first regulation was issued in 1897; the grants were at first exclusively devoted to the awarding of prizes for bulls. But the opinion steadily gained ground that it was not enough to bestow prizes only on bulls, but that the cows also should be taken into consideration. The most practical manner of attaining this object was to encourage the spirit of association among breeders, which gives rise to breeding associations, to associations for buying breeding animals in common, and to control associations. These considerations led to a modificatiou of the general regulations which was effected in 1907.

At present in each of the eleven Dutch provinces the members of the Permanent Commission of the Provincial States appoint a commission for the improvement of cattle, after having consulted the agricultural associations of the province and the herdbook associations designated by the Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce. The cattle expert, the milk expert and the provincial professor of agriculture have seats in this commission as advisers, but do not vote.

These provincial commissions have to draw up a regulation for the distribution of the government and provincial grants and bounties, to appoint one or more examining commissions, and to administrate and distribute the sums devoted to grants and bounties.

The Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce appoints one member to each of these commissions.

Every year before the 1st of March the provincial commission sends to the Minister: a) a statement of the sums placed at its disposal by the Government; b) a brief report giving an exact statement of the condition of cattle breeding in the province during the past year; c) a proposed budget for grants and bounties to be approved by the Minister.

At first the government and provincial grants were almost exclusively devoted to making up bounties for bulls, which were awarded according to their external characters, but gradually their pedigree and the quality of their offspring were taken into account.

In 1911 the provincial commissions received from the government and from the provinces the following grants.

About 60 000 florins (£ 5 000), or about two-thirds of the total sum placed at the disposal of the provincial commissions by the government and the provinces, were distributed as bounties for the bulls presented to the examination commission. These examinations are divided into local, district and central examinations.

The local examinations precede the district examinations; they are held in localities easily accessible to breeders, and in them the animals which may compete for the district bounties are picked out. The central examinations are held in several provinces and concern the animals that have recived bounties in the district examinations. They form at the same time markets for breeding animals and as such are highly appreciated by farmers.

Certain provinces (Groningen, Utrecht and Dren the) award bounties to cows also, but these examinations of cows have not yet developed much, because it has been understood that the object was better attained by subsidizing the breeding associations. the provincial commissions was more and ment of the spirit of association among is unceasingly spreading. The mode of from one province to another. In some places a fixed yearly sum is allotted, in others the grant cor sists especially of high bounties for the association bull.

Accordingly the activity of more directed to the developbreeders, and this movement distributing the grants varies

The control of the subventioned associations for the purchase in common of breeding animals follows certain fixed regulations, which deal with the milk control of the cows registered in the books of the breeding associations, the manner of keeping the pedigree books, the declaration of the birth of the calves and the care of the bulls.

In Friesland, where cattle breeding is highly developed, there are only five breeding associations, and the whole of the province may be considered as one great breeding association, having as a central register the Friesian Herdbook.

In this province the milk control is effected by assistants who depend from the cooperative dairies.

In the other provinces this control is entrusted to special assistants, and the dairy experts play a very important part, both in instructing the assistants and in controlling their work.

The Netherland Herdbook assists also as much as possible in the formation of breeding associations, by admitting well constituted associations and affording them pecuniary and moral assistance.

In five provinces (North Holland, South Holland, Friesland, Zealand and North Brabant) the breeding and the control associations have grouped themselves into provincial federations having special statutes and a cour cil of management, the members of which are elected by the federated associations among their members.

The associations for the purchase in common of breeding animals and the control and breeding associations at present existing are the following:

C. Breeding Experts, Dairy Experts, Government Professors of Agriculture.

In each of the II provinces there is a professor of agriculture and a dairy expert appointed by the Government; in three of the provinces there are also breeding experts. Breeders owe a good deal to the influer ce of these officials, who have taken a special interest in the organisation of agricultural and breeding associations and who have contributed by their zeal to the foundation of a great number of associations for the purchase in common of breeding animals and of others for control and for breeding.

The milk control has been greatly facilitated by the support of the dairy experts, who, thanks to their courses on the examination of milk, have formed a competent staff for milk control and breeding associations; besides which they have freely opened their laboratories for the examination of milk. But as their task was a heavy one, the Government recognized the necessity of appointing special officials or breeding experts who could devote themselves wholly to the improvement of cattle. The two first breeding experts were appointed in 1908 and the Government proposes increasing their number as soon as capable officials can be formed.

D. Stable Competitions.

Thanks to the cooperation of the dairy and breeding experts, the agricultural associations and the cooperative dairies organize every year competitions for the improvement of stables. There are at present in the various provinces special commissiors which manage and watch over these competitions. They are compesed of some practical farmers, of ore or more of the above- mentioned officials, sometimes of a veterinary surgeon and of a representative of the institute for agricultural machinery and rural costructions attached to the Higher School of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry of Wageningen.

Most of these stable competitions are subventioned by the Government and are subject to special regulations. They have been very useful, especially in backward districts, as they have materially assisted in bringing about such improvements as were necessary from a hygienic point of view, and indispensable for obtaining a good production of milk.

E. Live Stock Census.

The Government makes a census of live stock at determined dates. The last was taken between May 20 and June 10, 1910. It showed that there were then in Holland 2 026 943 head of cattle against 1 690 463 in December 1904, namely an increase of 336 480, or 20 per cent. The cattle are distributed as follows in the various provinces :

F. Measure adopted to favour the Exportation of Cattle.

In order to afford foreign importers of Dutch cattle the greatest security as to the sanitary conditions of the cattle intended for exportation, the Government issued on September 11, 1908, a Royal decree dealing with the examination by a veterinary surgeon of breeding cattle intended for exportation. The veterinary delivers a certificate which declares that the animals are free from any contagious disease. The chief of this inspection service, which includes examination for tuberculosis also, is the Director of the Rotterdam Government Institute for the preparation of serums. The veterinaries entrusted with the inspection are expressely appointed by the Government.

Belgium is the country which purchases the greatest number of cattle from Holland (mostly animals for the butcher, but also milchcows). Germany and England do not allow the importation of live animals, but the exportation of the meat for those countries is very considerable. The demand from abroad for Dutch breeding cattle is always increasing they are exported at high prices to Italy, Spain, Portugal,

France, Austria, Galicia, Russia, Sweden and also to South Africa, Brazil and Japan.

Of late years the foot-and-mouth epidemics have rendered exportation much more difficult. In 1909, a year which may be considered as normal, the exportation of live cattle was about 109 000 head.

G. Shows.

Every year agricultural shows, at which cattle occupy an important position, are held in Holland. They are frequently organized by agricultural associations and have a provincial or rather local character.

It is proposed now to hold at fixed dates agricultural exhibitions which will be organised by the Royal Netherlands Agricultural Society. They will not only give an idea of the various branches of agriculture in Holland, but will also serve purposes of demonstration and education.

The first great national show of this year will be held at the Hague from September 13 to 16. It promises to be very interesting, and it will receive from the Government an appropriation of £ 25 000.

The Poultry Industry in Great Britain

by

EDWARD BROWN, F. L. S.,

Hon. Sec. National Poultry Organisation Society;

President International Association of Poultry Instructors and Investigators.

To voluntary effort must be mainly attributed the great development made in respect of the Poultry Industry within recent years, rather than to the support accorded by State and local authorities. The time has arrived, however, when the last named are undertaking responsibilities for promotion, teaching and organisation of Poultry-keeping as an economic pursuit, which may profoundly affect future production, equally as to quality and volume. It is now recognised that instruction, investigation, research and organisation are public services that cannot be left to the initiative of individuals or private bodies, more especially as those to whom we must look for increased production are mainly smaller farmers and occupiers. As evidence of this fact may be cited the relative number of poultry kept per 100 acres of cultivated land in 1908 in relation to the size of holding, as published by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, the result of a Census taken in the year named.