11^ 



NATURE 



[January io, 191 8 



November, 1915, to November, 1917, of research in 

 animal breeding; and advances of 700!, and 395Z. to 

 the Board of Agriculture for Scotland for the purpose 

 of aiding the University of St. Andrews and the three 

 agricultural colleges of Scotland in carrying out during 

 the academic j'ears 1915-16 and 1916-17 schemes of 

 special research in agricultural science. The Com- 

 missioners also recommended the renewal in respect of 

 19 16-17 of the annual advance of 5000L in aid of 

 "extension" work at the three Scottish agricultural 

 colleges— i.e. instruction to agriculturists in the col- 

 leges' provinces. 



For the year 19 17-18 a grant of 4000Z. was made to 

 the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruc- 

 tion for Ireland in aid of its scheme of technical and 

 advisory work in connection with agriculture, and a 

 grant of 196^. in aid of the maintenance of property 

 acquired for a new veterinary research laboratory. 



Eggs and Poultry.— A grant to the Board of Agri- 

 culture and Fisheries of 3200L was recommended for 

 a' scheme for augmenting the production of eggs and 

 poultry during the season 1916-17 by the establishment 

 of 300 centres in England and Wales for the distribu- 

 tion of trustworthy eggs for hatching, twenty stations 

 for the distribution of dayold chicks, and the pro- 

 .vision of five incubating stations ; and a grant of 358?. 

 to the Utility Poultry Club in aid of the continuance 

 of the Burbage breeding experiments during the year 

 to September 30, 1916. 



Cultivation and Preparation of Flax, Hemp, and 

 Tobacco. — ^Two grants to the British Flax and Hemp 

 Growers' Society were recommended: one of 4575^. to 

 meet the expenses of the society during the six months 

 to September 30, 19 16, and the other of 6275^. to me^t 

 the expenses of the society during the year to Sep- 

 tember 30, 19 17. The object of the society is to 

 ascertain whether flax can be grown in this country 

 with profit to the growers. The society's scheme in- 

 volves the cultivation of flax in selected districts, the 

 establishment of experimental retteries, experiments 

 on the growth of flax as a crop for seed independent 

 of fibre, and experiments in the breeding and selection 

 of better strains of flax. Owing to the war and the conse- 

 quent rise in the price of flax, the acreage has been 

 increased, and it is expected that the enhanced prices 

 will cause a considerable reduction in the cost to the 

 Development Fund of these experiments and at the 

 same time stimulate the revival of the industry in this 

 country. Shortly after the close of the year to which 

 this report relates the Commissioners recommended 

 a supplementary grant for a considerable extension of 

 the society's work in 1917, undertaken partly in order 

 to ensure a future supply of material for the production 

 of aeroplane cloth and partlv to increase the growth 

 of linseed as a feeding stuff for stocl<. 



A grant of 1200I. to the British Tobacco Growers' 

 Society was recommended for the continuance of the 

 work of the society during the vear 19 16-17. The 

 society is conducting experiments in the cultivation 

 and preparation for market of tobacco and nicotine 

 products in order to ascertain whether tobacco can be 

 grown in this country with profit to the grower. Con- 

 fidence in the possibilities of the tobacco crop was so 

 far established as to enable the society for the first 

 time in 1915-16 to make contracts with growers to 

 grow the tobacco at their own risk and at a fixed 

 price, with the stipulation that only sound saleable 

 leaves would be accepted. The arrangements proposed 

 for 19 16-17 ^^^ an advance in the experimental stage. 

 The Commissioners considered the question of the sus- 

 pension of the society's work until the end of the war, 

 but the society claimed that the experiments had 

 reached a stage at which their abandonment or sus- 

 pension would involve a serious loss of the value of 



NO. 2515, VOL. 100] 



all past expenditure, and a largely decreased grant 

 was applied for to carry on the work. The Commis- 

 sioners came to the conclusion that a case had been 

 made out for the limited operations proposed. 



Encouragement of a Beet Sugar Industry. — The 

 Commissioners are of opinion that a trial on a con- 

 siderable scale of a sugar beet experiment should be 

 made, and that the present time affords particular 

 reasons for initiating such a trial. The Kelham Estate, 

 Nottinghamshire, is exceptionally suitable for such an 

 experiment, and the Commissioners recommended a 

 loan of i25,oooL for its purchase with a view to the 

 establishment of the beet sugar industry in this 

 country. 



Horse and Live Stock Breeding. — ^The following 

 grants were recommended : — 



35,iooZ. to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries to 

 meet the cost during the year 1917-18 of the scheme 

 for the improvement of heavy horses, cattle, and swine, 

 the extension of milk recording, and the employment 

 of live stock officers at agricultural institutions in 

 England and Wales ; 10,250^. to the Board of Agri- 

 culture for Scotland in aid of the scheme for the im- 

 provement of heavy horses and cattle, and the extension 

 of milk recording in Scotland during the year 1917-18; 

 and 2000L to the Department of Agriculture and Tech- 

 nical Instruction for Ireland in aid of the Department's 

 scheme for the improvement of Irish draught horses 

 during the year 1917-18. 



Organisation of Co-operation among Agriculturists. 

 — A grant to the Agricultural Organisation Society of 

 England and Whales for its work during the year 

 1916-17 was recommended; also a grant to the Scot- 

 tish Agricultural Organisation Society in aid of its 

 work during 19 16-17, consisting of an advance equal 

 to the amount spent from the society's own funds 

 during the year, but not exceeding loooZ. ; and a grant 

 of 5320L to the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society 

 in aid of its work during the year 19 16-17. 



Forestry. 

 During the year the Commissioners reviewed their 

 policy with regard to new forestry schemes to be 

 financed from the Development Fund, especially in 

 relation to the alternatives of purchase and long lease 

 of land, and to their proposals for aff'oresting privately 

 owned land on the basis of a division of the proceeds 

 when they accrue. The exi>erience of the war has 

 shown that the nation must in prudence be prepared to 

 incur substantial expenditure in increasing the home- 

 grown supplies of timber. Much of the waste land 

 of the country can be turned to account only by putting 

 it under timber; and there are other areas of unim- 



i proved land which can be rescued from their present 



i unproductive condition by composite schemes of affores- 

 tation and reclamation, A forest will afford seasonal 



I employment for men occupying or employed on small 

 farms, and will itself be economically worked by tne 

 labour so employed. 



A grant of 4300L to the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries was recommended for the continuation in 

 the year 19 17-18 of the scheme for research, forestry 

 instruction and advisory work at four centres in 

 England and Wales, minor forestry experiments and 

 surveys. It was represented to the Commissioners by 

 the Board of Agriculture that in view of the large 

 amount of timber which was being cut down in this 

 country, the difficulties in which nurserymen were 

 involved owing to the shortage of labour, and the fact 

 that seed and seedlings of enemy origin, largely pur- 

 chased in normal times by nurserymen, were no longer 

 available, it was desirable to raise a supply of forest 

 tree seedlings in case there might be a shortage for 



I replanting after the war A grant of 200I. was made 



