1908.] 



Miscellaneous Notes. 



219 



Importation of Fruit and Plants into New Zealand. — An Order in Council, dated 

 20th February, 1908, has been issued providing Regulations under " The Orchard and 

 Garden Pests Act, 1903," in regard to the importation into New Zealand of fruit or 

 plants. 



The Order under notice revokes various Proclamations and Orders in Council 

 prohibiting and regulating the importation of certain fruits and plants, and provides 

 that such articles may be entered only at the following ports, viz., Auckland, 

 Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Bluff. It is provided, however, that direct 

 consignments of fruit or plants for other ports may be examined at one of the above- 

 mentioned ports, and a permit issued allowing the landing of the fruit or plants at the 

 port of destination. The Regulations also provide for the forms of certificates 

 which are to accompany the various kinds of fruit and plants, also for the 

 fumigation or destruction of any fruit or plants affected with the diseases specified 

 in the Schedules to the Order in Council. [Board of Trade Journal, 23rd April, 1908. } 



Agriculture in Kurdistan, Asia Minor. — The Board have received through the 

 Foreign Office a report by H.M. Vice-Consul at Diarbekir (Mr. W. B. Heard), 

 on the agriculture of Central and Southern Kurdistan. The soil in this district 

 is generally rich and productive, whilst the climate leaves little to be desired from the 

 farmer's point of view. Little, however, is done to profit by these natural advantages. 

 Agricultural methods are extremely primitive, and the soil does not yield anything like 

 what it would if properly cultivated. Wheat, barley and millet are the most 

 important crops. The ploughs are drawn and the corn is trodden out by oxen. Flails 

 and threshing machines are unknown. Mr. Heard observes, however, that though 

 utterly incapable of introducing any improvement into existing methods, on their own 

 initiative, it is probable that the natives would not disdain the use of agricultural 

 machinery and labour-saving appliances, when once they had been shown by practical 

 demonstration the advantages to be derived from them. 



Daily Forecasts of Weather during Harvest, 1908. — During the harvest season the 

 Meteorological Office will, as before, supply forecasts of weather by telegraph to 

 persons desirous of receiving them, upon payment of the cost of the telegrams. The 

 forecast will contain twelve words, and the cost will be 6d., with \d. for each word 

 in the address. 



Applications for the forecasts should be sent to the Director, Meteorological 

 Office, 63, Victoria Street, London, S.W., with a cheque or postal order to cover the 

 cost of the telegrams for the period, which should be not less than six consecutive 

 days, during which the forecasts are to be sent. 



The office is also prepared to send notification by telegram when the conditions 

 appear favourable for a spell of settled fine weather. The notification will take the 

 form of a forecast covering a period of not less than two days following date of issue. 

 Those who wish this notification must deposit a fee of 2s-. 6d. , which includes cost of 

 telegram. 



Demand for Fertilizers and Machinery in Poland. — The Acting British Consul - 

 General at Warsaw (Mr. E. B. St. Clair) reports that the total turnover of the 

 Warsaw Agricultural Society (Towarzystwo Rolnicze Warszawskie, Z. Okolnik, 

 Warsaw), in 1907 was 70,000/., while in 1906 it was only 44,000/. Of this 70,000/., 

 18,000/. was spent in purchasing machines and implements, 26,000/. for manures and 

 11,100/. for seeds. The total turnover of all the agricultural societies in Poland 

 amounts to about 300,000/. a year. The societies have lately ceased to import super- 

 phosphates and basic slag from Germany, ordering them instead from Belgium and 

 the Netherlands. The amount of superphosphate required in Poland is 12,000 tons, 

 and of basic slag about 28,000 tons. There may possibly be an opening here for 

 British firms. 



Owing to the high prices of grain, the farmers were well off in 1907, and a con- 

 siderable amount of business was done in agricultural machinery. A larger number 



