384 



Miscellaneous Notes. 



[august, 



1906 to ,£610,000 in 1907. This great development is chiefly accounted for by the 

 societies which supply agricultural requirements. The societies are classified in the 

 Report as follows : — Societies for the supply of requirements or sale of produce, 114 ; 

 dairy societies, 11 ; credit societies, 15 ; small holding and allotment societies, 13 ; 

 miscellaneous societies, 12 ; together with two federations. Many of the societies,, 

 however, engage in more than one kind of business. The sale of live stock is under- 

 taken by some of the societies, and forms an important item in their work. For 

 instance, the Winchester Agricultural Trading Society in 1907, the first year of its. 

 existence, sold stock to the value of ,£24,000, while the sales of pigs by the Eastern 

 Counties Farmers' Co-operative Association accounted for ,£64,000 out of a total 

 turn-over of £177,000. Some of the dairy societies managed to pay high prices to 

 their members for milk. The Nidderdale Dairy Society paid S^d. a gallon during 

 eleven months of the year, and the Walkden Farmers' Milk Supply Association paid 

 2s. 3d. and 2s. ^d. per 32^ lb. 



The Report refers to the effect of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act on the 

 co-operative movement, and the additional work thrown on the Society by the 

 formation of small holding and allotment societies. It is pointed out that there is 

 urgent need that the subscriptions should not only be maintained at their present 

 figure, but should be substantially increased. During the year, however, the 

 subscriptions declined from ^"1,441 in 1906 to ^"1,199 in 1907. 



Production of Certified Milk in the United States. — With a view to an improvement 

 in the quality of milk, a few Associations, usually composed of medical men, have 

 been formed in the United States to supervise and control its production. These 

 " milk commissions," as they are called, arrange with dairymen for the production of 

 milk under the highest sanitary conditions, and, by inspection a.nd examination of the 

 milk, endeavour to ensure that the conditions are carried out. The dairyman, on his 

 part, is authorised to sell the milk as " certified," and is thus able to obtain a 

 considerably higher price for it. An account of the work of these Medical Milk 

 Commissions, and of the method of producing " certified milk " is given in Bulletin 104, 

 published by the Bureau of Animal Industry. The greatest cleanliness is observed 

 throughout, and the bacteria in such milk seldom exceed 30,000 to the cubic centi- 

 metre, and in most instances average less than 10,000. From this cause it will keep 

 sweet a long time, and is specially valuable as a food for infants or invalids. 



American Gooseberry Mildew in Germany. — The Board have received, through 

 the Foreign Office, a despatch from H.M. Consul at Stettin stating that American 

 Gooseberry Mildew has appeared at three places in Pomerania. The disease is said 

 to have entered Germany from Russia, and it has spread rapidly. In 1906, 25 villages 

 were affected in East Prussia, and in 1907 the number had risen to 195. In West 

 Prussia 94 villages, and in Posen 255 villages, were affected in 1907. According to 

 the latest reports, the disease has reached Silesia, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg, 

 Schleswig-Holstein, and is constantly spreading in a westerly direction. 



Prussian Ga7-dening School at Dahlem. — The Royal Gardening School at Dahlem, 

 near Steglitz, Berlin, provides four courses of instruction of one year each. The first 

 year's course embraces general subjects such as botany, chemistry, zoology, and the 

 principles of gardening, fruit culture, etc. Attendance at this course is obligatory, 

 unless applicants can show that they have attained the required standard of knowledge 

 by attendance at other gardening schools or elsewhere. The other three courses 

 include (1) gardening, (2) fruit culture, and (3) plant cultivation, anyone of which 

 may be selected. Foreigners are admitted at fees varying from £17 \os. to ,£20 per 

 annum, exclusive of board and lodging which must be provided by the student. The 

 Institute is veiy completely provided with laboratories and glasshouses and possesses 

 grounds covering twenty acres. The next course commences on the 1st of October. 



Deformed Roses. — The Board received from Norwich some specimens of rose buds 

 which had every appearance of being diseased. On examination it was found that 

 the carpels or fruit-forming portions of the flower had degenerated into green leaf-like 



