228 Notes from Foreign Office Reports, [june, 



The expenditure on State forests is put at ^599,824, the revenue 

 from which is estimated at ^1,40 1,872. 



Agriculture in Southern Italy. — Some information respecting possible 

 openings for British live stock in Italy, extracted from a Report on the 

 Agriculture of Southern Italy (F.O. Reports, Misc. Series, No. 673), was 

 given in this Journal (March, 1909, p. 929). 



This Report also gives an interesting account of the crops and live 

 stock, and the general character of the farming in that district. 



Importation of Horticultural Produce into Italy .—The following 

 observations are made in the above Report respecting the importation 

 of horticultural produce. Owing to the restrictions imposed by the 

 Phylloxera Convention, no plants or seeds can be sent direct from the 

 United Kingdom to Italy, and consequently the trade in roses, seeds, 

 and bulbs is all done by France and the Netherlands. The law is 

 evaded to a certain extent by shipping these goods to agents in France 

 for re-shipment, but this is a clumsy plan, and wastes time, which, in 

 treating of such perishable goods, is the essence of the contract. An 

 inspection of many acres of beetroot would at once persuade any- 

 British agriculturist that, even making allowance for the dryness of the 

 Italian climate, much might be done by the introduction of better seed 

 and by the use of artificial manure. Seed potatoes might also be intro- 

 duced, but it must be remembered that the seed must be imported 

 every year, as it has been found by experiment that after the first year, 

 if the crop is raised from potatoes which have been reared in Italy from 

 British seed, the result is disappointing, the potatoes being no better 

 than those grown from the ordinary Italian seed. 



Export of Meat from the Netherlands. — The Report for 1908 on the 

 trade of Amsterdam (F.O. Reports, Annual Series, No. 4,203) gives some 

 information respecting the crops and the exports of Dutch agricultural 

 produce to the United Kingdom. As regards meat from Harlingen, it 

 is noted that the trade was more satisfactory in the summer than later, 

 when the quantity shipped exceeded the demand in the British markets, 

 causing great losses to the trade, especially in mutton. The export of 

 fat calves was stationary, with somewhat better results than in 1907. 

 Bobby (new-born) calves were exported in considerable quantities to 

 Hull, but without sufficient profit for exporters. Fewer pigs were 

 shipped, in consequence of the competition with Flushing and the Hook 

 of Holland, from which ports steamers are running daily, so that these 

 routes are preferred. During 1908 the meat of 126,143 sheep, 30,622 

 calves, 2,435 pig s > together with 2,975 cases of offal, was exported. 

 The general result, however, is said to be unsatisfactory. Several new 

 slaughter-houses have been erected at Harlingen lately in conformity 

 with the provisions of the law relating to the compulsory examination 

 of all meat destined for export to the United Kingdom. 



Agriculture in Roumania. — The Report on the trade of Roumania 

 in 1908 (F.O. Report, Annual Series, No. 4,219) gives information as 

 regards the harvest of 1908, the timber trade, and the export of cereals 

 from Sulina and other ports on the Danube. It is noted that of the 

 total area under cultivation, 4,677,668 acres are in the hands of 3,874 

 large proprietors, while the remaining 10,000,000 acres are divided 

 among 1,033,334 small farmers. Not only has the area cultivated by 

 large owners decreased while that cultivated by small owners has in- 



