u8 



Miscellaneous Notes. 



[may, 



amounted to nearly 57,000/., and the number of shareholding members was 3,i73> 

 with 21 shareholding societies and 144 associates. 



Roadside Planting of Fruit Trees.— As noted in this Journal in November, 1904, it 

 is the practice in some parts of the continent to plant fruit trees in suitable positions 

 along the roadsides in place of the ornamental or forest trees more usually employed. 

 Visitors to certain parts of France and Germany during the spring and summer months 

 will be struck with the appropriateness of such a practice, which is not only exceedingly 

 picturesque but serves a useful purpose. 



In Saxony, as in some other German States, use is made of the roadsides and other 

 open spaces under public control for planting fruit trees such as cherries, apples and 

 pears. The Board are informed through the Foreign Office that a return has just been 

 published showing the favourable results during 1906 of such plantations on the 

 Government roads alone. The return from fruit in 1906 was ,£12,235, compared 

 with £10,907 in 1905. The Government roads at Leipzig alone produced £2,807 

 worth of fruit. The district which produced the least was Annaberg, but even there 

 over ,£100 was collected from the sale of fruit grown along the roadside. 



Solitary Bees in Wood. — The solitary bee Megachile and allied species are variously 

 known as Carpenter bees, Carder bees, Mason bees and Leaf-cutting bees, according to 

 the position and composition of their cells. Megachile cuts with her mandibles oval 

 pieces of leaf from the leaves of various plants, and, choosing a gallery already made 

 or helping to make tunnels in timber, fits the oval pieces of leaf together into a cell, 

 being aided in her work by a secretion. In the cell, pollen and nectar are placed by 

 the bee and an egg is then laid. The cell is next closed up, the lid consisting of 

 round pieces "of leaf, varying in number. A second cell is made above the first, and so 

 on, the number of cells in a series varying. Several series may be made by the same bee. 



In due course the eggs hatch, and the resulting grubs nourish themselves on the 

 stored nectar and pollen. When full fed they pupate, and later the adult is ready 

 to issue. 



Danger of Poisoning from Rhododendrons. — The leaves of Rhododendrons are 

 sometimes stated to be poisonous to cattle, and goats have been known to be poisoned 

 by them. A correspondent enquires whether the species Rhododendron ponticnm is at 

 all dangerous. Cornevin in his work " Des Plantes Veneneuses," says definitely that 

 this species is poisonous and that veterinary authorities both in England and Belgium 

 have published accounts of cases of poisoning both of sheep and of goats that were 

 traced to it. There do not appear to be cases on record of cows having actually died 

 owing to having eaten its leaves. But Cornevin remarks that farmer's will be well 

 advised to take care that this plant, ornamental as it is, be always kept out of the reach 

 of small ruminants. Considering its character it may be well to be on the safe side by 

 taking the same precautions with regard to the larger animals. 



Importation of Pigs into Russia. — With reference to the notice in last month's issue 

 of the Journal (April, 1907, p. 35) as to a possible opening for British pigs in Russia, 

 the Board are informed by Mr. Consul-General Murray that a sanitary certificate from 

 the country of origin is required at the Russian frontier before swine can be imported, 

 and that there is no dutv on them. 



Importation of pedigree pigs into Argentina. — Within the past year or two con- 

 siderable progress has been made in the grading up of the Argentine breed of pig by 

 importation of pedigree stock from Great Britain. According to the Review of the 

 River Plate (15th March, 1907) many breeders have introduced pure bred animals, 

 the number imported in 1905 being 167, and 297 in the first eleven months of 1906. 



Demand for Agricultural Machinery in Smyrna. — In a report on the agricultural 

 resources of the district round Smyrna, the United States .Consul there expresses the 

 opinion that the awakening of Asia Minor to the need of modern implements of agricul- 

 ture will present a great opportunity to manufacturers. Everything needed on a farm will, 

 he says, find a sale. At present, as a rule, the most primitive methods are in use, 

 although many implements have been imported in recent years. A dealer in 



