Dec. 1896.] GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 



S09 



Agricultural High School at Berlin. According to the Director 

 of that establishment this wheat appears to be of excellent 

 quality, and to contain a high per-centage of protein. A 

 sample of the wheat reached the Berlin Corn Exchange, where 

 the merchants greatly praised it, and pronounced it to be 

 similar to the Theiss wheat of Hungary, and yet to be as soft 

 as the American red winter wheats. Experiments in baking 

 the flour obtained from this African wheat are also stated to 

 have yielded satisfactory results. If Tabora wheat cannot be 

 looked upon as a possible article of export from East Africa (the 

 locality is situated about 500 miles from the coast), still it is 

 hoped that its cultivation may be sufficiently extended to 

 enable the colony to produce sufficient grain for its own 

 requirements. 



Sale of Sugar in BelgiUxM. 



The Board of Agriculture have received through the Foreign 

 Office a copy of a decree, issued on the 31st August last, 

 regulating the sale of sugar in Belgium. The decree is pro- 

 mulgated in accordance with the law of 4th August 1890 on the 

 adulteration of foodstuffs, and is intended to prevent the sale 

 or transport of adulterated sugars and glucose. The admixture 

 of any foreign substance (except harmless colouring) is forbidden, 

 unless its designation appears clearly on a label attached ; as is 

 also the presence of more than certain per-centages of mineral 

 matter or acids ; while the presence of antiseptics in syrups, or of 

 appreciable quantities of noxious metals or acids (such as lead, 

 zinc, oxalic acid, arsenical compounds, &c), renders the sugar 

 unfit for sale. Sugar may only be sold wholesale and to the 

 retail trade in packages clearly marked with the name or trade- 

 mark of the manufacturer or merchant. 



Carriage of Manures in Prussia, 



The Board have received information through the Foreign 

 Office that, in view of the agricultural distress in Prussia, the 

 majority of the railways (which are for the most part State 

 railways) have introduced a so-called "Distress Tariff" for the 

 carriage of manures. This reduced tariff took effect on the 15th 

 June last, and is to remain in force until May 1st, 1902. During 

 this period manures will be carried at a reduction of 20 per cent, 

 off the current rates (minimum load 10 tons), provided that they 

 are " to be applied as manure in the home country." This notice 

 is to be given on the bill of lading. If it is omitted the ordi- 

 nary rates will be charged, but the consignee will be able to recover 



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