620 



Miscellaneous Notes. 



[NOV., 



Agricultural Machinery Trade in South Russia. — A memorandum on this 

 subject by H.M.'s Consul-General at Odessa. (Mr. C. S. Smith) appears in the 

 Board of Trade Journal, 24th September, 1908. 



Agricultural Bank in Cyprus. — The Annual Colonial Office Report on Cyprus 

 (Cd. 4199), states that the Agricultural Bank commenced operations in 1907 in 

 accordance with the agreement entered into by the Government with the Anglo- 

 Egyptian Land Allotment Company. Under this agreement the capital of the bank 

 was not to be less than ;£ 100,000, and its principal business was to make advances to 

 the agricultural and industrial classes of the Island upon security of immoveable 

 property, stock, agricultural and industrial produce, personal security, and such other 

 security as the Company might determine. 



The rate of interest was fixed not to exceed 9 per cent, per annum. The advantages 

 of this bank have been greatly appreciated, and it has brought relief to many 

 belonging to the classes for whom it was desired to obtain a more reasonable way, 

 than prevailed locally, of borrowing money for legitimate enterprise or of tiding over 

 temporary difficulties. To 31st December, 1907, ^308 had been lent for short 

 periods, of which ^"165 had been repaid, while to the same date for longer periods 

 ^"53,573 had been advanced. 



State Forest in Scotland. — The Report of H.M.'s Commissioners ot Woods and 

 Forests for 1907-08, states that during the past year the purchase has been completed 

 of the Inverliever Estate, containing about 12,530 acres lying at an elevation between, 

 about 120 and 1,400 feet above sea level on the north-west side of Loch Awe, 

 in the county of Argyll. The land is occupied as sheep farms except about 290 

 acres which is under timber. 



The purchase has been made for the purpose of carrying out a scheme ot 

 afforestation in Scotland on scientific and economic lines. The estate has been 

 carefully selected with a view to its suitability for this purpose, and it is proposed 

 gradually to plant it at the rate of 150 acres per annum. Arrangements are being 

 made for a commencement of the work this year. A residential Forester has been 

 appointed who will act under the general supervision of the Commissioners. 



Rat extermination in Denmark. — The law for the exterminatibn of rats, to 

 which reference was made in this Journal, July 1908, p. 295, came into force on 

 1st July, 1907, and may be said to have worked satisfactorily, though the State grant 

 of 3 kr. (3s. 4^d.) for every 100 inhabitants is not considered a sufficient inducement, 

 and some parishes have added considerably to that amount. 



As regards the number of rats killed the following figures are given ; — At Magleby 

 in Langeland with 912 inhabitants 3,145 rats have been accounted for ; at Gudbjerg, 

 near Svendborg, with a population of 1,605, 4>3 22 rals have been killed in the last 

 nine months of 1907 ; Nakskov, with 8,421 inhabitants, has accounted for 

 11,952 rats. In Copenhagen itself the unemployed have to some extent found 

 occupation in rat killing, the number of rats exterminated reaching 5,000 to 6,000 

 a week, whilst for the rest of Denmark the weekly figure has amounted to 

 10,000 to 15,000 rats. On nine of the Danish islands rats are unknown, but, on 

 the other hand, on the Island of Fejo, where eight years ago there were no rats, 

 there is now a numerous colony. {Foreign Office Report, Annual Series, No. 4089.) 



Inspection of Meat for Export in Denmark. — A translation of a Danish law for 

 the Control of the Export of Meat, &c, which was passed in 1908, is given in 

 Foreign Office Report, No. 4,089, Annual Series. This law authorises the Minister of 

 Agriculture to take steps to prevent meat being exported which is;unfk for human food. 

 Regulations may be issued providing for the marking of all Danish meat exported. 



Importation of Plants into Mozambique. — The Board have received a copy of the 

 regulations dated 22nd May, 1908, for the importation of plants into the district of 

 Laurenco Marques, Portuguese East Africa, which provide that no plants can be 



