BRITISH AGRICULTURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1897, 12 June 1890, Page 7

BRITISH AGRICULTURE.

(Fkom Our English Agricultural Correspondent.) London, April 19. SPRING SOWING. The work of spring sowing has, on the whole, been well done, and the prospects of spring corn are excellent as far as a good start can render them bo. The weather has been fairly suitable for winter crops, whioh are now looking wall in all parts of the oouutry. Vegetation is not forward, but that is not likely to be a disadvantage in the long run, as oropa are all the safer when they are kept back at this time of the year. Flockmasters have had a successful lambing season in most distriots, and with the prospects of abundance of feed in view their outlook is excellent. The prices of lean stock, cattle and sheep alike, remain very high, and there is no doubt that lambs will sell at very satisfactory prices. Just now sbeepbreeding is the most successful branch of British agriculture. AGBIOULTUBAL IMPORTS. Last year was remarkable for a heavy oheck to whit had previously been a great increase in the imports of flour from the United States. This year, while the quantity Jof wheat has been falling aff lately, the quantity of flour ban Leen extra large. The following table compares the imports of grain imported for the seven months of the cereal year ending with March with the receipts of the corresponding periods of tha two previous years :—: — Seven Months' Grain and Flour Imports. 1887-=B. 1888-9. 1889-90. Wheat ... Qra 6,174,989 8,271,719 7,087,818 Flour, as wheat 3,155,888 2,413,870 2.937.059 Total, aa wheat „ 9.330.877 10.635,595 10.021,877 Barley ... „ 3.185,735 3,522,642 2.94P.890 Oats ... ... „ 3,330,954 3,255,210 2,789,172 Peae ... ... „ 457,217 265,153 241,143 Beans ... „ 374.437 466,39-5 481.585 Maize 3,019,618 3,701,498 4,879,897 The falling-off in imports of barley, together with the deficiency of tha home crop, seems to indicate a diminished consumption by brewers. The figures relating to other agricultural importß are given for the firsS quarter of the oalendar year: — Other Principal Agricultural Imports. Three Months. 1888. 1889. 1890. No. N"o. Ho. OatUe... ... 67,268 77,519 117,861 Sheep... ... 178,3-M 209.029 27,345 Pigi ... ... 6U5 5,857 2,353 Cwt. l,Vt. Cwt. Beef (fresh) ... 1*3,200 272,742 422,360 <'itto(salfc ... 51,327 67,901 64 509 Mutton ... 226.090 2SM 2-19 401,174 Pork (fresh) ... 77.500 fH.717 19,131 Ditto (salt) ... 6%0f>2 85.38S 92,056 Buomi... ... (WS9I9 931,(556 1,114,156 Hams... ... 1H1.7T15 li:8,-l') 271,593 Meat (preserved) 125,0/5 Iti',v69 135,239 Ditto (nnonumcated ... 1p9.il t7,448 28,361 Butter ... 4i'ft,!7B 481,631 534,408 Mfirwirlae ... 329, 70 34",<i79 296,130 Cheese ... 255.3'!<J 2U607 252.564 Hops ... ... 40857 37,3 4 41,193 Potatoes ... 161,951 109 581 54,273 Lb lib. Lb Wool „. ... 231,98) 2i6 240,2d8,783 230,637.734 These statistics show that the supplies of foreign cattle, beef, and mutton continue to increase rapidly, while the importß of sheep have be9n diminished by the scheduling of Germany on account of the prevalence of foot and mouth disease in that country. Tho details of imports, however, show that moßt of the German sheep kept out ia live form come to us as carcasses. The quantify of mutton received from Australasia last quarter (New Zealand not being separately enumerated) was 184,7540wfc, as compared with 154,911cwt in the corresponding quarter of 1889. On the other hand tho rocoipts from the Argentine Republic were only 92,043cwt, against; HO.G^Ocwt in tho first quarter of 1889. It is gratifying to notice th 6 decrease in tho import of margarine, while tho eoutinued increaso iv receipts of butter seems to show that there is a market hero for all that New Zealand is likely to send in good condition. THE IRISH LAND PURCHASE BILL. No doib tha details of the Iri-h Laud Purchase Bill will have reached Now Zealand before thia letter arrives ; but as the opposition threatened by tho Irish members is based upon the statement that tha measure is an Irish Landlords' Ralief Bill, it is worth while to describe its effect upon the interests of landlord and tenants. The average number of

years' purchase at wbioh Irish holdings have been cold under the Purchase Act at present in forco is 17, and it is supposed that this will ha abeut the average number uuder the new measure, if ib becomes law. Thus a landlord who agrees to sell a farm of wbioh the rent ia £100 a year, will probably got only £1700 for it, and this amount is not to be paid to him in money but in land stock, or, if he prefers, in consols, with interest in either case at 2§ per cent., not redeemable until the end of 30 years. Consequently the landlord will get only £46 15s per annum for 30 years and £1700 at the end of that period, instead of £100 per annum in perpetuity. Besides this, one-fifth of the purchase money is to be held by the authorities until an equal sum has been paid by the purchaser, and in the event of the purchaser being a defaulter, a portion of the money thus held as security may be lost to tbe landlord. Moreover, it is not certain that the land stock will remain at par, and consols are at present 3 per cent, below par. Therefore, the landlord's income from the sale of bis holding may be even less than £46 153 per annum. This does not look like an extravagantly liberal payment to the landlord. Now lot ub Bee how the tenant would be treated u.idor the proposed act. If he bought at 17 yoav.s' purchase, he would have to pay 4 per cent, per annum on £1700 ; that is, £G8 per annum, instead of £100— his present reduced rent — for 49 years, at the end of which period ha would be absolute owner of the land without further payment. In other words, the bill offers to the tenant a bonus of £32 a year while making him a free gift of the feo simple of his holding. If such terms were offered to English or Scotch tenants there w<>uld ba a universal wish to obtain the lcms offered by the Stabe. It is trua that the tenant is to pay 80 per cent, of his present net rent for the first five years as a security for his annual payments, but any excess above 4 per cent, on the purchase money would be returned to him if he did not make default in bis annual payments. It is to be borne in mind that the rents of the tenants for the most part have been already reduced by the Land Court about 22 per cent. If the Irish tenants allow their landers, for political purposes, to do thorn out of a boon such as has never before been offered to tenants in any country in the world, they will provo themselves to be either the moat BUbaorvient or the moat disinterested of mankind. For my own part, lam opposed to the bill, because I look forward with dread to the prospect of Ireland becoming a country of potty proprietors, who will hava tbe power when they have oompleted the purchase of their holdings to let their land and to become petty landlords, or to sub-divide it to the starvation point. I do not see why the Government nhould not require the low rents which they propose to charge the tenant, in perpetuity, instead of only for 49 years, retaining power to prohibit sub letting, as they do under the present bill, until all the present purchase money has been paid off by the annual payments. The Binking fund which is to extinguish the capital in 49 years would be in reality paid by the landlords. The bill is not compulsory, and at present the Irish „ landlords seem indisposed to accept its proposals. It is supposed that if the bill passes many of the wealthy landlords, in order to get out of the trouble caused by agitation in Ireland, will sell their estates to their tenants ; but embarassed owners will not be able to do so without finding themselves in the Bankruptcy Court. THE TITHE BILL. Since my last lottor was written the Tithe Bill has been read a second time in the Houue of Commons by a large majority ; but it io understood that a great cumbor of amendments will he proposed in committee, and that every effort will be made by a sec ion of the Opposition to delay the progress of the bill with a view to shelving it. THE NK\V ROYAL JOUBNAL Nearly all the critics speak highly of the first cumber of the new quarterly series of tbe Koyal Agricultural Society's Journal. It is smaller than the old half-yearly series, and the price has beon reduced from Gs to 3b Gd. It is div-ded into three sections, the first containing special articles, the second official reports, aud the third short articles, notes, and reviwws. .the last section is a novelty, and the subjects dealt with are so various that the journal has become much more generally interesting th^n it tivwi been previously. The special articles ai ■* on tho " Foundation of the Society," " Fifty Years' Progrossof British Agriculture," by Sir Jamas Caird ; "Agricultural Education," by Mr Dent ; " The Early Fattening of C J,tla and Sheep," by Mr Evershed ; " The Fonii of Agricultural Crops," by Sir John Lwes ; " The Disposal of Sawage," by Mr C, S. Rsad; "Natural Pastures," by Mr W. Oamithers; "The Evolution of the Horse," by Professor Flower ; " Bassic Cinder as a Manure," by Professor Kinch ; and " The Third Earl Spencer," by the editor and Sir H. Voruey. Sir John Lawes refers briefly to his experiments carried out in order to ascertain whether the French and German chemists are right in stating that leguminous plants obtain thoir nitrogen from the fifrnosphere ; but this qingtion ha 3 bean dealt with by Sir John at much greater length in a pamphlet which he bai! just issued. He has come to the conoluaion th\.E leguminous plants grown in soil free from uii-rogea can somehow obtain a supply of it from Iho atmoßphero by the agency of certain org^aisms wbich are supposed to prod«O3 nodulos on the roots of the plants, Mr Carrutbers has revived the controversy relating to the perennial habit of ryegrasa. As botanist of the Royal Agricultural Society ho was commissioned to make observations ia pastures from which Dr Fream, in 1888, obtained some turfd whi h ho transplanted to the grounds of Dnvnton Agricultural C >ll6ge, and from which he obtained very high percentages of ryegrp-83. Mi' Carruthers experimented on larger patches of the pastures than Dr Fream had takfu up, and found very much smaller peicautages of ryegrass ; but in seven out or 12 pas'ures be found ryegrass ranging from 12 to 81 por cent,, the quantity being ever 30 per Ci3nt. in five out 12, Therefore, his experiments confirm the statement as to the perennial habit of ryegrass, instead of refuting it, which appears to have bean his object. THE LOCATION OF FBDIT PLANTATIONS. At a lecture dolivjrGd the other day by Mr J. Wright, acting editor of tho Journal of Horticulture, a mistake commonly made in choosing tho sitos of fruit plantntinnq way alluded to. Low situations on fertile soils aro frtqmntly ehoa.-m because of tbe shelter obtained from windj and becausa the soil ia ut-uVHy b j lto? in tha valley j than on the hills ; out Mr WrighS pointed out that trees phnted in tha hollow-! frequently grow too luxuriantly, the wood failing to ripan ; bosidea which, frost ia most fatal in a damp atmosphere. He mentioned two orchards in the same parish which he has had under his observation for many yearn, one on a level with the watercourse of the district and the other on landlOOffc higher. lii tha former tho treeu grew and blossomed freely ; but spring after spring the promise was dostroyod by fro3lß, and it was vary seldom that a veruuuenvlivo rotum wivi obtained. On the other hand, in the orchard planted on ground above the fog line, the returns have been of a .satisfactory oharacter. It is well known that

' frosts are more fatal in valleys than on the hills, but this fact has been commonly overlooked by fruit planters. TUBERCULOSIS. ' The Journal of the North and West of ] England Society contains an important article on tuberculosis, by Professor Brown, which is particularly seasonable, because efforts are now being made to induce the Board of Agriculture to make some attempt to suppress the disease, which is communicable through meat and milk to human beings, and is supposed to oause a large proportion of the consumption which affects the population. The modern view, Professor Brown points out, ia that the disease cannot exist without the entrance. of the special organism of tubercle into the tissues of an animal, though heredity is of course one cause of the disease. With respect to infection, he says although the presence of a tuberculous beast in a herd or lot of dairy cows ie often regarded without alarm, and instances of animals | in an advanoad stage of tbe disease remaining for two years with other cattle without com- J municating it to any of them have been j known, observation seems to prove that it has a low infeotive power. More than in any other disease, however, the extension of tuberculosis may be traced to the susceptible state of the system induced by the insanitary surroundinga, and there is very littlo risk of its spreading among hardy animals living in perfectly healthy conditions. The difficulties of getting rid of the disease by the slaughter ayat?m, which hag been found effeotual in many other diseases, is very serious, because it is difficult to detect in its early stages, and other diseases are often mistaken for it. Therefore if all cattle suspected of tuberculosis were slaughtered many valuable animals might bo destroyed by mistake. Still Professor Brown admits that the oompleto isolation or slaughter of the worst cases would do something to prevent the extension of the disease). ' In France tuberculosis ia now included among ] the contagious diseases of animalß which are placed under official veterinary supervision. Every animal affected with the dieease, when dinoovered, is isolated, andmay only be slaughtered i under the mperviaion of the veterinary inspector, who has to make a post mortem examination of the animal. The meat of oattle found affected is not allowed to be sold, and the milk of tubercular cows may not be disposed of off the farm, though it may be given ! to animais after being boiled. Mr Chaplin has I promised to consider what moasures san be j adopted to check this terrible disease, and now that attention has been oalled in Parliament to the subject, it is to be hoped the matter will not be allowed to rest until something has bacn done, FBTJIT-OKOWING IN ENGLAND. Some intoi eating details relating to fruit were given in a lecture delivered at Edinburgh University the other day by Mr Cecil H. Hooper, lecturer at the Horticultural College, J Swansley, Kent. The cost of preparation, planting, and cultivation until there was a re- j munerative return, varied from £35 an acre upward, according to the kind of fruit, in addition to which a working capital of at least £20 an acre was required— a statement which seems to me exaggerated. The following figures give Mr Hooper's approximate estimates of the duration and period of greatest profit of the different kinds of fruit : — Strawberry — Life of plant, five years ; commencement of remunerative return, second year ; period of best production, third year ; yield per aore, two to five tons ; price per ton in ' iSB9, £21 ; gross return par acre, £42. Rasp- i be«y — Life of plant, 10 years ; commencement of remunerative return, third year ; poriod of best production, sixth year ; yield per aore, three to four tons; price per ton in 1889, £23; gross return per acre, £70. Gooseberry— Life of plant, 12 yearn ; commencement of roLQunerative return, fourth year ; period of best production, seventh year ; yield per aore, three tons ; price per ton in 1889, £8 ; gross return per ac re £25 Red currant— Life of plant, 15 years; comm9ncement of remunerative return, third year ; period of bast production, seventh year ; yield per acre, two tons ; price per ton in 1889, £15 ; gross return per "acre, £3,0. Blaok currant — Life of plant, 15 years ; commencement of remunerative return, third year ; period of beat production, seventh year ; yield per acre, three to four tons ; price per ton, £25 ; gross return per acrf, £75. Apple — Life of plant, 50 years ; commencement of remunerative return, seventh year ; period of best production, fifteenth year ; yield per aore, six tons ; price in 1889, £10 ; gross return per acre, £60. PearLife of plant, 70 years ; commencement of remunerative return, twelfth year ; period of best production, twentieth year ; yield per ! acre, two tons ; price in 1889, £10 ; gross return par aore, £20, Cherry — Life of plant, 40 : years, commencement of remunerative return, i tenth year ; period of best production, fifteenth year ; yield per acre, four tons ; price per ton, £25 ; gross return per acre, £100. Plum — Life of plant, 40 yearß ; commencement of remunarativa return, tenth year ; period of best production, fifteenth year ; yield per acre, seven tons ; prico per ion in 1889, £1G ; gross rsturu per acre, £112. Of course the price va.'ija gro.ifcly in different years, and, indeed, in different parts of the country. Probably Mr Hoepe^B pricos aro those realised in London or in Kent. THE BUDGET. From an agricultural point of view the only important proposal in the Budget is tha appropriation of £1 304,000 to the local authorities, made up of £918,000 to bo obtained from tho extra 6d n gallon on spirits, and £386,000, the estimatpci valuo of 31 a barrol on beer levied as th^ extra duty last year, and now trans forre 1 trr.m Imperial to local revenue. It i'h stipulated, however, that £435,000 of the total i hill bo f-pent; in buying up tho interest of public houses that it is desirable to get rid of. ttrrja^a«jaigjies£r^3iaTM'rirrr-»i»:,-nirji Ai'i i jjiniga—aanmna