328 



Notes on Agriculture Abroad. 



[JULY, 



International Dairy Federation have established a prize of 500 francs to 

 be awarded at each meeting of the International Dairy Congress for 

 the best work on a subject to be selected. 



The subject for the first competition is : — The determination, by 

 means of new experiments made at any rate partly on man, of the com- 

 parative nutritive value of raw and cooked milk (i.e., pasteurised, steri- 

 lised, and dried). In the event of an advantage being shown in favour 

 of raw milk, to determine the part played by the enzymes of milk in 

 nutrition. 



Essays may be in French, German, or English, and should be sub- 

 mitted before 1st April next, addressed to the Secretariat general de 

 la Federation International de Laiterie, 23 rue David Desvachez, 

 Bruxelles-Uccle, Belgium, from whom further information may be 

 obtained. 



Exhibition of Animals and Machinery at St. Petersburg.-^-An exhibi- 

 tion is to be held at St. Petersburg by the Northern Agricultural Society 

 from August 28th to September 4th, 19 10, under the name of the " 1st 

 Russian Exhibition of Horned Animals." The Executive Committee 

 hope that foreign manufacturers of machinery for the preparation of 

 food for animals will participate in the exhibition. 



Agriculture in the United States. — Information as to local conditions 

 of farming and the production of crops in the United States is given 

 in three Foreign Office Reports recently issued, 

 Notes on Agriculture viz -> Boston (Annual Series, No. 4473); St. 

 Abroad. Louis (No. 4462) ; and San Francisco (No. 



4459). The following notes are taken from 

 the Report on the Consular District of San Francisco : — 



Hop Growing in California. — In contrast to the exceedingly dis- 

 couraging conditions faced by the hop growers last year, 1909 has 

 shown a remarkable revival of interest in that industry, brought about 

 by the high prices received for hops this season compared with last. 

 While there was a lighter crop of hops on the Pacific coast than in 1908, 

 the difference in production was not sufficient to account for the 

 doubling and trebling of prices received for the product this year. 

 The fact that the European crop was largely a failure forced dealers 

 to come to the United States for supplies, and growers have accord- 

 ingly reaped a good profit, a considerable amount having been sold at 

 20 c. (lod.) per lb. and upwards. 



Hop picking by machinery. — The hop-picking machine, to which 

 reference was made in this Journal, Vol. XVI., May, 1909, p. 145, and 

 January, 19 10, p. 849, is now alleged to be a success. Last year before 

 the picking had progressed a similar announcement was made, but was 

 afterwards contradicted. The defective features of the machine have 

 'been improved and a demonstration was given before many leading hop 

 growers in September, 1909. 



The hop vines were cut off near the ground and fed into the machine J 

 and came out stripped of hops and leaves. At one side of the machine 

 the hops were deposited and at the other side the leaves and bits of 

 vines were expelled. Experts and persons who were sceptical on the j 

 subject now believe that hop picking by machinery is practicable. 



Efforts to Exterminate Fruit Pests. — In an effort to exterminate 



