356 



Stock in Northumberland. 



[SEPT., 



The system adopted by the Northumberland Agricultural 

 Society for the improvement of live stock in the county has been 

 the subject of favourable comment from 

 Improvement of time to time in various agricultural 



Northumberland. j° urnals - Tne following account of the 

 system, which has been supplied to the 

 Board by Mr. W. J. Bolam, Secretary of the Society, may be 

 of interest. 



At the beginning of 1898 what is known as the Society's 

 Bull Scheme was inaugurated, and a grant of £300 was made 

 from the funds of the Society for the purpose of carrying it on, 

 a further grant of £200 being made in 1902. Briefly, the 

 working of the system is as follows : — 



The bulls are purchased by the Society, who place them with 

 farmers in certain districts where it is considered their services 

 are required, the farmer or keeper agreeing to keep the animal 

 in good condition and to deliver it up when required. For 

 his trouble he retains all fees received for service, which are 

 as follows : — 



£ s d. 



Members of the Society ... ... ... ... ...040 



Non-members ... ... ... ... ... ... o 10 o 



Agricultural Occupiers whose annual rental does not 



exceed ^50, Hinds or Shepherds ... ... ... o 4 o 



The number of cows that may be served by any of the bulls 

 is limited to seventy in any one year, not more than eight of 

 which may be the property of one owner, the object being, of 

 course, to spread the good effect as widely as possible. No cow 

 may be served which has been served by any other bull within 

 six weeks previously. The bulls are annually inspected and 

 reported upon to the Council of the Society. 



In all, twenty-three pedigree Shorthorn bulls have been 

 purchased in connection with the scheme at a total cost of 

 ^"689 1 8s. iod., and of these twenty have been resold for 

 £406 13s 2d., leaving in hand three bulls worth, say 

 £60 = £466 13s. 2d. ; showing a net expenditure by the 

 Society of £223 5s. 8d. This is no doubt a very considerable 

 sum of money, but in the opinion of those well able to judge 

 the Society is more than compensated for the outlay by the 



