458 Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [sept., 



was at least 140,000 bales, or 287,500 cwts., and that of Washington 32,000 bales, or 

 52,837 cwts. The crops in 1906 were 160,000 bales in Oregon and 55,000 bales in 

 Washington. Unsold stocks at the close of the year are stated to be about 47,000 

 bales in Oregon and 8,000 bales in Washington. Attempts were made to form a 

 growers' union of the Pacific coast, which aimed to control the entire crop, but these 

 efforts have failed. Mr. Laidlaw considers that the figures of production given above 

 are not at all overstated, and there is no certainty that the acreage under hops will be 

 reduced to an appreciable extent, so that the prospects of the trade are far from being 

 bright. It is difficult to trace what proportion of the hops leaving the district go to 

 the British market, but from 1st September to 31st December 74,495 bales of Oregon 

 hops were sent by rail to the eastern seaboard, and from that time to March, 49,870 

 bales have been forwarded. 



Margarine Industry in Sweden. — The Canadian Commercial Agent for Sweden 

 reports that the margarine industry of that country is steadily developing, the pro- 

 duction now exceeding the home consumption. Consequently the Swedish margarine 

 factories have been obliged to seek a market in foreign countries. The export of this 

 product from Sweden, which five years ago amounted to 184,0001b., rose in 1906 to 

 nearly 1,400,0001b., and in 1907 to about 2,500,0001b. {Board of Trade Journal, 

 23rd July, 1908). 



Production of Artificial Fertilisers in Italy. — The June issue of the Bulletin 

 Mensuel of the French Chamber of Commerce at Milan contains an article on 

 the production of chemical manures in Italy, from which the following particulars are 

 extracted : — 



The chemical fertilisers prepared in Italy consist chiefly of superphosphates, the 

 great majority being mineral phosphates, and the remainder bone phosphates. 

 Another artificial manure produced to a certain extent is sulphate of ammonia. The 

 production of superphosphates has rapidly increased during recent years. In 1904 it 

 amounted to about 8 million cwts., in 1906 to 12 million, and in 1907 to 16 million 

 cwts. of mineral and 1 million cwts. of bone superphosphates. It is stated that the 

 output is now almost equal to the demand, a small quantity only being imported. 

 Sulphate of ammonia is produced by the large gas-works, the output amounting to 

 some 200,030 cwts. annually. {Board of Trade Journal, 23rd July 1908.) 



SUMMARY OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS. 

 A large number of experiments and inquiries are now annually 

 carried on by agricultural colleges and other bodies in various 

 parts of the country, and the Board think it will be useful to 

 give from month to month a short review or summary of 

 the reports on these experiments, classified as far as possible 

 according to the subject. It will not be possible within 

 the limits of the space which "can be allotted to the subject 

 in this Journal to do more, as a rule, than give a brief 

 indication of the character of the experiment and of the 

 conclusions reached. Those who are interested in any par- 

 ticular investigation can refer for further details to the original 

 publication. 



The Board would be glad to receive for inclusion in this 

 summary copies of reports on inquiries, whether carried out 

 by agricultural colleges, societies or private persons. 



