Notes on Agriculture Abroad. 



[may, 



pumps and ploughs. In the Southern Circle of the Central Provinces, 

 chain-pumps, bullock-gears, and turn-wrest ploughs have been selling 

 well, while in the Northern Circle there has been a brisk demand for 

 winnowers. In Bombay, the chief descriptions of implements distributed 

 are ploughs, chain-pumps, and chaff-cutters. In Bengal, the use of the 

 Meston plough has extended considerably. In Burma, an improved type 

 .of angle harrow has been found very suitable for the black cotton soil, 

 if n this province there is much need for a simple appliance for harvesting 

 -.ground nut. — (Board of Trade Journal, April 20th, 191 1.) 



Demand for Fencing Material in South Africa. — A report by the 

 Canadian Trade Commissioner at Durban states that the trade in 

 fencing material in South Africa is most important, and is capable of 

 expansion. An immense amount remains to be done before all the 

 farms are properly fenced along the boundaries, and, as the tendency 

 is towards subdividing the land, new boundaries will be formed. In 

 addition to this, the progressive stock farmers are increasingly 

 realising the advantage of dividing their grazing areas into camps. — 

 (Board of Trade Journal, April 20th, 191 1.) 



Agricultural Machinery in Chile. — A report by H.M. Consul at 

 Coquimbo, Chile (F.O. Reports, Annual Series, No. 4,632), states that 

 there is an increasing demand for agricultural machinery in that dis- 

 trict to supplement an ever-decreasing supply of farm labourers ; and 

 although the aggregate quantity of machines of late imported is still 

 insignificant, yet a beginning has been made, and implements of 

 European and American make are more frequently seen than formerly. 

 Only a small proportion of the machinery comes direct to Coquimbo, 

 however, for the bulk is transhipped from Valparaiso, where British 

 and other foreign makers have agencies established and machinery on 

 view. The kind of machinery in demand will be seen from a list of 

 the specimen implements exhibited at a show in 19 10, which included 

 threshing, winnowing, and binding machines with and without motors, 

 hay presses, drills, mowers, reapers, harrows, ploughs, horse shovels, 

 chaff-cutters, farm tools, dairy implements, barbed wire, and light wind- 

 mills for pumping. 



Budget of the United States Department of Agriculture for 1911-12.— 



The Budget of the United States Department of Agriculture for the 

 Notes on y ear encnn g June 30th, 1912, which was 



Agriculture approved on March 4th, 191 1, amounts to 



Abroad ;£3>5 20 >8oo. The expenditure is two and a 



half times that sanctioned for the year 1905-6 

 (^ I >394>3 00 )> an d more than five times the amount for 1895-6 

 (^659,000). 



The principal increase has taken place in the Forest Service, and of 

 the total ^483,000 represents the amount paid in salaries of foresters 

 and other officials ; while the general expenditure on the forest service, 

 including experiments in connection with forest fires, lumbering, timber 

 testing and preserving, the afforestation of treeless regions, the main- 

 tenance of nurseries, collection of seed, planting, and other expenses in 

 connection with the various national forests amounts to ^565,500; 

 while ^104,200 is provided for the improvement of the national forests 



