Notes , Communications and Reviews. 439 
the 12th, 17th, and 19th, and in Wales and the south-west of 
England on the 20th. 
For the autumn as a whole the mean temperature Avas 
considerably above the average. In the Avestern and northern 
parts of the country the season Avas less mild than in 1908 or 
1898, but in the east and south-east of England it Avas the 
mildest for at least forty years past. The autumn rainfall was 
below the average in the northern parts of the country, but 
above it in all the central and southern districts, the greatest 
excess, 19 per cent., being in the south-eastern counties. The 
duration of bright sunshine differed but little from the normal ; 
in most districts it Avas slightly in excess. 
Fredk. J. Brodie. 
12 Patten Road, 
Wandsworth Common, S.W. 
NOTES, COMMUNICATIONS, AND REVIEWS. 
The Government Scheme for the Improvement of Livestock. — 
At the Farmers’ Club Dinner in December, 1912, Mr. Runcimau, 
President of the Board of Agriculture, announced that the 
Development Commissioners had strongly recommended to 
the Treasury the release of moneys from the Development 
Fund for the purpose of the improvement of livestock and 
for the financial assistance to milk-recording societies. A 
Parliamentary White Paper, containing a scheme with this 
object, was issued in August, 1913 : — 
“The main object of the scheme is to afford a means of 
demonstrating to groups of farmers, especially the smaller 
farmers, that it is sound economy and of pecuniary advantage 
to use only sound and high-class sires, and to keep records of 
the milk yield of their dairy cows with a view to getting rid 
of poor milkers and improving by judicious selection and 
breeding the productiveness of their herds. Preference in 
the assistance contemplated is to be given, as far as possible, 
to occupiers of agricultural holdings which either do not 
exceed 100 acres in extent, or if exceeding 100 acres are of 
an annual value for purposes of income-tax not exceeding 
100 IN 
Financial help is to be given under this scheme for the 
provision of high-class bulls, boars, and stallions, to milk- 
recording societies, and to selected agricultural institutions 
for the employment of livestock officers. The total amount 
of financial assistance that the Board is allowed to give is as 
follows : — 
