ENGLISH AND FOREIGH AGRICULTURE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 25 August 1880, Page 2

ENGLISH AND FOREIGH AGRICULTURE.

(From the Australasian.)

During the last week in June, the much-needed warm rain fell in England in tolerable abundance, and, as frequently occurs at that season of the year, the atmosphere was subject to a good deal of electrical disturbance. Less sunshine than was desirable had been experienced, but a steady improvement had taken place in the crops. Qur readers have learnt by telegram th.a& the cjrops. suffered at a later date toi some extent from rain, and that hopa also are injured. At New York the visible supply for the week ending June 19 was 18,000,000 bushels of wheat and 18,200,000 bushels of maize, against 13,890,000 bushels of wheat and 11,516,000 bushels of maize at the corresponding time last year. Reduced limits to shipping orders, and more liberal arrivals, had induced large owners to sell, and thafeeling as regards the future was decidedly- weak. The depression was largely due to a decline in the W?st x where farmers had pressed their- old wheat on the market. In Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri good | progress had even then been made with • the harvest, which was about a fortnight earlier than last year. The Continental (European) demand had {alien off, the sales made had been chiefly to fill English orders. The report of the Metropolitan (London) Board of Works for the year 1879, whioh has only just seen the light, is not a document possessing much immediate interest for Australians. No cases of foot-and-mouth disease have been dis--covered during the year in London cow-, sheds j but glanders and farcy had been more than usually prevalent, or, at all events, many more cases have been reported than in former years,. It is suggested that this, should be regarded, as indicative of becoming more con<?f ii&ptojctance of giving notice of outbreaks, of these diseases. It is not supposed that, the cases reported represent all the outbreaks of the disease; but it is

believed that the number of diseased horses has been very considerably reduced The number of glandered animals reported in 1877 and 1878 wero 276 and 296 \ respectively, and of animals suffering from farcy 210 and 275. In the year 1879, the numbers have been 602 glandered and 395 farcied. These animals wero all slaughtered, and the carcases destroyed at one of the licensed knacker's, excopt 15 which were farcied, and of these 11 ro . covered and four remained diseased at tho end of the year. In about 50 cases proceedings were taken. Convictions wore obtained in all cases except three, and fine 3 amounting to. L3G6 10s were imposed, and L 27 7s for costs. "Whon ignorance was palpable, a caution sufficed. The increasing prevalence of glanders in London has frequently of late years boon mentioned in our columns. It lias also as wo have stated on many occasions been the subject of consideration by the stock departments of these Colonies especially by that of Victoria. The, above report will, doubtless, revive tho, interest of Australian horse-owners in this matter. Swine fever also was more than commonly prevalent in London during 1879. The Board paid componsation amounting to L9l 5s 9d in respect of 103 animals slaughtered by their Orders. " The sum expended by the Board undor the Contagious Disease (Animals) Act during the year 1879 haa been LII,CBO lis Bd, of which L 10,177 18s 3d was for compensation for cattle slaughtered on account of pleuro-pneumonia, L9l 5s 9d for swine affected with typhoid fever, Ll2Ol 12s 6d for fees paid to the inspectors forexamining and reporting weekly on, diseased cattle and horses, superintending, their slaughter, and .disinfecting premises,, and L 79 15s 2d for advertisements and other small expenses. The sum received in aid of these expenses was L 4194 lis Bd, derived from the sale of tho carcase* hides, &c., of tho cattle slaughtered, and L 155 9s 6d, one-half of the lines paid on convictions and costs obtained for offences under the Act and Orders of Council. Tho net expenditure for the year was thus L 7200 10s 6d, exclusive of oflico expenses." It is evident from tho roports of cattle sales in the United States, as well as from the reports of sheep and cattlesales in England, that tho American; stockowners are straining every nerve tip improve the character of their stock. Tie abolition of malt-tax is regarded by farmers as a great boon. They will in

future malt a great deal of their feeding barley, as they find that malt is more' fattening than maize. '' They will give halt malt and half inferior barley or othoc corn to fattening stock, to ewes in lambing time, and dairy cows, mares, sumJ foals too, as nothing produces milk Itko sugar, and who can estimate the valiao of a superabundance of milk 1" The author of this remark —a correspondent of the> Marklane Express—also prophesies & diminution of intemperance, and gives n. palpable reason for his belief: —" We shall have now a barrel of beer made from malt and hops alone, free from sugar (of foreign production), free from I drugs of every description % and whon ' drank it will do an Englishman good instead of harm. The quantity of sugar consumed by brewers the last few years has been enormousj of course to tho detriment of the growers of barloy, Coculus Indicus, and a host of other drugs, being cheaper than duty-paid maH„ went largely into a compound, falsely called beer t and now, in a teniporaiKOi point of view, Sir Wilfred Lawson may rejoice, that all those wilful people that. | will not take up with his notion of water I drinking will not be poisoned and inebriated by the stuff they liavo of lata years had to swallow, and moreover, ha may be thankful that the malt tax, which has been the cause of a large amount of the drunkenness of tho nation, ia 'going to be abolished." It is also anticipated that good malt liquor will, to a considerable extent, supersede the use of spirits,, and that barley will largeiy take tiioplace -of wheat in English husbandry. " The late Joseph Humo'& assertion in the House of Commons I that ' England would be a greater nation if she did not grow a bushel of wheat, will now be put to the test." Mr. Cathcart, the young professor who succeeded Professor Church at the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester, has not long enjoyed the position. The committee of management have found out. that Mr. Cathcart is " young, and has no. outside reputation," so they havo choseni Professor Tanner, father of Professor Lloyd Tanner, who so gallantly assailed: their misdoings in dismissing Professor Church ; they will probably next discover that their last nominee is too " old." The management of the college does not appear to be improved of late years. A Parliamentary inquiry is to be initiated into tho operation of the English Highway Act. The highway boards have not worked well, and they have entailed a aorioua additional expense upon the ratepayers of tho districts in which they havo beefa established. It is proposed that wlwiii county financial boards have beon established the management of highways might, be left to surveyors wader the supervision! of a county inspector appointed by thu county board* This system, it is. said., would be more economical and quite as effective as the present one. It appears to be equivalent to the institution o£ Wjjo road districts instead of small ones. Tho tithe question is being taken up rather warmly. The Farmers' Alliance hesitates to meddle with it, as it cannot, ao so without consulting the members, and to a certain extent altering the constitution ot ' the body.