1906.] 



Miscellaneous Notes. 



121 



A copy of the programme can be seen at the offices of the Board, 

 4, Whitehall Place, S.W. 



State Aid to Horse Breeding in Victoria. — The Canadian 

 Commercial Agent at Melbourne (Mr. D. H. Ross) reports that, 

 with a view of increasing the export of horses to India, the 

 State Government of Victoria has made a monetary grant for 

 improving the breed of horses. The money will be expended 

 in importing a number of pure-bred Welsh pony stallions and 

 brood mares in order to form the nucleus of a pedigree stud for 

 this breed. It is proposed to lease some of these ponies to 

 persons in various districts throughout the State, on the recom- 

 mendation of agricultural societies, on condition that their 

 services will be made available at a moderate fee. It has been 

 decided for the present year to restrict the expenditure of the 

 grant to Welsh ponies, on account of the fact that there is urgent 

 need of introducing new blood of this strain into Victoria. 



Market for Seeds ^ Plants and Bulbs in South Africa. — The 

 Canadian Commercial Agent at Cape Town (Mr. C. M. Kittson) 

 reports a market for seeds in South Africa. 



The following figures show the value of the imports of seeds 

 into South Africa during the years 1903 and 1904, the latest 



years for which the details are available : — 



1903. 1904. 



£ £ 



Bird seed 8,784 11,617 



Garden and vegetable seeds ... ... ... 28,788 25.208 



Potato seed (estimated)... 44,286 28,384 



Plants and bulbs I0j973 I4>203 



Cereals (estimated) ... ... 95, 000 85,000 



Mr. Kittson states that the chief desiderata in catering for 

 this trade are that seeds should not be forced, and that they 

 should be well but economically packed in bulk, not in packets. 

 — {Board of Trade foiirnal, March 8th, 1906.) 



