1922.] 



Silver Leaf Disease. 



81 



•of fresh inilk fur domestic purposes, especially for feeding young 

 children, for whom goat's milk is particularly suitable. 



In several foreign countries where agriculture is a prosperous 

 industry, goat-keeping is practised on a very considerable scale. 

 In Holland, for instance, which is a highly cultivated country 

 possessing large herds of valuable milch cows, there were in 

 1910, according to the official census figures, 224,281 goats. 

 Similar conditions exist in Belgium, and it may be said that 

 goat-keeping is considerably more common in most European 

 countries than in this country, where, however, climatic and 

 >economic conditions are by no means unfavourable for goat- 

 keeping. 



The goat is, in fact, a hardy animal which thrives well in all 

 European countries. A fairly good nanny goat should produce 

 an one year from 70 to 100 gall, of rich milk at a very low 

 cost, while a first-class milch goat will jneld double as much and 

 will probably cost no more to keep than one of poor quality. 



It is not essential that goats should have access to grazing. 

 They may be fed largely on cheap or waste greenstufP from the 

 garden or allotment, and on hedge clippings and w^eeds such as 

 'dandelions, sow thistles, docks, young nettles, etc. They are 

 therefore particularly suitable for farm labourers, small holders, 

 allotment holders and cottagers. It is true that goats in milk 

 require a little concentrated food and in the winter some hay. 

 but for the rural dweller who is not able to keep a cow a good 

 milking goat is a most valuable and economical animal, whose 

 merits are at present not sufficiently appreciated. 



The following experiment has been carried out l)y Mr. C. H. 

 Oldham, one of the Ministry's inspectors : — 



Tarring Posts growers of fruit, both commercial 



Infected with Private, have during the past few years 



Silver Leaf taken an interest in the methods of 

 Disease prevention of the Silver I.eaf Disease, 



and to many the hfe-history of the causal 

 fungus [Siereum jmrpureum) is now known. 



At present it is an undoubted fact that the plum is move 

 susceptible to attack than other types of fruit tre(>s, :ind in com- 

 mercial oi-chards, the varieties Victoria and C/.wv nppcar niiicli 

 more liable than others to infection. 



While experiments in many directions are being c(^nducted to 

 find some practical method of prevention or cure, u]) till now it 

 appears that the best method to prevent the spread nf fho disease 

 is to remove inh^-ted wood as early as possible after the :i])pear- 



P 



