DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS AND PESTS (SCOTLAND) order, 1922. As in previous years the Board were advised of all consignments of plants, etc., imported from abroad without the prescribed certificate of health having been produced to the Customs Officer at the port of entry. The requirements of the Order are now generally known and the number of uncertified consignments reported in 1926 showed a considerable reduction on the number for the previous year. In exercise of their powers under the Order the Board arranged as far as practicable for the examination of these consignments by their Inspectors. Twelve consignments in all were examined consisting of seven consignments of potatoes, four of shallots and one of maple trees. As the consignments were found to be free from injurious pests and diseases the Board authorised their disposal on payment of the appropriate examination fee.

In terms of the Order the original certificates of health must be forwarded to the Board before despatch of the consignments to which they refer, and some 3,900 certificates were received. These were chiefly in respect of bulbs, shrubs and plants, but a number were received for consignments of potatoes, gooseberries, shallots, onion seed, etc.

EXPORTATION OF PLANTS AND NURSERY STOCK.

The total number of certificates of health issued in respect of consignments of plants and nursery stock destined for export abroad was 270. The destinations of these consignments wereCanada, 94; New Zealand, 64; France, 29; Kenya Colony, 22; Italy, 16; Egypt, 9; Japan, 7; Hungary, 3; Belgium, Estonia, Malay States, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and United States of America, 2 each; Argentina, Bermuda, Brazil, Canary Islands, Germany, Holland, India, Mauritius, Palestine, and Rhodesia, 1 each.

SALE OF DISEASED PLANTS (SCOTLAND) ORDER, 1922.

No case of contravention of the Order was dealt with by the Board during the year. The requirements of the Order were, however, brought to the notice of the occupiers of several nurseries, etc., which were found on inspection to contain bushes affected with Black Currant Mite (Big Bud), etc.

SILVER LEAF (SCOTLAND) ORDER, 1922.

The premises on which Silver Leaf (Stereum Purpureum) was found in 1925 were again visited and it was ascertained that the prescribed measures of control had been adopted by the occupiers. A number of fresh outbreaks was reported, and the growers concerned were advised as to the treatment of the affected trees.

FERTILISERS AND FEEDING STUFFS ACT, 1906. The number of samples analysed during the year by the official agricultural analysts appointed under the Act by local

authorities in Scotland was 548, comprising 373 samples of fertilisers and 175 samples of feeding stuffs. In addition, there were one sample of a fertiliser and 6 samples of feeding stuffs in respect of which either no guarantee, or a guarantee that was not in the prescribed form, had been furnished by the vendor. On analysis, 136 samples of fertilisers and 80 samples of feeding stuffs were found to be in accordance with the guarantees furnished in the sellers' invoices. Particulars in respect of the district of each local authority of the 548 samples analysed are given in Appendix No. 5.

FERTILISERS AND FEEDING STUFFS ACT, 1926.

The principal objects of the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, 1926, to which the Royal Assent was given on 15th December, are

(1) to define the various articles to which in future the law shall apply;

(2) to improve the existing law enabling a purchaser to found a civil action upon the warranty given by the vendor ;

(3) to provide facilities for testing such a warranty by analysis and to enable the purchaser to do so without being exposed as he is at present to the risk of becoming involved as a witness in criminal proceedings against the vendor;

(4) to limit the criminal liability of the vendor to goods which are in his possession or under his control.

The Act discriminates between civil and criminal liabilities, and thus separates the enforcement of the civil rights of the purchaser from the criminal proceedings undertaken by local authorities.

In Scotland the local administration of the Act will lie as heretofore with the local authorities under the Diseases of Animals Act, 1894, who shall appoint analysts, inspectors and samplers. The Act provides, however, for the exercise by the Board in special cases of the powers of a local authority.

Powers are given to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Board of Agriculture for Scotland jointly to make all regulations required for the purpose of bringing the Act into operation; for this purpose they will be assisted by an advisory committee to be constituted under the provisions of the Act. The Act will come into force on a date not earlier than 1st July 1927, and from that date all previous legislation on the subject will be repealed.

MARKETS AND FAIRS (WEIGHING OF CATTLE) ACTS,

1887 AND 1891.

These Acts require that suitable weighing accommodation shall be provided and maintained in or near every market or fair in which tolls (in respect of cattle, sheep and swine) are

authorised to be and actually are taken by the market authority. Similar facilities must also be provided by auctioneers at all places where they habitually or periodically sell cattle. The Board are empowered under the Acts to grant exemption from these requirements in cases where the sale of cattle is, or is likely to be, so small as to render it inexpedient to enforce the provision and maintenance of weighing accommodation.

Forty-five applications for exemption from the requirements of the Acts were received during the year, twelve of these being new applications. After inquiry into the circumstances of each case, the Board granted exemption for various periods.

MARKETS AND FAIRS (WEIGHING OF CATTLE) ACT, 1926. This Act provides that as from 1st January 1927, unless specifically exempted by the Board, an auctioneer shall not offer for sale in any market, fair or mart in or near which a weighingmachine is provided, any bulls, cows, oxen or heifers which are fit for immediate slaughter unless they have been weighed on the weighing-machine and their weight as so ascertained is disclosed to intending purchasers at the time of the offer for sale, either by announcement made by the auctioneer or in some other manner calculated to bring it to their notice.

Although it is the general practice in Scotland to weigh and make known the weight of fat cattle before sale, the Board specially brought the requirements of the Act to the notice of all market authorities and auctioneers at markets, fairs and marts in or near which weighing facilities are available.

In the case of marts, etc., at present exempted from the provision of weighing facilities the auctioneers were informed that the Board will require, on reconsidering the question of exemption, to take into account the requirements of the new Act. In general, however, the number of fat cattle exposed at these sales is so few that it is doubtful whether in many cases it will be found expedient to make an alteration in the existing practice.

SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS ACTS, 1875 TO 1907.

Sampling at Ports.-The number of samples taken during the year at Scottish ports by Officers of H.M. Customs in accordance with Section 1 of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1899, as amended by Section 5 of the Butter and Margarine Act, 1907, was 180. Of these, 65 were samples of butter, 53 of margarine, 17 of cheese, and 45 of milk and cream.

Fancy Names for Margarine.-Under Section 8 of the Butter and Margarine Act, 1907, 216 names were approved by the Board for use in connection with margarine, an increase of 141 on the number for the previous year.

X. STATISTICS AND INTELLIGENCE.

STATISTICS.

(1). Agricultural Returns Act, 1925.-This Act, which received Royal Assent on 30th June 1925, makes compulsory the annual

agricultural returns, and in its application to Scotland extends the definition of "agricultural land so as to include land used as a deer forest.

In terms of Section 1 (1) of the Act, Regulations were prepared and laid before Parliament in March, and the relative schedules under these Regulations were issued to occupiers of agricultural holdings and deer forests.

(2) Annual Agricultural Returns.-The schedules for the Agricultural Returns were as usual issued and collected by the local officers of Customs and Excise. The total number of schedules collected was 68,749. The printing of the schedules and their delivery to the officers for distribution were considerably delayed owing to the general strike, and consequently the collection was later than usual, the returns for the final parish not being received until 28th October. In most cases the schedules were not in the hands of the occupiers until some time after 4th June, the date laid down in the Regulations for the returns to be filled up; the compulsory powers under the Act of 1925 could not therefore in equity be invoked, except in cases of unreasonably long delay, and on this occasion it was not found necessary to take legal proceedings in any case for failure to furnish returns. A Preliminary Statement, based on about 70 per cent. of the Returns, was issued on 30th September, while an Abstract of the finally-revised figures was published on 28th December.

The estimates of the yield of crops were received as usual from the Board's Crop Reporters in November. The Preliminary Statement of the Produce of Grain, Hay, Potatoes, Roots, etc., was issued on 21st December.

The Board have decided to include in one publication the particulars formerly comprised in Parts I. and II. of the Agricultural Statistics. Part I. of the Statistics for 1926, in its new form, was in course of preparation at the end of the year.

(3) Annual Deer Forest Returns.-The schedules for the returns of live stock on deer forests were issued and collected by the Board. The total number furnished was 172. On this occasion the schedules were issued to the Agents of the Proprietors of the subjects with a request that they should intimate to the Board the name and address to which subsequent correspondence and schedules should be sent.

The particulars supplied have been abstracted and will be summarised in Part I. of the Agricultural Statistics.

(4) Returns of Varieties of Potatoes.-A form of enquiry regarding the varieties of potatoes grown by occupiers of holdings on which one acre or more of potatoes were grown in 1926 was again issued with the schedule for the Annual Agricultural Returns. The number of varieties distinguished was 50. statement showing the results of the enquiry was issued on 25th October, and was also published in the Scottish Journal of Agriculture for January 1927.

(5) Census of Production.-The tabulation was completed in the course of the year, and the report was in preparation.

(6) Broadcasting of Market Prices. Since the beginning of October the Board have prepared a weekly bulletin on "Scottish Market Prices for Farmers" which is broadcast each Thursday evening from all the Scottish Wireless Stations of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

PUBLICATIONS, ETC.

With the exception of the Monthly Agricultural Report, Leaflets, and the series of Miscellaneous Publications, the distribution and sale of the publications prepared by the Board are in the hands of H.M. Stationery Office. There is no free list for the Board's priced publications, so far as Home Institutions are concerned, but copies are still sent free of charge to certain selected Dominion and Foreign Departments with which arrangements have been made for an interchange of publications.

The following publications have been issued during the year :Fourteenth Report of the Board, being for the year ended 31st December 1925 (Cmd. 2655).

Agricultural Statistics, 1925.-Part I.-Acreage and Live Stock Returns of Scotland. Part II.-Returns of Produce of Crops in Scotland. Part III.-Prices and Supplies of Grain, Live Stock, and other Agricultural Produce in Scotland.

Monthly Agricultural Report.-The nature of this publication, which is issued free of charge, was indicated in the Board's Twelfth Report. Throughout 1926 the number of copies of the report issued each month was about 840, including 150 copies supplied to the Agricultural Meteorological Committee for circulation with its Monthly Report.

Weekly Summary of Market Prices.-In view of the need for economy in public expenditure, the printed Weekly Return of Market Prices was discontinued at the end of 1925. A cyclostyled weekly summary of prices is, however, issued to Scottish newspapers and to certain Government Departments interested; the summary is not distributed to the public generally, but copies are supplied to individuals or firms whose contracts with Government Departments are based on the quotations furnished to the Board by their Market Reporters.

Part II. of the Agricultural Statistics for 1926, corresponding to Part III. as previously issued, was in preparation at the end of the year.