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supply of 15,070,000 quarters, the average was 40s. 1d. Seeing that the 
coming world’s harvest cannot be a good one, and that it will be about a month 
later than it is in some seasons, the current average price must be regarded as 
anomalous. 
Reports from Continental countries as to crop prospects are of a 
chequered character. ‘The improvement in France is not great at present, the 
wheat crop especially being backward and stunted. In Spain, where harvest _ 
has begun, the crops are excellent. The latest reports from Italy show 
disappointment, rust being complained of as common. In Germany, Holland, 
and Austria-Hungary the outlook is tolerably satisfactory, though floods and 
rust are mentioned in the latest reports from the country last named. Great 
damage has been done by floods in Roumania and Bulgaria; but in Russia 
the rains appear to have done good on the whole, though excessive in some 
districts. 
Commenting on the official estimates of the acreage and condition of the 
French wheat crop, the Journal d’ Agriculture Pratique says that, unless the 
crop improves, it can scarcely yield more than 100,000,000 hectolitres, or 
34,375,000 quarters, which may be compared with nearly 4:1,000,000 quarters 
(by measure) grown in 1896. As a year’s consumption in France is over 
43,000,000 quarters, the probability is that imports will be on a considerable 
scale in the next cereal year. During the last three years the crops have been 
so large that very little foreign wheat was needed. 
MILKING MACHINES. 
A report has been made by the judges appointed by the Highland and 
Agricultural Society of Scotland to examine the milking machines competing 
for a prize of £50, offered in connection with the Glasgow Show. ‘The only 
competitors were Mr. W. Murchland, of Kilmarnock, and the Thistle 
Mechanical Milking Machine Company, of Glasgow; the former having entered 
one and the latter two machines. The judges visited farms at which the 
machines respectively have been in use for some time, saw them at work, 
ascertained the effect upon the cows, and compared the keeping quality of the 
milk obtained by them with milk drawn by hand. In awarding the prize to 
the Murchland machine, the judges state that they inspected it on three farms, 
on two of whichit has been worked since 1891. It was found in each case to 
milk efficiently and speedily, only four to six minutes per cow being occupied. 
It seemed to cause no injury or even discomfort to the cows, and the keeping 
quality of the milk proved satisfactory. The apparatus is simple, and so easy 
to work that a -horse power oil-engine on one farm supplies the power for 
milking ten cows at a time quite easily, while one man with an ordinary force 
pump worked the machine before the oil-engine was obtained. This machine 
draws the milk by continuous suction, without any apparent pulsatory 
movement, to effect which more complicated mechanism, which is a disadvantage, 
appears to be necessary. 
AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 
Tue Editor will be glad it the secretaries of Agricultural and other 
Societies will, as early as possible after the fixture of their respective shows, 
notify him of the date, and also of any change in date which may have been 
decided on. 
SHOW FIXTURES. 
National Agricultural and Industrial Association 
of Queensland, Brisbane ae .. 10 August 
Royal Agricultural Society, Toowoomba ... .. 4 Atioust. 
tee 
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