238 Report to the Annual General Meeting, 



Agricultural Society to be allowed to make entries for the Show 

 at the same rate as Members of the Royal Agricultural Society. 



There has been a slight increase in the number of samples 

 submitted by Members for analysis in the Society's Laboratory, 

 the total being 416 as against 393 in 1913. In connection with the 

 Society's Show at Shrewsbury, there were also 214 samples of 

 milk and 60 samples of cider analysed. 



The work of the Laboratory has brought out the fact that the 

 adulteration of offals, which it was believed had almost ceased, 

 has again broken out. Besides the addition of foreign materials 

 to the offals of wheat, known xmder the varying terms of "Pol- 

 lards," "Middlings," "Sharps," etc., it has been found, in not 

 a few cases, that offals sold under these names have contained 

 but small jjroportions of the "bran" or husk, but have been 

 composed, for the greater part, of the purely starchy portion or 

 "flour." This is not what a farmer requires when he buys 

 wheat offals for pig-feeding or the like, and, though it is inevit- 

 able that in the process of milling a certain proportion of the 

 "flour" is left attaching to the bran, it is not for the flour but 

 for the bran, in its varying degrees of fineness, that the farmer 

 purchases offals. 



The outbreak of war has caused an immediate cutting off of the 

 supplies of kainit and other potash salts, inasmuch as these 

 were obtainable only from the Stassfurt and other mines of 

 Northern Prussia. This will impose great difficulties alike on 

 the farmer who needs potash on his land and on the manu- 

 facturers of artificial compound manures. At present there is 

 QO regular supply to be obtained elsewhere, though it may be 

 found possible to use the insoluble felspars and other minerals 

 as a source of potash. 



From Lidia and elsewhere supplies, to a limited extent, of 

 nitrate of potash (nitre) may also be available at enhanced prices. 

 Possibly, too, the dearth of potash salts may lead to the revival 

 of the practice of kelp (seaweed) burning, but these and other 

 remedies suggested can only be looked upon as very partial 

 means of supplying the need. Meantime it is well to remember 

 that Peruvian and other natural guanos frequently contain notable 

 amounts of potash, as does also farmyard manure. 



The Woburn Experimental Station has continued its work 

 with perhaps greater activity than ever, and the farm and 

 experiments have been largely visited by agriculturists. Among 

 these was the party of South African Farmers who visited this 

 country in June. Visits were also paid by the members of the 

 International Congress on Tropical Agriculture, students of the 

 Agricultural Colleges of Scotland, students of the Glamorgan- 

 shire County Council, the staff of the Eothamsted Experimental 

 Station, and others. The annual visit of Members of the Society 

 took place on July 18th when 63 were present, and on July 29th 

 about 20 Members of Council and invited guests (among these 

 being the Secretary and other officials of the Board of Agri- 

 culture, as well as the Vice-Chairman of the Development Com- 

 mission) inspected the Experimental Station. 



