b>IAIJ, HOLDINGS IX SCOTLAND II 9 



the Board has shown that thu limit to the uumber of small holdings which 

 can be created will be determined bj' their financial resources. 



Under the provisions for the preservation of existing small holdings 

 the Board have dealt with a considerable number of cases of holdings fall- 

 ing vacant. Generally speaking, the landlords of the holdings have shown 

 a reailiness to co-operate with the Board with regard to the disposal of 

 them, and in some instances have asked the Board to endeavour to find nev\- 

 tenants for them. 



Many inquiries have been made by existing tenants as to their status 

 under the Act, which the Board have thought it incumbent on them as far 

 as possible to deal with. Large numbers of explanatory leaflets have been 

 distributed, and in particular copies of leaflets describing the eftect of the 

 Act on present occupiers have been sent, along with schedules for the Re- 

 gister of Small Holdings, to all existing small holders. Another matter 

 falling under this division of the Board's work is the management of the es- 

 tates purchased b^^ the Congested Districts Board ; the circumstances con- 

 nected with them have already been described. 



AgriciiUwc. — Much of the administrative work of the Board under 

 this head, as well as their statistical w ork, touches the interests of agricul- 

 ture in general. This applies to the powers exercised by them under the 

 various Acts affecting agriculture, the administration of which was trans- 

 ferred to them on their establishment ; to the dut}^ laid upon them of aiding 

 research ; and to the supervision now exercised b>' them over the work 

 of the Agricultural Colleges. 



Many of their activities are, however, specially directed to the assistance 

 of small holders, in pursuance of the general policy embodied in the Act 

 of iQii ; and in accordance with the plan of this paper a more detailed 

 account of these will now be given. 



During the first nine months of the Board's existence little could be 

 done for the promotion of agriculture beyond carrying on and extending 

 the work of the Congested Districts Board, and la>'ing the foundations 

 of larger and more comprehensive schemes. Most of the schemes for the 

 improvement of live stock have been Extended to the whole of Scotland. 



These embrace: 



(i) Cattle breeding. The Board have carried on in the congested districts 

 the plan of lending bulls, which remain the property of the Board, to prop- 

 erly org?nized local committees. Both in these districts and in the rest 

 of Scotland they are also prepared to make grants to recognized societies 

 for the purpose of enabling them either to purchase or to hire approved bulls. 

 An essential part of this scheme is that the bulls must be available for the 

 service of cows belonging to small holders, cottars, shepherds and farm 

 servants at reduced rates ; and the full grant will be payable only if a cer- 

 tain number of such cows have been served by the bull in resjject of which 

 the grant is made. 



{2) Horse breeding. Besides carr5dng on the schemes of the Congested 

 Districts Board for the improvement of the breed of Highland ponies in the 

 congested districts and that of Clydesdale horses in certain of these districts, 



