July 27, ign] NATURE 



4^,725 



1 ;ll : 



[e building 



... 



ge buildin 

 Farm 



irch 



Abi rdeen : 



Pui cha 



Alterations for farm pui 



Forest garden 



Research (buildings, &c.) 



On March 2, 1911, they informed the Department that 

 they would be prepared to recommend the Treasury to 

 grant a capital sum not exceeding 60,000/. on the follow- 

 mditions : — 



(1) That only one half of the expenditure ultimately 

 approved is defrayed from the Development Fund, the 



1 If being met by fresh contributions of local 

 authorities and persons interested, and by a contribution 

 from the Education (Scotland) Fund (one quarter from each 



(2) That a revised scheme and estimates of expenditure 

 Mating to each individual college should be placed before 

 the commissioners for consideration before they report to 

 the Treasury. 



They also informed the Department that they would be 

 prepared to recommend an annual grant of one half of the 

 excess of the expenditure of the colleges on what may be 

 called " extension " work (i.e. instruction to agriculturists 

 in the colleges' provinces by such means as lectures, visits, 

 &c, and similar work), over the corresponding expenditure 

 of the year 1908-0, on the following conditions : — 



1 in That the grant from the Development Fund shall not 

 in any year exceed the total contributions to the colleges 

 1 i the Education (Scotland) Fund. 



(6) That it shall not in any case exceed 5000/. 



ft) That the commissioners are satisfied, when the 

 formal application is made, as to the nature and scope of 

 the work proposed ; that it comes within the terms of the 

 Development and Road Improvement Funds Act, 1909; and 

 that it will be properly carried out. 

 III.— Ireland. 



The commissioners received on July 18, 1910, an applica- 

 tion by the Department of Agriculture and Technical 

 instruction for Ireland for a grant of 15,0001. a year for 

 five years for the establishment and maintenance of an 

 agricultural station for a system of general investigation 

 and scientific research in Ireland. 



It was proposed that the station should be established 

 in the vicinity of Dublin, the capital expenditure being 

 estimated at 20,000/. and maintenance at 15,000/. a 



The commissioners determined to intimate to the Depart- 

 ment that they would be prepared to coi 

 an expenditure of — 



(.11 4000/. per annum for a central institution for investi- 

 and technical advice of a local character. 



(/>! 5000/. per annum for scientific research in animal 

 breeding or some other subject undertaken in Ireland as 

 part of a general scheme of scientific research for the 

 United Kingdom. 



At the end of the year the commissioners were awaiting 

 an amended application on the terms thus indicated. 

 Horse and Livestock Breeding. 



The commissioners received on July 26, 1010, an appli- 

 cation by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries for a 

 grant of 50,000/. per annum, of which 5000/. was to be 

 devoted to livestock other than horses, and 45,000/. to the 

 encouragement of light-horse breeding in Great Britain. 

 On November - 1 ; the commissioners recommended the 

 Treasury to advance 36,000/. for one year to the Board by 

 way of grant, to be expended generally as follows : — 



NO. 2 I 78. VOL. 87] 



(a) Payment of premiums to the owners of 



stallions ' ... ... ... ... ... 13,000 



(6) Encouragement of the keeping of brood 



mares ... ... ... ... ... 10,000 



(c) Free nominations for the service of 



mares by premium stallions ... ... 3,000 



(d) Purchase of stallions ... ... ... 5,000 



(,'•) Registration of stallions 5,000 



The report recommended advances not exceeding 3S00Z. 

 to cover travelling expenses, the expenses of local com- 

 mittees, payment of local secretaries, &c, and not exceed- 

 ing 1250/. to cover other administrative expenses up to 

 March 31, when the sum previously voted by Parliament to 

 the Royal Commission on Horse-breeding was expected to 

 become available for the Board. 



As regards horse-breeding in Ireland, the commissioners 

 received on July iS, 19 10, an application from the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland 

 for a grant of 10,000/. per annum for five years for the 

 extension of the Department's existing schemes. On 

 October 29, 1910, they reported to the Treasury, recom- 

 mending a grant of 10,000/., to be expended roughly in 

 ^the following proportions : — two-fifths on the extension of 

 the existing schemes for the registration and purchase of 

 stallions, two-fifths on the extension of the existing 

 schemes of service nominations to mares, and one-fifth on 

 a new scheme to encourage the keeping and breeding of 

 mares of the Irish draught type. 



Forestry. 

 It is provided in section 1 (b) of the Act that forestry, 

 as one of the purposes for which the commissioners may 

 recommend advances, shall include : — 



(1) The conducting of inquiries, experiments, and re- 

 search for the purpose of promoting forestry and the teach- 

 ing of methods of afforestation. 



(2) The purchase and planting of land found after 

 inquiry to be suitable for afforestation. 



Believing that forestry is one of the purposes of the 

 Act which require to be dealt with on comprehensive and 

 national lines, the commissioners at an early stagp 

 appointed four of their number to report on the broad 

 principles to be applied to all applications bearing on the 

 subject. 



Various schemes and applications were considered, and 

 the situation on March 31 is summed up as follows : — 



In regard to England and Wales, the commissioners 

 have just received a comprehensive scheme from the Board 

 of Agriculture and Fisheries. 



In regard to Scotland, they have agreed to the pro- 

 vision of a central demonstration area — for the acquisition 

 of which preliminary steps are being taken — and of a 

 forestry school in connection with it, and also to the pro- 

 vision of small forest gardens for the local use of the 

 agricultural colleges. 



In regard to Ireland, they have agreed to advances of 

 25,000/. or 30,000/. for the purchase of land, and to further 

 advances, so soon as formal and definite applicatioi 

 made under the Act, for additions to staff and for thi 

 maintenance and management of small woodlands in tli 

 hands of county councils. 



The Development and Improvement of Fishei 

 Among the applications from the Department of Agri- 

 culture and Technical Instruction for Ireland which the 

 commissioners received on July 18, 1910, one dealt with 

 the development and improvement of fisheries. For this 

 purpose the Department asked for a sum of 50,000/., made 

 up as follows : — 



