191 1.] Improvement of Agriculture in Sweden. 923 



Stations for Testing Machines and Implements. — Two 

 Stations were established in 1897 by means of a fund placed 

 at the disposal of the Department of Agriculture by a private 

 firm, in order to enable new types of machinery to be tested 

 and publicly reported on, either by request of the maker only 

 or by direction of the Committee. The original fund has now 

 been exhausted, but the work is continued by means of State 

 grants. 



Society for the Cultivation of Marsh and Moor Land. — 

 This Society, of which an account was recently given in 

 this Journal (June, 1910, p. 210), receives a grant of ,£2,000 

 from the State, and .£840 from the Provincial Societies. It 

 maintains an Experiment Station, publishes a journal, and 

 generally encourages the rational cultivation of moor land 

 throughout Sweden. 



Society for the Improvement of Seeds. — This Society, the 

 work of which is chiefly centred at the well-known Svalof 

 Seed Station,* is devoted to the work of introducing im- 

 proved varieties of farm seeds by means of selection. It 

 receives a grant of ,£2,200 from the State and ,£840 from the 

 Provincial Societies. 



Premiums for Small Farms. — Annual competitions for 

 these, limited to holdings not exceeding 30 acres, are 

 organised by the Provincial Societies, all the factors which 

 contribute towards good management being taken into account 

 in awarding the prizes. In addition small so-called " loans" 

 are granted to prize-winners in certain cases for the purpose 

 of effecting necessary improvements in the holding, but if 

 the work is carried out satisfactorily repayment is not required. 

 In 1908 the number of competitors was 1,372, of whom 897 

 received awards, and in addition 471 received "loans." The 

 cost of the prizes amounted to ,£3,300, of which about ,£3,600 

 was provided by the State, while the "loans" amounted to 

 ;£ 1,400. 



Live Stock Breeding. — Horse- and cattle-breeding are 

 chiefly encouraged by giving prizes for approved breeding 

 animals. In the case of horses the premiums range from 

 about ,£14 for stallions to 28s. for a young mare, and the 

 number of animals which received recognition in 1908 was 



* For a full description of this station see Journal, August, 1910, p. 379. 



