5o8 



Russian Budget of 1899. 



the cream, but the most valuable food constituents, viz., nitro- 

 genous substances, are left behind in the skim-milk, which 

 contains much nutritive material in a form which is, as a 

 rule, easily digested. Its composition is such that it may be 

 substituted for part of the grain food of calves, pigs, and 

 chickens with benefit and profit. 



At the Experiment Station of Indiana experiments have 

 been made in the use of skim milk for young chickens. 

 Two uniform lots of ten chickens each, five Plymouth Rocks 

 and five Houdans, four to six weeks old, were fed from July 

 1 1 to September 5, under identical conditions, except that 

 one lot received, in addition to the food given to the other, 

 all the skim-milk they would take. It was found that the lot 

 receiving skim-miik ate more of the mixed food and made a 

 more rapid and satisfactory gain than the lot which did not 

 receive skim-miik. Milk-fed chickens made an average 

 weekly gain in weight of about four and half ounces, while 

 those receiving no milk put on about two and three-fifth 

 ounces. The most rapid increase in weight occurred at those 

 periods when the largest amounts of skim-milk were con- 

 sumed. Skim-milk is considered especially valuable during 

 hot, dry weather. It is important that the vessels which contain 

 the milk should be scalded frequently to keep them perfectly 

 clean. 



The Russian Agricultural Budget of 1899. 



In his report on the Budget of 1899 the Russian Minister 

 of Finance states that the amount allocated to the Ministry 

 of Agriculture and Crown Domains amounted to ^^3,945,000, 

 as compared with ;£3,8 12,000 in 1898. The cost of adminis- 

 tration is entered at 1,145,000, this sum being divided into 

 ^149,500 for central administration and ^^995,000 for local 

 administration. Schools and model establishments for agri- 

 culture, forestry, and mining will absorb ^^224,200. Works of 

 construction, material, labour, etc., are debited with £ 1,677,800. 

 Provincial and communal land taxes in connection with 

 State lands and forests will account for 7^467,300. The 

 remaining ^430,900 is made up of 189,000 for endowments, 



