S8 POULTRY KEEPING IN THE HIGHLANDS. 
The lard trade, which was subject to considerable fluc- 
tuations in 1898, chiefly in consequence of the Spanish 
American War, remained steady in 1899, and the difference in 
prices during the whole season did not amount to more than 
three shillings per cwt. Sir W. Ward states that speculation in 
this article appears to have decreased considerably, and orders 
are now, as a rule, given merely for immediate wants. The 
consequence is that stocks are now much more limited at 
lflamburg and other importing centres, which will become 
more and more dependent upon the leading markets of the 
United States of America. Returns showing the importa- 
tions of lard into Hamburg last year have not yet been 
published, but it is estimated that the exportations from 
America to Germany in 1899 were about equal to those of 
the preceding year, and as Austria imported jaueem 
small quantity of lard last year from Hamburg, it is 
assumed that the consumption of this article considerably 
increased in Germany in 1899. 
[Foreign Office Report, Annual Series, No. 2,431. | 

i 
POULTRY KEEPING IN THE HIGHLANDS. 
The Congested Districts Board for Scotland are taking 
steps to improve the methods of poultry keeping in the remote 
and sparsely populated districts of Scotland, where the indus- 
try is stated to be at present unremunerative, principally 
because there is no ready market for the eggs, but also because 
the crofters do not sufficiently realise the great importance of 
selling their eggs assoon as possible. In each district a local 
shopkeeper or carrier collects eggs for a wholesale merchant, 
but no business-like methods are adopted, and, as a rule, 
neither the producer nor the retailer appears to realise the 
importance of freshness, and little regard is paid to quality 
and size. 
The Congested Districts Board therefore suggest, and 
propose to aid, the establishment of agencies for the 
