Sept. 1894.] 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 



65 



Consumption of Margarine in Denmark. 



According to the Ugeskrift for Landmaend there were in 

 Denmark, on the 31st March 1893, 19 margarine factories, as 

 compared with 16 in the previous year, and 14 in 1891. The 

 total amount of margarine produced in the kingdom in the year 

 ended March 31st 1893 is estimated to have been 17,944,000 lbs. 

 avoir., as against 14,185,000 lbs. in 1891-92 and 11,299,000 lbs. 

 in the preceding year. The imports of margarine in the same 

 periods were 2,200,000 lbs. in 1892-93 ; 2,200,000 lbs. in 1891- 

 92 ; and 2,090,000 lbs. in 1890-91. 



The export of the article was practically nil, so that all the 

 margarine produced or imported must have been destined for 

 home consumption. In 1888 the home consumption of margarine 

 in Denmark was about 4,400,000 lbs. ; in 1889 it reached 

 11,000,000 lbs. ; while in 1892-93 it is estimated to have been 

 about 19,800,000 lbs. This steady increase in the consumption 

 of margarine is expected to continue until there is some improve- 

 ment in the rates of wages and profits in agriculture and other 

 industries. The price of margarine is said to have varied 

 very much during .the past year owing to the great fluctuations 

 in the prices of oleomargarine. 



Bonanza Wheat Farms in California and Dakota. 



In the Report of the Sub-Committee of the United States 

 Senate, appointed in 1893 to inquire into the condition of agri- 

 culture, there is a description of some of the " bonanza " wheat 

 farms of California and North Dakota. 



The " bonanza " wheat farms of California are said to be 

 larger than those of North Dakota, and it is not uncommon to 

 find one man in this State exercising rights of ownership over 

 a tract of 50,000 acres of land, and from that up to ] 00,000. 

 The Sub-Committee heard of one case where two men claim to 

 own 200,000 acres, and most of this is wheat land. The Presi- 

 dent of the State Agricultural Society, in describing the methods 

 of raising wheat on the large farms of California, says that all 

 the summer ploughing (more properly speaking, spring plough- 

 ing) is done with gang-ploughs. As large farming is done with 

 these gangs, which consist generally of eight ploughs attached 

 together, or eight ploughs in one frame, one man with a team 

 of six or eight horses can plough six acres per day. In sowing 

 the ground, the common broadcast seeder is employed, followed 

 by an 8-horse harrow. Under this system 20 acres per day 

 can be sown in good order. 



In harvesting the crops combined harvesters are used, which 

 cut from 28 to 30 acres per day. A harvester with an 18-foot 

 cut of sickle will, in an average grain field, cut and thresh from 

 350 to 400 sacks, or 800 to 900 bushels per day, at a cost, 



O 83068. F 



