possible for a dairy-farmer to level no his herd in this connection. Besides, the committee aro careful to recommend that, if milk can be proved to be unadulterated, it shall not bo condemned. It is most important, to dairyfarmers to have the present common system of adding separated milk to fresh milk stopped, as the result of that abuse is to increase srrcatly the supply of milk sold as whole milk, and thus to lower (he price. The only way in which this abuse can lie stopped is by having a moderate standard for milk, and the objections named above should not be allowed to defeat the object in view. The' only objection that I see to the report is the suggestion that separated milk should be coloured. This would stop flic retail trader and preatlv injure tho dairy-farm who sell such milk.