376 



International Potato Conference. 



[July, 



obtained by standardisation." Again, many firms have no effec- 

 tive costings system. 



English firms are comparatively small and this is another 

 element in cost. One circumstance which has an intimate rela- 

 tion to the size of English firms is the progressive dechne of the 

 export trade, although there have been gains in some directions, 

 and until the War the export of engines and thrashing machines 

 was considerable, particularly to Eussia and Central Europe. 

 Eussia in fact absorbed nearly 40 per cent, of the total British 

 exports of agricultural machinery. Although the Eeport does 

 not say so in as many words, it is obvious that in a counti-y of 

 the size of the British Isles there cannot be really large produc- 

 tion for the home market : a large foreign trade is essential before 

 the economies of large scale production can be introduced. The 

 most striking of the conclusions of the Committee is that " the 

 industry will only resume its former healthy condition when the 

 markets of Central and Eastern Europe are effectively reopened." 

 That, it may be added, will not be of benefit only to the British 

 manufacturer but to the British farmer as well, for a small 

 production means higher relative costs and higher prices. 



It is proposed to hold an International Potato Conference 

 at the Eoyal Horticultural Society's Hall, Westminster, 

 London, on 15th, 16th and 17th November. 

 International ^ Joi^^t Committee of the Ministry of Agri- 

 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ culture and the Eoyal Horticultural Society 



Potato Conference. • a • u 



IS makmg the necessary arrangements,. 



and the programme will include the reading of a number of 

 papers by experts, who w^ill deal with various aspects of potato 

 'Culture. Among the papers are the following : — 



" Degeneration of Potatoes," by Dr. R. N. Salaman (England). 



" Potato Breeding, Selection and Development Work," by W. Stuart 

 (U.S.A.). 



" Industrial and Commercial Uses of Potatoes," by H. Y. Taylor (Ministry- 



of Agriculture). 

 " Leaf Curl," by H. M. Quanjer (Holland). 



''Life History of the Wart Disease Organism and its Relation to 

 Immunity from Wart Disease," by Prof. Blackman (London). 



" Recent research in Potato Blight," by Dr. Petherbridge. 



"Leaf Curl" and "Mosaic in Potatoes," by A. D. Cotton (Ministry of 

 Agriculture), and W. A. Orton (U.S.A.). 



There will also be an exhibition of British varieties of 

 potatoes, with specimens of diseases in this country, and 

 descriptions of British methods of dealing with them. The 



