1910.] Notes on Agriculture Abroad. 



765 



tion of wheat among the Chinese throughout China, and in Manchuria 

 in particular a strong demand for wheat flour has arisen since the 

 Russo-Japanese war. At first this demand was supplied chiefly by the 

 United States of America ; but in 1909, on account of the high price of 

 American flour owing to the depreciation of silver and of the increased 

 production of the Shanghai and Manchurian mills, the import prac- 

 tically ceased, 



Flour is produced by steam roller mills at Harbin, Changchuw, 

 Hailin, and Shuangchengpu, under Russian management, at Ninguta, 

 Aseho, and Kirin, under Chinese management, and at Tiehling under 

 Japanese management. In 1909, according to steamship and railway 

 statistics, 5,400,000 bushels of wheat passed into Harbin, of which 

 3,600,000 bushels were milled locally, and 1,800,000 bushels were 

 exported by the Sungari River to Siberia. 



The milling of wheat in Manchuria is increasing rapidly, and Mr, 

 Parker considers that, with cheap wheat, cheap labour, and low trans- 

 portation charges, the Manchurian mills, with the steam mills at 

 Shanghai, must inevitably capture the flour trade of the Far East. 



In January, 19 10, No. 1 wheat was worth at the mills 84 cents 

 U.S. gold (35. 6d.) per bushel, and at harvest time wheat was selling 

 for 66 cents gold (2s. gd.) per bushel. The highest and lowest prices 

 recorded during the past three years have been 56 cents gold (25. 4^.) 

 and 84 cents gold (3s. 6d.) per bushel. In Mukden "second patent" 

 flour from the Japanese Tiehling mills was sold in August last at 3*93 

 dollars gold (16s. qhd.) per barrel of 196 lb., and flour from the Russian 

 mills at Harbin of similar quality at 4'o8 dollars (17s.) per barrel. 

 (Board of Trade Journal, November 3rd, 1909.) 



The Employment of Women in Agricultural Pursuits in Bavaria. — 

 An influential meeting at Munich in the spring of 19 10 expressed 

 the wish that professional education for young females living in 

 rural districts should be provided for, and that agricultural 

 schools, viz., continuation schools, special, and winter schools, 

 be established. As a result of the census in 1907 it was 

 shown that Bavarian agriculture is in a high degree dependent 

 on the work of women, as the number of male hands is constantly 

 decreasing. Over 873,000 women against not quite 825,000 men are 

 employed ; the number of the non-independent women amounts to 63*3 

 per cent, of the total of non-independent rural labourers. Therefore 

 there seems to be a pressing need for both experienced female agri- 

 culturists and female teachers, for the instruction as well as useful 

 assistance of agricultural hands, especially with a view of making 

 women efficient in the adaptation of the modern important and profit- 

 able ways of general farming, viz., breeding of poultry, fruit and 

 vegetable growing, dairy work, &c. The Bavarian Home Office on 

 January 23rd, 19 10, issued a notice instructing the district councils to 

 aid and assist generally the itinerant lecturers sent about by ladies' 

 associations. (Foreign Office Reports, Annual Series, No. 4565.) 



Live Stock Insurance in Bavaria. — In his Report to the Foreign 

 Office (Annual Series, No. 4565), Mr. Consul Ehrenbacher gives par- 

 ticulars as to the operations of the National Live Stock Insurance 

 Society in 1909, and also of the Government House Insurance Insti- 

 tute. 



