19^0.] 



Replies to Questions in Parliament. 



1027 



rock. Apart from these arrangements, the production, distribution, 

 and prices for home consumption of these fertihsers were now free from 

 controL Control of export of fertihsers was still maintained, in order 

 to secure sufficient supplies to meet home requirements. Export 

 licences for any surplus were, however, freely granted. This control 

 would be discontinued as soon as practicable, consistent with meeting 

 the needs of British agriculture. (22nd December, 1919.) 



Grassland. — In reply to a question by Major Howard, the Parlia- 

 mentary Secretary to the Board stated that the Board were aware 

 that a certain amount of recently-ploughed grass land was being resown 

 with grass, but that he hoped that the declared policy of the Government 

 with regard to agriculture would allay the apprehensions of farmers 

 and encourage them to maintain and extend the area of arable land. 

 (22nd December, 1919.) 



Butter and Cream. — In reply to a question by Sir R. Thomas as 

 to the present controlled price of butter, and of Lieut. -Colonel Weigall 

 .as to the present veto in the sale of cream, Mr. Roberts stated that he 

 . was aware that the maximum retail price of butter was not on a parity 

 ^ with the price of milk, but that the present scarcity of butter was 

 mainly due to the serious reduction in the quantity of imported butter 

 available. As he had already stated, he was considering the question 

 of freeing all home agricultural products, except wheat, at some point 

 or points during the first six months of next year {i.e., 1920), and the 

 remission of the present restrictions on the sale of cream would be 

 dealt with inconnection with the general question. {22nd^December, 

 1 91 9.) 



Bee Disease. — In reply to a question by Lieut.-Col. Bell, the Parlia- 

 mentary Secretary to the Board stated that the Board were aware that 

 British beekeepers had during recent years suffered severe losses owing 

 to the prevalence of disease, and particularly Isle of Wight disease, 

 among bees. With the object of preventing these losses by the means 

 of combating disease, the Board had established an institute for the 

 study of bees and bee disease, and at the present time investigations 



..were being carried out both at Oxford and at Cambridge. The Board 

 have, moreover, as a result of inquiries which they had made during 

 1 91 8, satisfied themselves that hybrid bees of Italian and Dutch origin 

 possess a marked resistance to Isle of Wight disease, and they had 

 accordingly, and with the co-operation of county committees, introduced 

 a Bee Restocking Scheme to establish breeding apiaries for the produc- 

 tion of resistant hybrids. In accordance with this scheme they had 

 introduced Dutch stocks and Italian queens, and supplied them at 

 reduced prices to the Committee for breeding purposes. The scheme 

 was developing satisfactorily, and during 191 9, 1,171 hybrid nuclei 

 had been raised from 251 stocks. It was proposed to continue the 

 production of nuclei in the coming year, and it was expected that it 

 would result in the establishment of large numbers of resistant bees. 

 To ensure this result the Board hoped to provide for further importation 

 of Italian queens during 1920. The question of introducing legislation 

 with the object of stamping out bee diseases was now^ under the 



■ consideration of the Board. (22nd December, 191 9.) 



