I9C7-] 



Miscellaneous Notes. 



the water rat or water vole — gnaw not only near the ground but being good climbers 

 may damage the trees higher up. Evotomys glareolus is an especially good climber. 

 The water vole, Arvicola or Micfotus amphibius, lives below ground, and gnaws roots, 

 etc. Both fruit and forest trees are attacked by these small rodents, and among forest 

 trees the willow, ash, beech, oak, and hornbeam are gnawed. Apart from the 

 ordinary modes of trapping, and the encouragement of predaceous birds and small 

 mammals, the following methods of extermination may be tried as conditions permit : 

 (i) the herding of swine in the infested area : the swine grub up the mice and destroy 

 their runs ; (2) the grazing of cattle to keep down the undergrowth and so prevent 

 shelter and destroy breeding places ; (3) several times in bad infestations in 

 England and Scotland much good has resulted from digging trenches 30 yards apart, 

 18 to 20 inches broad at the bottom, 9 inches broad at the top, i| feet deep, and 2 feet 

 long : mice and voles falling in were unable to climb the inward-sloping sides and so 

 were trapped. In the Forest of Dean 30,000 field voles were caught by this means. 

 Further information on the subject of voles will be found in the Board's Leaflet, No. 6 

 ( Voles and their Enemies). 



Weeds. — Among weeds, cow parsley (Authriscus sylvestris) is occasionally a source 

 of trouble. The growth of this weed is greatly promoted by nitrate of soda, and the 

 use of this manure should be avoided where cow parsley occurs. Superphosphate and 

 kainit, on the other hand, by promoting the growth of clover and grass might help to 

 choke out the cow parsley. Two to three hundredweight of each might be applied per 

 acre. Gare should be taken not to allow the weed to seed, and hay should be cut early. 



Meadow saffron [Colchicnm aiitnmnale), which is mentioned in the Board's Leaflet 

 No. 112, is poisonous in all its parts. " As the plant is injurious to most animals and 

 man, it should be destroyed in fields, for cattle will sometimes crop the leaves in the 

 spring." (English Botany, Vol. ix. , p. 225). 



Danish System of Taxation. — The British Vice-Consul at Copenhagen, Mr. C. H. 

 Funch, M.V.O., has prepared a report (Foreign Office, Miscellaneous Series, No 659) 

 on the revised system of taxation introduced into Denmark in 1903, together with a 

 brief account of the taxation prior to that year. This revised system is embodied in 

 four separate laws, which have for their main object the relief of the agricultural class 

 from what was thought to be excessive taxation, as compared with taxation borne by 

 other classes of the community. The accomplishment of this object is seen from the 

 fact that although the total returns from the State taxes for 1904 increased by 26 per 

 cent., the burden of the rural districts was lessened by 8 per cent. 



The Potash Deposits of Germany. — Some information as to production of potash 

 in Germany was given in the last volume of this Journal (July, 1906, p. 221), and 

 reference was made to the participation of the Prussian Government in the central 

 organisation known as the Potash Syndicate. According to the Foreign Office Report 

 (Annual Series No. 3796) on the Trade of Germany, it appears that the State has 

 recently greatly extended its sphere of influence by acquiring the Syndicate mine 

 " Hercynia " for the sum of ,£150,000. 



The sales of potash salts in 1906 amounted to over half-a-million tons, and showed 

 a considerable increase compared with 1905. Two years ago the price of potassium 

 salts was reduced, but at the close of 1906 it was raised to the standard obtaining in 

 1904. This advance, which applies to all European countries except Germany, is 

 equivalent to an increase per 10" tons (of 2,204 lb-) of £2 for France, the Netherlands, 

 Belgium, Scotland and Ireland, and of £1 10s. for England. 



Mr. Consul-General Schwabach, in the Report above referred to, observes that the 

 future of the German potash industry will depend mainly upon the ability of the 

 syndicate to prevent over-production, in spite of the strenuous activity displayed in 

 establishing new concerns. Of the total of 36 mines belonging to the syndicate, no 

 less than 31 companies are at present occupied in sinking new shafts. 



