Vol. XIV. No. 338. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



119 



at the factory, and we would advice farmers to carefully 

 study it. tn regard to feeding and g tsJ attention, these 

 important factors are dealt with in Departmental Bulletin 



No. lii'J, which ran 1 btained upon application to the 



Department of Agriculture. 



COTTON. 



The circular referred to states that pigs are to be put 



chased at current rates, though a reduction will be mad 



all pigs that, are found on killing to be sofl or otherwise of 



inferior quality. All carcaseshave to be passed free fr 



disease bj a Government Veterinary Inspector. Payment for 

 pigs is made monthly. 



The type of pig required should be from L50B». to 200 ft. 

 The most readily saleable are those having a good even 

 covering oi flesh with a large proportion of lean meat, thick 

 and firm in the belly parts. Very fat, lard) pigs, especially 

 those with an excess of fat on the back and on the inside of 

 the belly, can only !»• used for second class produce. Sows 

 that have raised litters, old sows, boars, old castrated boars 

 or stags, ran <>nly be expected to yield third class < ii- inferior 

 produce. Prime bacon is produced from young sows or 

 barrow pigs from seven to ten months old or thereabouts. 



As regards sending the animals to the factory, marking is 

 important. Mar marking or clipping oi the hair is recom 

 mended. The .Manager of the Factory must lie advised iii 

 advance of the number anil full description of the animals to 

 bi fl -patched, how they are marked, and whether packed in 



crates or loose. 



It is essential that animals intended for bacon purposes 

 should not I..- bruised or knocked about, and when travelling 

 they should l>e protected from the sun and heat. Overcrowd- 

 ing or overdriving should lie avoided. Pigs should not be ; ' d 

 heavily immediately before being despatched to the factory; 



but if they are to travel long distances, water and a slight 

 feed should I"' arranged for at intervals. 



Method of Curing Bacon.— The following method 

 employed in Wiltshire in the preparation of the renowned 

 bacon of that county is given in The Agricultural Note Book 

 by Primrose Met lonnel: 



'For a pig of 200 H).: When the meat is cold and cut up, 

 have it salted lightly and left on the stones for the night. 

 Next morning brush off this salt, and well rub in a layer of 

 Bait and half a pound of saltpetre for each side of I,,, cm ,,\ 

 this weight, and have the saltpetre mixed with 1 ft), of 

 coarse brown sugar for each side. Have it rubbed every day 

 for three weeks, and then wash it all off, and have it sent to 

 be smoked for a week or a little more. It is then tit for use. 

 A pickle is generally made for the head, legs, etc., and any 

 other small bits. Six lb. of salt, 1 lb. of saltpetre, 1 lb. of 

 treacle, boiled for half an hour in 6 gallons of water, when 



cold to receive the piece>.' 



In connexion with the article on radium and plant 

 growth in the last issue of the Agricultural News, it i^ of 

 interest to record that a note in the Monthly Bulletin oj 



Agricultural Intelligence and I'tant Diseases for November 

 lull, says that radio-active emanations have a marked 

 action on alcoholic fermentations and yeast, everting a stimu- 

 lating action from the moment of ii i olation of the medium 

 and the growth of the elyptical yeast, until the final 

 stages. It is stated that this increased activity will be 

 of great advantage in wine-making. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Missis. Wolstenholme and Holland, of Liverpool, 



write as follows, under .In. • March 6, 1914, with 



.■nee to tin sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton: 



There has been a rathet better enquiry for West Indian 

 Sea [sland cotton since our list report and about L50 bales 

 have been sold, chiefly Nevis [3d. to I [d., and St. Kit! 



to Mir,., also a few Mont rial at III'/, and Old Crop 



Barbados and Antigua I2d. to 1.'!./. Prices are quite steady. 



\bout loi) bales of West Indian Sea Islands were lost 



in lie 'Western Coast' which was torpedoed in tic « I I 



The following is the report for March 20: — 



Since our last report no business has been reported in 

 West Indian Sea [sland cotton. 



The price-, for Carolina Sea Island are now quite firm 



and with any improvement in tin- war position, we loo 

 a B I demand 



The report of Messrs. Henry W. Frost & Co., on 

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the k 

 ended March 20, is as follows: — 



The early part of the week a cotton warehouse was 

 burned, and 200 balesof Island cotton were destroyed. They 

 consisted entirely of Planters' crop lots classing Extra fine. 

 This has reduced very much the limited unsold stock. 



There has been a good deal of inquiry during the week 

 for the crop lots, but at limits lc. to 2c. below the views of the 

 Factors, consequently the sales have been small. Oth' 

 the market is quiet, there being little demand for Fin I 

 Fully Fine; the small stock however, is firmly held at 

 quotations. 



We quote, viz: — 



Extra Fine 23c. to 24c. 1 Id. to 111'/., c.i.f. & 5 p. i 



Fine to Fully Fine 22c. = 1..1,..., , 



Fine, off in colour 18c. to 20c. = ll^d. to 12^d. c.i.f. md 

 5 per cent. 



This report shows that the total exports of Sea 

 Island cotton from the United States to Liverpool, 

 and Manchester, up to March 20, 1915, were 10:> and 

 1,435 hales, respectively. 



GUARANTEED MINIMUM PRICES FOR 

 SEA ISLAND COTTON. 



As this issue goes to press, a telegram has been 

 received from the British Cotton Growing Association 

 informing the Commissioner of Agriculture, 

 arrangements have been made with the Fine Spinners' 

 and Doublers' Association, whereby minimum p 

 will be guaranteed for cotton for the crop of L915 L6, 

 It is understood that \.8d. will he paid for host qualities 

 of St. Kitts ami St. Vincent best ordinary, with big i< 

 prices for St. Vincent superfine. For other islands 

 b.st quality, a minimum of 14i. will he paid. 



In these circumstances the British Cotton Grow- 

 ing Association advise that there should be no reduction 



..I mi. age oil platltat LOI1S growing these ipl.alitics. 



