220 



Miscellaneous Notes. 



[JUNE, 



n usual of portable engines and threshing machines were purchased at the end of 

 the year, in order to get the grain ready for sale as early as possible, and to take 

 advantage of the high prices. A number of cultivators and machines for dressing 

 grain and chaff cutters were bought. The peasants also bought many chaff-cutters, 

 small threshing machines, and ploughs. In many parts of Poland there was a demand 

 for steam cooking apparatus to prepare potatoes as food for cattle. {Board of Trade 

 Journal, 16th April, 1908.) 



Consumption of Timber in the United States. — The United States Department of 

 Agriculture have issued a circular (No. 129, Forest Service) dealing with the drain on 

 the American forests. No very accurate statistics are available, but the information 

 collected by the Census Bureau and the Forest Service goes to show that the annual 

 consumption of wood in all forms in the United States in 1906 was at least 100 billion 

 board feet, and possibly much more. The annual growth has been estimated at from 

 30 to 42 billion feet, but it is considered that taking into account all the drains upon the 

 forests, the annual growth is not more than one-third of the annual consumption of 

 wood. Assuming a forest area of 700 million acres, the State or National Forests 

 represent 22 per cent, of the total, the remainder being on unreserved public lands or 

 in private hands, and the writer of the circular (Mr. R. S. Kellogg) states that this 

 area is amply sufficient, if rightly managed, to produce eventually enough timber to 

 supply the needs of the United States. 



Agricultural Machinery in Chile. — H.M. Consul-General at Valparaiso reports 

 that in the farming districts of Chile the use of machinery is becoming very general. 

 America supplies the greater part of what is known as agricultural machinery, the 

 machines from that country being light, just strong enough to do the work, and very 

 tastily finished. Where heavy, strong machines are required, as mowers, for instance, 

 British goods are supplied, but ploughs, threshers, hay presses, reapers and binders 

 are imported mainly from America. One reason for this is no doubt to be found in 

 the fact of America having at her command fine supplies of wood for use in the 

 construction of machinery in which this material enters largely. 



H.M. Consul at Coquimbo reports that agriculture rivals the copper industiy in 

 importance in that district, and though the work is mainly carried on in primitive 

 fashion, there is a steadily increasing tendency to adopt the machinery and labour- 

 saving devices used in countries more advanced in matters of applied science. 

 {Board of Trade Journal, 2nd April, 1908.) 



Use. of Animal Gall-stones in Japan. — H.M. Consul-General at Chicago (Mr. A. 

 Finn) has forwarded a copy of an article from the " National Provisioner " respecting 

 the export of gall-stones from the United States to Japan. Shipments of these stones, 

 from beef-animals, have been made from a packing-house in Chicago to Japan, and 

 the Japanese are said to be willing to pay prices ranging from 100 to 175 dollars per 

 lb. The reason for this is not known, but it is thought that the stones are used in 

 physiological chemistry or in the process of dyeing fine fabrics, such as silk. This 

 latter opinion is supported by the fact that the gall of an animal contains a considerable 

 amount of colouring matter. {Board of Trade Journal, 2nd April, 1908.) 



Assistance to Small Holdings in Sweden. — According to the agricultural statistics 

 of Sweden for 1904 there are 350,851 farm holdings in that country, 314,151 of which 

 are under 50 acres. The preponderance of small holdings has led the Government in 

 recent years to take some steps for the encouragement and assistance of the peasant 

 farmer, the first of which dates from the year 1901, when a grant of £1400 was 

 allotted for distribution by the agricultural societies in premiums for small farms and 

 in instruction for small holders. This grant has since been increased, and amounted in 

 1907 to £5,600; in addition about one-half as much is contributed by the Societies 

 out of their own funds. In 1904 a sum of ,£560,000 was set aside for the purpose of 

 State loans to enable labourers to acquire holdings or cottages, and in 1906 a fund 

 of ,£17,000 was created for the promotion of cultivation in the Northern Provinces. 



