182 



Miscellaneous Notes. 



[JUNE, 



National Poultry Organisation Society. — With reference to the note in last month's 

 Journal on the subject of the National Poultry Organisation Society, the Journal of 



that Society (May, 1907) gives some particulars of several 

 Miscellaneous Notes, of the collecting depots which are of interest as showing 



the extent of the trade which has been developed even in 

 the few years during which they have been established. The Framlingham and District 

 Agricultural Co-operative Society, which deals in agricultural produce generally, has 

 made a special feature of the egg business, and the number of eggs sold has increased 

 from 453,000 in 1904, to 623,000 in 1905, and again to 845,000 in 1906. It is antici- 

 pated that the " million " will be reached during the present year. The members 

 received a better price for eggs in 1906 than in any previous year. The Street 

 Collecting Depot sold 337,000 eggs at an average price of is. i%d. per dozen, the South 

 Wilts Depot marketed 266,000 eggs, the Fairford Depot 161,000 eggs, the Wickham 

 Market Depot 155,000 eggs, and several other depots sold quantities under 100,000. 



Sparrow Clubs. — In connection with the reduction in the number of sparrows by 

 means of the action of sparrow clubs, the Board have been furnished by Mr. J. P. 

 Phillips with an interesting account of a local effort at Spetchley, Worcester. In 

 this case the work is not done by a sparrow club in the strict sense of the term, but 

 by a branch of a small committee formed to manage the technical classes under the 

 County Council, and is financed almost entirely by a large landowner of the district. 

 Heads or eggs of house sparrows are purchased from persons living or working in 

 specified districts, and paid for at the rate of 3d. per dozen for heads of adult birds, 

 and i\d. per dozen for nestlings or eggs. Only house sparrows are paid for, and the 

 hope is expressed that in netting and shooting care will be taken to spare harmless 

 and useful birds. A prize system was tried one winter, but it was not found to be a 

 success, only four men competing, while many who had brought a few dozen birds and 

 eggs under the purchase system did nothing. This method was, therefore, abandoned. 

 Since January 1905, the results on the per head plan have been as follows : — 



January to September, 1905 — heads, nestlings and eggs ... 1,420 



September, 1905 to March, 1906 — heads ... ... ... 1,010 



March to September, 1906 — heads ... ... ... ... 376 



,, ,, ,, nestlings and eggs ... ... 738 



September, 1906 to March, 1907 — heads ... (about) 700 



Total ... ... ... .., ... 4,244 



Mr. Phillips states that there has been a noticeable decrease in the numbers ot 

 sparrows in some parts of the district, and the bird-catchers complain of the increasing 

 difficulty of getting value for the time spent. At the same time an increase in the 

 number of swallows and other birds has been observed. 



Buttercups in pastures. —The Consulting Botanist to the Royal Agricultural 

 Society in his Annual Report for 1906 refers to the presence of buttercups in pastures. 

 All the species of Ranunculus, called buttercups or spear-worts, possess acrid 

 properties and have not the slightest feeding value. They are usually rejected by 

 animals, but young stock not unfrequently eat them to their injury. Some farmers 

 like to see buttercups in a field. They consider them to be the sign of a good pasture. 

 Buttercups no doubt show that the soil is fitted to grow plants, but every buttercup is 

 a distinct injury to the pasture. Being rejected by the stock they flower and seed in 

 abundance. Their numerous seeds are well protected and remain ready to germinate 

 under favourable conditions. Some of the more acrid increase by creeping stems that 

 run above the ground or in the soil. The pasture becomes more and more filled wiih 

 yellow buttercup, and it loses half its value by the presence of acrid plants which 

 cause every year injury to, if not the death of, some animals. 



Destruction of Mice and Voles. — -Both mice and voles are sometimes very destructive 

 to young trees. The Long-tailed Field Mouse, Mus sylvaticus, works chiefly at the 

 roots and for a few inches above the surface of the ground. The voles — other than 



