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REVIEW OF THE CORN TRADE. The last twenty nine days have twenty-three of them been wet. Cultivators no longer cultivate, and ploughs no longer plough. Not for many years has the area. drilled to seed corn been so email as in March, 1914. and if we were 10 per cent. up on the season at the end of February we are now by at least as much down. The demand in April will be all for rapidly maturing vari-etjcs of seed corn, and luckily the 2reat seed saver* have of recent years particularly laid them- selves out to improve their seed ccfij in that respect. The promise of the gra"s uplands is very good, and the roots have held out well, so that the live ,tooli side of the farmer ffl healthier than the arable But even the pastoralist wants a dry April, and a post- poJlemoent of ite customary showers till May. The wheat gradient is between Worcester- shire and the far North: Worcester, 33oj. Berwick, 28s. lid. range, 4s. Id. A late har- vest in the Severn and Wye Valleys wp-3 secured in good condition, owing to a very favourable September. North of the Humber, September was windy and rather wet. though not cold. The wheat ripened, but was much knocked about. The barley gradient is between Stafford- shire (Burton), on the one hand, and the Northern Counties on the other: Burton, 27s. 2d. Darlington, 22s. 4d. range. 4s. 10d. The comparison is between Hull and Chelmsford so far as oats are concerned. The fine quality samples at Hull are required for spring sowing. The low Essex average is unusual: Hull, 22s. 4d. Chelmsford, 17s. 2d.; range, 5s. 2d.—Mark Lane Express. CURRENT PRICES OF BRITISH GRAIN AND FLOUR IN MARK LANK. LONDON FLOUR. (Caah ex Town Mill.) Top Price per 280Ib. 3116 Town Whites 2!> 9 Town Households „ 2t:'9 No. 2 „ 2T)/3 Hungarian Process Best American London Ground. 28/9 London Standard, 80 per cent. 27/6. COONTBT FLOUR. Caah at London Terminus.) Beat Price per 2801b. 26/0 Good Patents 24/6 Straights „ 24/0 Roller Whites „ 24/0 thone-Made. 23/0 BKITISH GRAIN (OFF STANDS). 8. s. Wheat, White per 504ft. 34 o35 Red 11 33 o 35 Riretts per 4801b. 31 to 92 Barley, Malting per 448tb. 33 to 35 Poultry 27 to 29 Feeding per 400tt.. 23 to 25 Halt, English, Best per 3301b. 43 to 44 „ Fine 40 to 41 „ Ordinary 38 to 39 Scotch, Fine 41 to 42 „ Ordinary „ 39 to 40 Brown „ 31 to 35 Black. 34 50 3fi Crystallised „ 34 to 38 0. Fine Scotch 1912 11 26 to 27 1913 „ 24 to 25 Good Gartons, Old 23 to 24 „ New. 20 to 22 Tarlary, Old 21 to 22 „ New „ 20 to 21 Winter, Old Black 23 to 24 „ New „ It 20 to 22 OldGrey 22 to 23 New 20 to 21 Common, New per 3121b. 19 to 20 Inferior. New per 3041b. 18 to 19 Beans, Pigeon, 1911 per 5321b. 54 to 56 1912 „ 46 to 50 1913 „ 44 to 45 Winter, 1912 33 to 37 .1913. 3.3 to Spring, 1912. 37 to 39 „ 1913. „ 36 to 37 Peas, Marrowfats, Fine New per 5041b. 85 to 89 Sound New „ 79 to 81 Yearling 49 to 59 Partridge,Fine „ 36 to 38, Common. „ 34 to 36 Maple, 1912. 36 to 37 Dun 1913 34 to 35 Rye, Essex per 4801b. 23 to 24 Tam Best Spring, 1911 per 6321b. 54 to 56 Good „ 1912. 46 to 50 Fine, 1913 „ 40 to 4* Common, 1913 „ 32 to 36 Winter, 1912 46 to 47 Fine, 1913 40 to 42 Common, 1913 „ 32 to 36 Gores, 1911 96 to 108 „ 1912 80 to 86 1913, Best 56 to 64 1913, Common „ 40 to 42 Common, 1913 48 to 56 Buckwheat. Norfolk. per 4001b. 32 to 33 Upwod, Lincolnshire per 4241b. 54 to 55 Eapeeeed, Beat Now per 4161b. 74 to 75 Common 68 to 70 Mustudomed, Brown per 448Ib.96 to 108 White 88 to Common 74 to 7*8 9Muurjseed,Ea«ex per 464ft. 80 to 84 -Mark Lane Express-

SPORTS AND PASTIMES. ^INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY—ARMY AND SCHOOL ATHLETICS—AMATEUR RACQUETS CHAMPION- SHIP— BOWLING AND PROFESSIONALISM— FOOTBALU ♦ In opposing Ireland at Bournville in the last international hockey match of the season to be played in the British Isles on Saturday England were set their stiffest task of the series. Ireland have always given a good account of themselves in previous engage- ments, but on Saturday they excelled, playing -what was regarded as the most powerful Eng- lish team fielded for years to a draw at two £ oals aM. Ten minutes from the start Stocks -opened the scoring for England. Eventually the Irishmen forced a corner, from which Cork made tlw corc level just on half-time. The second half opened in favour of Ireland, a good attack on the left wing resulting in Simm-s giving the visitors the lead. Five minutes from the end. however, a clever move- ment by Stocks and Leighton enabled Saville to equalise for England with a good shot. On the Army Athletic Ground, at, AM-er- «hot, on Saturday, the West Riding Regi- ment defeated the Gloucester Regiment by 2 tries to 1 (6 points to 3), and so became the holders of the Army Rugby Cup. The game was played in delightful weather, and a large company saw a thoroughly fine struggle. In the opening half the game was most strenu- ously contested, but the West Ridings had rather the better of the play, and led at the interval by 3 points tA 0. After change of rnd-s the game was, if anything, faster than before. Almost at once the West Riding 'Regiment went further ahead, when, follow- ing a dribble. Thompson scored another try. After that the Gloucesters showed their best 'form, antt made a great effort to pull the game out of the fire. Yalland scored a 'bril- liant try. but this was all that was done, and the West Riding Regiment won the game. The cup and medals were presented by Lady Haig. Representative athletes of Charterhoue i and Harrow schools met on the playing fields At Godalming on Saturday in an inter-iscliool contest in running and jumping events. This was the first meeting of its kind between, sides representing public schools, and it i-s suggested that similar contests would stimu- late a greater interest in public school athletics. There were seven events, and, as it proved, Cluirterhouse won them all. Miss Muriel Dodd and Miss Gladys Ravens- croft are returning to England after a long stay in the United States. In the autumn last year Miss Dodd and Miss Ravenscroft left for the States to compete in the Canadian and American tennis championships. Miss Dodd proving successful in the former, and Miss Ravenscroft in the latter. Interviewed at Philadelphia. Miss Ravenscroft signified her intention of coin!»»t;ng in the next American ladies' championsIrp IO defend her title. The amateur racquets championship was -won for the first time by II. W. Leatham (Cambridge University) at Queen's Club, West Kensington, on Saturday. In the final match (a challenge round being unnecessary bv the holder, B. S. 'Foster, not defending his "title) Leatham defeated E. M. Baerlein (Man- chester) by three games to two. Baerlein was champion from 1908 to 1911. and Leatham ""as runner-up to 'Foster last year. It was one of the best matches e.ver witnessed for the -championship, and was remarkable for the fact that Baerlein actually scored five more aces than' the winner. Leatham's play showed a wonderful improvement, and som-e remark- ably fine rallies were witnessed. A special general meeting of the English Bowl- ing Association was "held 'hi London on Satur- day. The president, Mr. J. Gillespie, presided, and was supported by delegates from all parts of England. Three notices of motion were dis- cussed, and afterwards sent back to the com- mittee to draw up a recommendation for the special general meeting. These were adopted Rule XI.—The association aid each club ,sball discountenance professionalism, and each club sball be responsible for, fhe bona-fide amateurism of its members. An amateur is one who (does not compete for a money prize, monetary consideration, or declared wager. No player sliall be paid, and shall not receive • bis out-of-pocket expenses in connection with any ordinary match, although., if invited to play in an exceptional or representative match, he num receive his travdling- and Lotd expenses, for which vouchers must, be pro- duced to his club and, of required, to the association. In all cases where the val-le of prizes in tournaments and club competitions is stated in terms of money, the responsible authorities must award the prizes in kind and not in money. If any club or player shall permit or do anything which in the opinion of the executive is a breach or non-observance of any part of this rule, such club or member may be suspended. In the defeat of Aston Villa by Liverpool at Tottenham on Saturday the competition for the Association Cup fully maintained its re- putation for furnishing surprises. Possessed of a splendid record as Cup fighters, the Villa found themselves pitted against a side that, in addition to showing very in-and-out foot- ball during the past three months, had never previously emerged successful from a semi- final tie, despite three opportunities of so do- ing. Moreover, while the Villa this season had knocked West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield Wednesday out of the Cup, Liver- pool could claim victories over only Second League and Southern League—and two of thew at the second attempt. Everything, in- deed, pointed to the probability of a win for Aaton Villa, but, although pressing a lot dur- ing the early stages of the game, the Birming- ham men never succeeded in beating Campbell, the Liverpool custodian, whereas Liverpool played up in most spirited fashion after the first half-hour, and were rewarded with a most unexpected but thoroughly de- served victory by 2 goals to 0. » r Liverpool thus figure in the Final tie for the first time in their history, whilst Aston Villa are deprived of the opportunity of beat- ing the records of the once-famous Wanderers and the Blackburn Rovers in carrying off the Cup five times. On five occasions aifco liavS the Villa secured possession of the national trophy, but for the chance of securing it a eixth time they must now wait another year. Opposing Sheffield Wednesday on the JIillsbcrough enclosure in a First Division game on Saturday, Blackburn Rovers met with defeat—their first in the League compe- tition since they went down before Middles- brough in the middle of January. The Black- burn team, however, are so far ahead of all their rivals that more than one reverse will be required seriously to prejudice their pro- spects of carrying off the championship. They have played one more match than Bolton. Wanderer-s, and two more than A-ston Villa, but they lead the Bolton club by six I points and the Villa bv seven, 'Although experiencing & check in their run of successes upon tllolf visit to Wolverhamp- ton the preVtoUs week, Notts County re- turned1 to their best form on Saturday, and, -with a brilliant victory over Hull City, they made their position at the head of the Second Division of the League firmer than ever. Notts County have now only four more en- gagements to fulfil. and. with an aggregate of 48 points, they are 8 points above their nearest rivals. It appears, then. quite safe to assume their ultimate success in the tour- nament. Visiting Birmingham, Woolwich Arsenal were beaten, and at the same time Bradford, on their own ground, could' only draw with Barnsley. EventoS took a cour-s-e that seemed highly probable on Saturday, and, as the outcome of the results At Brighton and Sydenham, th? fight between Swindon and Cryet&l Palace for the Southern League champion- ship veers round once more. Swindon lost, 2—0; Crystal Palace won, 2—1 and now the latter, with a game in hand, are a point be- hind. The position remains as open and the prospect for the dose -struggle lasting right to the end of the season as good as could be desired. Swindon owed their defeat by the Albion team to the inability of their for- wards to overcome a sound- defence.

I WORK AND WORKERS. RAILWAY TROUBLES—ELECTRICIANS REJECT TERMS —COALPIT CLOSING DOWN—YORKSHIRE MINERS' WAGE DEMANDS—WOMEN WORKERS' Low PAT. Mr. J. H. Thomas announced to the rail- waymen at Birmingham on Sunday night that their union on Saturday received a letter from the railway companies intimating that the companies had appointed a committee to meet a committee of the men's representatives to discuss the differences between them. "For the first time," said the leader, "the companies thus recognise the power and re- sponsibility of the Railwaymen's Union, which is what we have .talked about and pleaded for during the.se years. This has been brought about simply because tie railwaymen have had the good sense to recognise the power of organisation. Railwaymen of the United Kingdom at their branch meetings on Sunday received a communication from the National Union Executive relating to an all-grades movement about to be undertaken for better conditions ■of service. In inviting the branches to submit suggestions for a national programme to be formulated at a special meeting of the Execu five, the men were advised to confine their suggestions to matters of hours and wages. The Executive action was believed to indicate a desire not to overload the programme in a forthcoming general demand upon the companies. The qu,-stion oT a rtrike. on the Great Eastern Railway system in support of the de- mand for the reinstatement of Walter Fair- weather, recently dismissed from the com- pany's police force, was considered in private at Cambridge on Sunday by a conference re- presentin g all branches of the service. Mr. Williams, general secretary of the National Union, attended. The meeting voted against any word of its discussion being given to the public, and bound the officials to secrecy until its decision is submitted to the local branches, on whose vote the responsibility of a strike ,will rest. After a prolonged sitting at sCaxtan Hall, Westminster, London, members of the Elec- tricians' Union decided to reject the terms offered by their employers for a settlement of the present dispute. It is announced that the strike will not affect the tramways or light and power generating stations, but will be con- fined to constructional maintenance and repair works throughout the metropolis. At a meeting held at Codsall, Staffordshire., ;& branch of the agricultural section of the Workers' Union was formed, fifty members enrol ling themselves. The National Farm Labourers and Agricultural Workers' Union have opened about a dozen branches in villages between Kinver and Wolverhampton. There is great .activity among farm workers in the district. The whole of the surface and uncl-ergroumd workmen employed at tliq Cakemore Colliery., Black Heath, be'onging to Messrs. H. S. Pitt and Co., on Saturday received fourteen days' notice to terminate their engagements in con- sequence of the decision of the firm to close the pit. It is stated that the firm have taken !tlÜs dtep in con sequence of the excessive cost <of working the pit and the inferior character of the coal. About 200 men will be thrown ■out of employment. Contrary to the advice of the jnen's section -off the Coal Conciliation Board, the Council of the Yorkshire Miners' Association, meeting at Barnsley on Saturday, decided not to suspend the notices which have been ten- dered, owing to the disputed interpretation of the recent minimum wage award in South Yorkshire. The effect of this is that probably all the collieries in the county, employing about 170,000 workers, wiJl "be idle before the week is over. The Conciliation Board for the Federated Districts had reached a provisional agreement on Friday, subject to the men sus- pending their notices. The decision of the men to endeavour to force a settlement of the minimum wage dis- pute through a strike was not unexpected, says the Hlrmimjhun> mining correspon- dent. The cause of dispute was first brought before the men's section of the Conciliation Board on February 11th, and has since been the subject of protracted joint conferences between the eoalowners and the men. The dispute had been referred by the Conciliation Board to a joint committee of five coalowners and five representatives of the men, who re- commended the suspension of the stoppage notices during further negotiations on the understanding that auy settlement, when efleeted, should date from January 21st, the date of Sir Edward Clarke's award. In the meantime t he South Yorkshire owners agreed to pay the former minimum wage of 6s. 9d. per day. plus 7Jd., the amount of the three advances of 5 per cent, granted by the Con- ciliation Board. This offer was conditional upon the men suspending their notices and the miners at collieries already stopped re- turning to their work. Saturday's (lee-sioli litclllls end of the negotiations, which have been in progress for the past six weeks, and the fighting out of the issue by a straight strike. The Yorkshire Miners' Association is not well equipped to fight a county strike, in which all the men. will be drawing on the funds. Three weeks would see the exhaustion of the association's money. If the Yorkshire miners stood alone, and had to depend entirely upon [heir own resources, the fight would probably not be very pro- longed. But in this threatened struggle the Yorkshire miners have behind them the finan- cial support of the whole of the Miners' Fede- rat on of Great Britain. This entirely changes the situation. The strike will be limited to the Yorkshire coalfield because the cause of the dispute is limited to that area, in fact, it applies only to a portion of the collieries in the county, and as the other coal- fields will be working substantial financial help will be available to support, the York- shire miners. Miss Gore Booth, speaking at a conference I of women workers at Essex Hall, London, on Saturday, said that in the cotton trade men and women weavers got equal pay for the snme work. but there were several processes of the cotton trade which were not open to women. A woman could be a piecer at 13s. a week, but she could not be a. spjniifir at 2 although the work was practically the same. In the cotton trade, apart from weaving, there was a good deal of sex favouritism, and a giving of the best posts to men. Another* trade in 'which the exclusion was noticeable was bookbinding. Long ago the working- men's leaders drew a line of demarcation, and the result was that all the poorly-paid and bad work was given to women and the good work was given to men, I English people, said Miss Booth, had a, tnania that no women were to work out of doors. There was the ease of agriculture, and they never saw won:.rn working on the 'buses and tubes. Why should women be stuffed awav in dark. underground rooms machining when they might be doing some- thing in the open air? Men seemed to think that open air was absolutely fatal to women, and that physical exercise was awful. The only remedy for all this was the franchise, which would be a national cure for a national bliglt. Discussing the question of female em- ployment in the Post Office, Miss Cole men- tioned that only 2 per cent. or 3 per cent. of the women clerks in the Post Office left annually to get married. TLe dispute in the boot and shoe trade at Wootaston and Bozeat has been settled, the demand of the operatives for a minimum wage of 288. having been granted by the employers. A meeting of the Joint Committee of the Iron and Steel Workers' Sliding Scale Asso- ciation was held on Saturday at Abergavenny ío receive the report of the auditor for the three months ended February 28th last. It was resolved that the wages payable to the workmen at the associated works from April let. be increased by I per cent.

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I NEWS IN BRIEF. I COMPULSORY NOTIFICATION OF EYE DISEASE. Ophthalmia neonatorum, or inflammation of the eyes of the new-born, one of the most frequent causes of blindness, is now a notifi- able disease. I MR. ASQUITH TO BE WAR MINISTER. In both Houses there was a debate on the Army crisis, and it was announced that Colonel Seely, Sir John French, and J. S. Ewart had resigned and that Mr. Asquith would become War Minister. I CALLERS ON THE KING. Lord Morley had an audience of the King be-fore a Council meeting at Buckingham Palace on Monday morning. In the after- noon Colonel Seely was received and de- livered up the seals of office on his resigna- tioIl of the post of Secretary of State for War. I BIGJ PRICE FOR APPLES. A consignment of Cox's orange pippins, which arrived in London on Monday from Australia, fetched 41s. a bushel, as compared with 25s., the normal price. I SHORT CUT TO FAME. Charged with stealing gas fittings, a man named Rudd explained at Lambeth that he did this for the purpose of putting his name before the public." I TO BAN UNTIMELY HOOTS. The text of a bill has been issued which is intended to prohibit in special areas during specified hours the use of certain warning in- struments on motor vehicles. I THE SCHRODER-STRANZ EXPEDITION. I Information has been received in Germany suggesting tlyit there are yet other survivors I of the ill-fated German Spitzbergen expedition. I MALAY FEDERATED STATES. I The feudatory State of Kelantan is agitating for iii-clusloii iii the. Malav Federation. DESTRUCTIVE LANDSLIDE IN FRANCE. I A farm has been swept away and other serious damage caused by a landslide in the Department of the Correze. SIGNOR TITO MATTEI. I The death has taken place, in his seventy- fifth year, of Signer Tito Mattei, composer and pianist. I THAMES IRONWORKS. I The engineering branch of the Thames Iron- works at Greenwich is to be reopened at an early date. PORTUGAL'S ILLITERATE MILLIONS. A consular report states that the population of Portugal and the Portuguese islands is 5,960,0;")6. of whom no fewer than 1,936,131 males and 2,541.947 females are illiterate. £ 30.000 FOR ATTENDANT'S WIFE. Mrs. Rimmer. wife of James Rimmer, at- tendant at the Carnegie Library and keeper of the town, hall at Birkdale, Southport, has received information that she has inherited £ 30,000 from her uncle in Switzerland. TORPEDO-BOATS DAMAGED IN STORM. [, D uring a violent thunderstorm on the I eastern coast of Sicily, the Italian torpedo I boats Alcione and Ardia were badly damaged. GERMAN ARMY AIRMAN KILLED. I Captain Renihardt was killed and Lieu- tenant Schulz was badly injured a-s the result of a German army biplane crashing to the ground at Kurve on Monday. WOMEN AS SOLICITORS. I The City of London Solicitors' Company (which consists of 200 solicitors) has decided to request the Law Society to oppose the Solicitors (Qualification of Women) Bill. TRAMPS MAY HAVE CHEESE. I It had been decided by the guardians at Bradford, Wiks, that tramps should be I ?I!ow?d ?h?s? w)t!) the midday hread ration, NATIONAL GALLERY GUIDE. I A official guide has been appointed for the J National Gallery, Trafalgar-square, London, I and he will give two lectures daily. CAPTAIN'S lOOTJI ATLANTIC TRIP. I Reaching Plymouth on Monday in command of the North German Lloyd liner Kronprin- zessen Ceeilie, Captain Pollack completed his 100th voyage out and home as a commander on the Atlantic. Viscountess Gatway is providing a cottage hospital at Haworth, in view of accidents that mai ar;? during the sinking of the German colliery "the The Winnipeg Rowing Club are sending an eight to the Henley Regatta this year. Lord Lonsdale has accepted the treasurer- hip of the Charing Cross Hospital. Mr. George Verity has been elected chairman of the hospital. Swine fever broke out at Killingworth, near Newcastle-on-Tyne, on Saturday, and a herd of more than 100 pigs has been destroyed. It is proposed by the London County Coun- cil to affix a tablet to 225, Hampstead-road, N.'V., to commemorate the residence of Lord Tennyson there. The new torpedo-boat destroyer Laverock, which ran ashore at Skelmorlie, in the Clyde, some time ago, when undergoing trials over the measured mile ix the Clyde, was refloated on Saturday. Ipswich Town Council has accepted a ten- der of Les Ateliers de Constructions Elec- triques du Nord et l'Est, of Jeumont, France, for cables at E6,261, this offer being 9.5T2 lower than the, lowest British tender. One of the latest schemes proposed to pre- serve the historic Bargate at Southampton and relieve the present obstruction to traffic in the centre of the town is to lift the Bargate up bodily twelve or fifteen feet, supported oq u single span trussed ferro-concrete arch.

MARKETS. LONDON CORN. MONDAY.—Exnnsn WHEAT. —There was a qui^t trade at about late ratom, but prices rather favoured buyers: White mii- linjr lots ranged up to 35s., and reds up to 34s. per qr. FOREIGV WHEATS.—Trnde ruled dull and without bri.4cnos«. and prices for some samples were 3d. Jow^r on the wcok No. 1 Northerns, 37s. No. 2 ditto. 33s. 6d. Plates, 36*. 6d. Aus- tralian, 38s. 6d ex ship: Russian, 33s. 6d. up- wards: Indian. 37s. 9d. landed. MAIZE. —The market, held steady, though the (ien;:>nd was not brisk. Supplies were limited: PI a f<\ 255. 3d. a'-kef) landed old Odessa. 24e. to 24s. 3d. OATS.—The inquiry remained sluggi-h, but. quotations, as a rule, held their ground on the week Plates, 15s. 3d. to 15s. 6d. heavy Rus- j 14«. 9d. Canadinns, 18s. 3d.; Chilians, 18s. 9d. landed. BARLEY.—The market for feeding and grind- ing lots wa, but steady, without chnngp: South Russian. 20s. 6d. to 20s. 9d. landed. Malt- ing and brpwing barleys were quiet, bur, most descriptions were held for fully recent rates: English, 27s. to 34s. Ouchak and Anatolian, 29s. to 34s. Kama. 27s. 6d.; Dant/ic. 27s. to 312, i)-r 448'b. BEAKS ALVII PF.AS.—There was a light demand at unchanged prices. LONDON FLOUR. MONDAY.—The market was dull in sympathy with wheat, but there was no quotable fall on the week: English Town-made Patents. 27s. 6d. to 29s. 6d.: ditto Country-made. 25s. to 27s.; American Patents, 27s. 6d. to 30s. 6d.: ditto Bakers' 24s. 6d. to 26s. 6d. per sack. LONDON CATTLE. MONDAT.-Beast entries on to-day's market numbered 630, a decrease of 150 compared with last Monday. Trad ruled slow, despite the reduced supplies, and the tone was not so firm. Bullocks, however, were hardly altered to quote: Scotch, 5s. to 5s. 2d.; excep- tionally, 5s. 4d.; Devons, 5s. to 5s. 2d.: Nor- folks, 5s. to 5s. 2d. Shorthorns, 4s. 8d. to 5s. Fat cows and bulls cleared quietly, but steadily. the former were quoted at 3s. 8d. to 4s.: excep- tionally, 4s. 2d. and the latter at 3s. 6d. to 4s. Twenty milch cows offered, and the best were quoted up to X22 10s. each. Five thousand one hundred and twenty sheep were penned in the market, an increase of 370. LONDON MEAT, MONDAY.—Trade quiet; supplies good: Beef, English, 3s. lOd. to 4s. 2d.; American. 3s. lOd. to (s. j Scotch, 4s. to 4s. 8d.: Argentine hindquarters, 3s. 2d. to 3s. 6d. Mutton, English wethers, 4e. 8d. to 5s.; ewes, 3^. 8d. to 4s.; Scotch ewes, 4s. 8d. to 5s.; tegs, 5s. o t6s. 4d. New Zealand, 3s. to 3s. 4d. Lamb, English, 6s. lOd. to 8s.; New Zealand, 4s. to 4s. 6d. Veal, 4s. 4d. to 5s. 6d. Pork, 3s. lOd. to 4s. 8d. per stone. LONDON PROVISIONS, MOSDAT.-Butter steady: Danish, 120s. to 124s.; Normandy, 116s. to 126s. Australian, 100s. to 112s. New Zea- land, 104s. to 112e. Argentine, 104s. to 1]2s. Russian, 104s. to 112s. per cwt. Cheese quiet: Canadian, 68s. to 70s.; Dutch, 60s. to 74s. per ewt. Bacon dull Irish. 68s. to 80s.; Con- tinental, 56s. to 70s. per cwt. Hams firm: American, 68s. to 80s. per cwt. Eggs quiet. LONDON POTATO, MONDAT.-Trade ruled steady for moderate supplies. Quotations: Lin- colns, 75s. to 80s. King Edwards. 70s. to 806.; Kent", and Essex, 65s. to 15; Blacklands, 46s. to 55#. per ton; new Teneriffes, 15s. upward per cwt. BRADFORD WOOL, MONDAY.—This market is merely marking time. Spinners' requirement* seem to be small for the time being, 6C) that business in the tops is limited. Pri ces are steady, however, in both mfcrinoes and croas- breds at last week's quotations. There is oome trade in raw wool, chiefly English for America, and prices are firm. Alpaca is stiffer. Spinners axe Ruling rather mate inquiry for tooreted yaroe.

I AGKICULTUKAL NOTES. I BY A PRACTICAL FARMER I I THE ROTHAM~STED STATfON. I The present year is the centenary of the birt.li of the late Sir John Lawtvs, and 1917 that of Sir Henry Gilbert and it is pro posed to celebr&te tlie occasion by erecting a suitable commemoration laboratory at the world-famous Rothanitited Experimental Sta tion, which these distinguished agriculturists founded. For this purpose the sum of £ 6.000 is being raised by public subscription. An adequate building will cost 4:12,000, and of this it is understood that £ 6.000 will be given from the Development Fund, providing that All equal amount is raised by subscription. In publishing the annual report for 1913 on the Rothamsted experiments, the director, Dr. E. J. Russell, draws attention to the fact that the sum of £ 9u0 ha.s still to be raised be- fore the new laboratories can be built. The committee are anxious to begin building ope- rations at an early date, but cannot proceed until the full amount ha<s been obtained. Sub- scriptions should be sent to the Secretary, Rothamsted Experimental Station. Harpen- dea, Hertfordshire. FALLOWING AND BARLEY YIELD. I The field experiments, which began in 1843, have on some of the plots been continued witliout break or alteration up to the present day. It is contended that it is impossible to exaggerate the importance of continuing the' experimental p-,Gts at Rothamsted without any change, as nowhere else in the world do such extonsive data exist for studying the effect of season and manuring upon the yield and quality of the crop, and for watching the pro- pressive changes which are going on in the soU. The report describes the yields obtained from the experimental plots, and gives a gene- ral account of the work in progress on the farm and in the laboratories, where Dr. Russell and his colleagues are conducting many important researches into soil bacteri- ology, the food and habits of crops, and the wef flora as an indicator of the character of soil. In the experimental plots the extraordi- narily large crop of barley in Hoos Field is the most noteworthy feature of last year. The land had been fallowed in 1912. after continu- ous cropping with barley for sixty years, to allow of the weeds being removed, and this short rest is believed to have contributed to the result, although the year was a good one for barley in all parts of the country. The yield of sixty bushels of grain and 30cwt. of straw per acre ha.s been exceeded only three times since 1861. It is remarked that there can be little doubt that the fallow played a considerable part in bringing about the high yield. It is difficult to account for the result on our present views as to the effects of fallowing something more seems to be involved than the accumulation of nitrate over the winter. The existence is in- dicated of another factor; an apparent effect of a growing crop Oil bacterial decompositions in the soil which is Dot exerted during the fallow period. • • « A CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY'S PROGRESS. I Though only established six years ago, the Guildford and Mid-Surrey Farmers' Co- operative Association's annual report reveals steady and rapid progress. During the past year the membership went up from 220 to 238, and the sales were increased from £ 1.'),069 8s. 8d. to £ 19,502. The year's trading showed a net profit of £:315 6.?., as compared with £ 125 10s. 7d. in the previous year, after providing interest upon members' share capi- tal at 5 per cent. per annum, for all outstand- ing expenses, and for 10 per cent, deprecia- tion on plant and furniture. With the addition of L-IL)6 18s. 9d. brought forward from 1912, there was a balance of X442 4s. 9d. for apportionment, and with the amount carried forward the reserve fund WM increased to £ 665 9s. 9d. At the end of tfo* Association's first year's trading, tjae pj-ofite amounted to £1 3s. 7d. Last year's ptoM w £ 315 6s.. on a called-up capital 6f C41, fo view of such results a further itweac, gf membership is to be expected, and, given itse loyalty of members, fhe society's tarnerer will soon reach very lirge Rprt's, and its operations prove of inestijjiable value to < large district.  I SCOTTISH SEED TESTING STAllO? An eveiit of importance is the opening of a seed-testing station at Edinburgh by the Board of Agriculture for Scotland. An oppor- tunity is thus afforded, to farmers, foresters, nurserymen, and seed merchants of having the quality of their seeds judged in respect of their purity and their capacity to grow. To give a reliable judgment of the quality of the finer seeds by a rough-and-ready method is not possible, and a guarantee of a stated percent- age of purity and of germinating capacity is of great practical value. Thg system of testing adopted by the Scot- tish seed-testing station is the same as that used by the seed-testing station of the Irish Department of Agriculture. The station con- sists of two testing-rooms, a laboratory, and office. There are three types of germinatore in use, viz.: Incubators; Rodewald germina- tors, in which the seeds are germinated in porous shells set in a layer of moist sand; Jacoibsen germinators. in which the seeds are germinated on an absorbant paper laid1 on a woollen mat, which draws the necessary mois- ture from a cistern of water below by means of a wick, each germinating pot of seeds being covered by a small glass bell-jar. The germi- nation testa are conducted at a standard tem- perature and with a standard amount of moisture. Each sample tested for its germinating capa- city is accompanied in the germinators by an- other sample whose germinating capacity has been previously defined by experiment. Seeds from each sample are tested not in one, but in two or three germinators. The control sample is of high, even. and definitely know-n germina- ting capacity. In no case is a sample con- sidered a-ecurately tested unless the control sample gives a result according to its pre- judged standard, and thus a very great amount of accuracy is obtained in judging the samples tested UTILISING SOCIETIES* FUNDS. I An interesting step has been taken by the Uttoxeter Agricultural Society. They made a profit of nearly Z120 upon their last annual show, and have now a balance in hand of L223 lis. Id. Rather than allow this reserve to be invested to bring in a few pounds per annum, the members decided at the annual ( meeting that it would be much more in the I interests of the agriculturists of the neigh- | bourhood. which is the primary object of the society, if the surplus was devoted to some practical means of encouraging farming within the society's area. The Chairman of the Managing Committee (Mr. A. C. Bunting), at the meeting, re- marked that a lot of people in that neighbour- hood seemed to have Shire horses on the brafij, whereas the breeding of good cattle was far more important in such an essen- tially milk producing district as the Dove Valley, and it was the opinion of the Council of the society that something should be done towards encouraeino th« nmns potion auana sic.-kv. ne proposed me iormation of a bull club, and explained that the scheme was to purchase a number of the best masculinc stock and draft them into the various distr' etg within the society's radius. The proposal was taken up with enthusiasm, and a sum of £2fK} was at once voted to put the novel and praise- worthy scheme upon a practical footing. Jt has several times occurred to me that there are many thousands of pounds held as reserve funds by the various agricultural societies, large and small, throughout the country, and that a considerable proportion of this money might be invested in strictly agricultural directions. The above shows one of many ways in which such money can be utilised, and, if thought desirable, it can be made re- payable at the end of a short term of years, when some other way of utilising it agricul- turally could be found. There is far too little capital available for home agriculture, and it seems a great pity not to utilise it to its fullest possible capacity within strictly agricultural limits, yet without foregoing a, penny interest*

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