So 



oenological stations at Haro, Toro, Palencia, Ciudad Real, 

 and Alicante ; and a sericultural station at Murcia. 



The sum expended annually by the Spanish Government 

 on agricultural education, and in the payment of agricultural 

 engineers, experts, foremen, etc., is ^^58,460. Grants are 

 given on certain occasions to experts and to scientific men 

 to study agriculture at home and abroad, and to attend 

 exhibitions, congresses, etc. Grants are also made in aid 

 of agricultural shows and the breeding of horses and cattle. 



The Prussian Agricultural Budget for 1898- 1899. 



A recent report on the Prussian Estimates for the year 

 1898-1899, b}^ Mr. Spring Rice, Second Secretary of Her 

 I^Iajesty's Embassy at Berlin, contains some particulars of 

 the estimated expenditure of the Ministry of Agriculture for 

 1 898- 1 899. The receipts of the Department for the period in 

 question are estimated at ;^94,ooo, and the ordinar}^ expen- 

 diture at ;^767,874, a sum which includes the following 

 items: — Central administration, 1,393 ; general commis- 

 sions, ;z^389,346 ; education, 26,708 ; promotion of animal 

 breeding, ^^36,671 ; promotion of fish culture, i^i 8,248; and 

 improvements (draining, dyking, etc.), ;!^i04,9i5. The 

 extraordinary expenditure is estimated at i^i 84,774 



The general com. missions are charged with the superinten- 

 dence of the annuity banks Rentenguter" and Renten 

 hanken ") established under the law of 1891 for the purpose of 

 advancing money to small farmers for the purchase of land. 

 Money is advanced by the bank at 4 per cent. ; 3I per cent, 

 being interest on the loan, and the remaining one-half per 

 cent, per annum serving to extinguish the debt in sixty years. 

 Money is also advanced on the same terms for farming capital 

 and buildings. The business of these commissions has 

 greatly increased of late years. There are 9 presidents of 

 commissions, with 11 9 {secretaries, who are charged with the 

 superintendence of questions connected with the division of 

 former communal rights, and of property, and the assign- 

 ment of charges on land, etc. 



