180 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 



[Sept. 1896. 



plants (1) contain no vines, (2) that the soil from which they 

 come has no vines growing in it, (3) that there is no depot of 

 vines there, (4) that the locality is at a distance of at least one 

 kilometre (two-thirds of a mile) from any locality infested with 

 phylloxera. Living plants are held to be plants and their parts 

 with the roots, as well as grafts. Branches, leaves, and flowers, 

 bulbs and tubers from which all soil has been removed, are not 

 treated as living plants. Grapes for the table may be imported 

 through any customs-town open to living plants, but grapes must 

 not be wrapped in vine-leaves, which are not admitted under 

 any circumstances. Fruits and vegetables of all kinds may be 

 imported, except by the south-western frontier. 



Agricultural Implements in Gambia. 



In the Annual Report on the Colony of Gambia for 1895, 

 Mr. Administrator Llewelyn mentions that whilst he does not 

 advocate the distribution of circulars or advertisements of all 

 sorts, he thinks it possible that illustrated catalogues of agri- 

 cultural implements, hand-ploughs, corn-mills, axes, tools, light 

 carts or waggons for oxen, might give gise to inquiry in 

 Gambia for such articles, and, if advertisers would send out a 

 dozen copies to the officer administering the Government, he 

 would know where and how to distribute them, and they 

 would be more likely to bear fruit than if sent direct to a native 

 head chief. 



Live Weight Statistics in France. 



The French Permanent Commission of Customs Values " 

 decided in April last, on the proposition of the Director of 

 Agriculture (M. Tisserand) that the value of cattle, at present 

 shown by the number of head in the Statistical Reports of the 

 French Customs, should, after the 1st July 1896, be given in 

 kilogrammes of live-weight. This order applies to all cattle 

 (oxen, cows, bulls, calves, heifers), sheep and pigs. 



The monthly importation returns already contain all the data 

 necessary for determining the values per live-weight (which is, 

 in fact, the unit on which the Customs duties are based), and 

 the returns will henceforth contain, as regards the exports also, 

 the number and weight according to destination. The weight 

 of these animals exported and imported, as well as their number, 

 will thus in future be given in the monthly and annual trade 

 returns. 



