970 



The Ministry's Publications in 1921. [Feb. 



The immunity from wart disease of certain varieties of potatoes 

 was first discovered in 1908. and trials were then instituted for 

 the purpose of testing varieties of potatoes to obtain definite 

 information as to their immunity or otherwise. These trials 

 have been continued since that date, and year by year the 

 Ministry has been able to declare fresh varieties as being 

 immune. Including the four varieties mentioned above, no 

 fewer than 100 names have appeared on the list of approved 

 immune varieties. It is now known that some of these names 

 relate to the same variety, and after omitting the synonyms the 

 number of distinct varieties now recognised as immune is 63. 



A successful experiment for improving the breed of Welsh 

 Mountain Ponies was undertaken last season in the mountainous 



Aber and District dirtri ?* of Aber ' n ™ 1 Ban 1 g01 ': r . N i 0rmal ! y 



ttt i i. •»*■ premiums are awarded bv the Ministry onlv 



Welsh Mountain r - ■ , * „ \ . • 



p _ . m those cases where the Commons Act ot 



« . . * 1908 is in force, as this Act provides for the 

 formation, by the persons entitled to use 

 the " common." of a society whose object is to regulate the 

 turning out of entire animals on the common. As it was con- 

 sidered impracticable to adopt the Commons Act in this instance, 

 the commoners formed a society for the hire of a suitable stallion 

 and the members of the society turned the best of their mares 

 into an enclosed " ftridd " or grazing ground some 60 acres in 

 extent, in which the stallion " Grove Charcoal " was allowed to 

 run with the mares for a period of three months. The hiring of 

 the stallion cost £15. towards which a grant of £10 was made 

 by the Ministry, and fees for service (10s.) and grazing (12s.) 

 were charged for each mare. Sixteen members sent 35 mares 

 for service and it is anticipated that about 60 mares will be 

 served in 1922. 



The Journal. — Of the Ministry's publications probably the 

 best known and certainly the most important is this Journal. 



The Ministry's Bt "* te f ™ 1904 ' its b f n 8™* ™ l 



.. . and steadv, and. as an indication ot the 



Publications in . , * * , • ^ • ^ • ^ j 



1921 increased confidence which is being placed 



in it, it may be recorded that the last 15 

 months have shown an increase of 2,000 in the number of sub- 

 scribers. Adverse agricultural conditions may have had some- 

 thing to do with this, for it is generally realised that difiicult 



