994 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Agricultural returns for 1905 (Recciiscitiritt Agrlcolc dc 1905. Brussels: 

 21 hi. A(jr., 1906. pp. ^HU). — The conditions which prevailed in the various 

 provinces of Belgium during the year are described, and detailed statistics of 

 hectares under crops. utilizati(jn of commercial fertilizers and feeding stuffs, 

 number of domestic animals, etc., in comparison with the preceding year are 

 reported. The number of farms in 1905 was 296.314, number of hectares culti- 

 vated 1,761,759, commercial fertilizers used 713,498,300 kg., feeding stuffs used 

 2,269.579.2(10 l<g.. and numlier of domestic animals 1.046,519. 



Mutual agricultural fire insurance [in France] (Seinaine Af/r. [Paris]. 26 

 (1907). A'o. 1348. pp. 82, S3). — An abstract of the annual report of the Mutual 

 Agricultural Fire Insurance Societies of the East. 



The report shows 450 affiliated societies;' policies issued and reinsured duriuir 

 1906, 2,400, covering risks to the amount of 20 million francs: present proprie- ' 

 tors insured. 12,000, representing a capital of nearly 120 million francs; and a 

 reserve fund of more than 300,000 fraucs. 



Crop Reporter {V. 8. Dept. Affr.. Bur. Statis. Crop Reporter. 9 (1907), Xo. .}, 

 pp. 25-32). — Statistics and notes on the condition of crops and aniamls and the 

 supplies and prices of agricultural products in the United States and foreign 

 countries are sunnnarized. Data are given on the growth of the condensed-milk 

 industry. In 1880. 13.033.267 lbs. were produced, valued at $1,547,588, while 

 in 1905 the output was 308.485.182 ll)s.. valued at $20,149,282. 



AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 



Annual report on the distribution of grants for agricultural education 

 and research (Bd. Agr. and Fisheries [London], Ann. Rpt. Agr. Ed. and Researeli. 

 l()05-6. pp. X-\-191). — This report consists of a general report on the work of 

 the year 1905-6, a list of the grants awarded, and four appendixes : (1) Reports 

 on institutions receiving grants, (2) methods adopted by couuty councils for 

 giving instruction in the manual processes of agriculture. (3) agricultural in- 

 .struction provided by county councils in England and Wales in the year 1905-6. 

 aud (4) a statement showing the amount received in 1904-5 from the residue 

 grant under local taxation and the expenditure for agricultural instruction in 

 1905-6 by county councils in England and Wales. 



In the general report, attention is called to grants of $4,856) each to two 

 additional institutions, the Hampshire Farm School at Basins:, and the Ridg- 

 mont Agricultural Institute in the county of Bedford, both of which in their 

 winter work correspond to the winter schools of Germany, and in the summer 

 are conducted as dairy schools, mainly for young women. The number of stu- 

 dents in the agricultural courses of the different institutions in 190.5-6 is esti- 

 mated at 34.000, as compared with 23.000 in 1904-5. The board has decided to 

 issue a series of short monographs for farmers dealing with the results of 

 agricultural experiments and demonstrations conducted under its direction. 

 It is shown that in the different institutions 300 teachers took advantage of the 

 special courses for teachers as compared with 238 in 1904-5. 



The appendix on instruction in the manual processes of agriculture is mainly 

 a compilation of replies received in response to a circular letter addressed to the 

 several county councils for the purpose of learning what they were doing in the 

 way of providing instruction in agricultural practice. It was found that the 

 subjects in which instruction is given comprise plowing, drilling, mowiug, setting 

 out roots, harvesting, setting up sheaves, stacking, thatching (including rope 

 and spar making), hurdle making, basket making, sheep-shearing, milking, 

 hedging and ditching, land draining, pruning, grafting, budding, hop drying. 



