Leaflets. Only one new leaflet was issued during the year— No. 55-Onion Smut. The ordinary rate for supplies of leaflets is 1d. each, or 9d. per dozen. Leaflets required by Education Authorities, Agricultural Colleges, Farmers' Clubs, Allotment Societies, etc., for distribution are supplied at the rate of 4s. per 100, carriage free.

Miscellaneous Publications, No. 2 (1926 Edition).-Register of Potato Crops of Immune Varieties Inspected and Certified during 1926. Price 2s., post free.

Report on Questions of Farm Accounting and Economics.-This report gives the conclusions of the Committee appointed by the Board (a) to examine the various methods of farm accounting followed in other countries, and to recommend the one which seems best for ascertaining cost of production and profit, and (b) to indicate the principal problems of farm economics, the solution of which might be aided by the collection of accounts, and whether there is any further statistical information which the Board might profitably collect for the purpose of solving such problems. Price 9d. net.

The Scottish Journal of Agriculture. The number of copies printed of the January, April, and July issues of the Journal was 1,625, and that of October, 1,500. Copies may be purchased through any bookseller, or direct from H.M. Stationery Office, 120 George Street, Edinburgh, price 1s., or with postage 1s. 2d. ; annual subscription 4s., or with postage 4s. 6d.

Besides their own leaflets the Board have distributed large numbers of those issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. The Board have also dealt with many miscellaneous enquiries relating to agricultural practice, statistics, etc., and have maintained the usual exchange of publications with Dominion and Foreign Departments of Agriculture.

During the year the Board have supplied regularly the information required by the International Institute of Agriculture for their periodical bulletins, and have furnished replies to various questionnaires issued by the Institute. The latter included. enquiries regarding the certification and testing of seeds and the control of fertilisers.

XI.

PUBLIC WORKS IN CONGESTED DISTRICTS. Financial assistance was offered by the Board during the year ended 31st December 1926 in the following cases :

XII. RURAL INDUSTRIES.

Shetland Woollen Industries Association. This Association, which is registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts and has for its general object the promotion of the interests of the Shetland hand-knit hosiery industry, was formed primarily for the purpose of putting into operation a scheme of inspection and approval of articles knitted by its members, and of securing registration of a Trade Mark, to be affixed by label to the approved articles. In view of the strong recommendation made by Professor Scott in his Report on Home Industries in the Highlands and Islands* that a system of marking Shetland hosiery should be adopted, the Board took an interest in the formation of this Association, and, on the completion of its arrangements for the commencement of the scheme of inspection, they agreed to make a grant, limited to a maximum of £400, to meet 80 per cent. of the cost of advertising the Trade Mark in certain selected daily newspapers and monthly periodicals over a period of eight months.

Fur Farming.-A grant of £10 was made by the Board to the Scottish Fur Breeders' Association, Limited, towards the cost of a stand for the display of exhibits at the Show of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland held at Kelso in June.

* REPORT TO THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE FOR SCOTLAND ON HOME INDUSTRIES IN THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS, 1914 [Cd. 7564], to be purchased from H.M. Stationery Office, 120 George Street, Edinburgh, either directly or through any bookseller, price 11d. net.

F

XIII. TRANSPORT SERVICES.

Board of Agriculture fOR SCOTLAND STEAMER SERVICE. On 1st April 1926 the Board took over from the Scottish Office the management of a cargo steamer service which is maintained for the purpose of providing transport facilities from Mallaig and Kyle to places in Skye and on the west coast of Ross-shire, which either do not receive other steamer calls or are inadequately served. This steamer service was originally established by the Ministry of Food, and on the dissolution of that Department was continued by the Scottish Office as being a necessary supplement to the transport services provided by the West Coast Steamship Companies to the Highlands and Islands.

The general arrangements made by the Board for the working of the service were the same as those in previous years when the service was managed by the Scottish Office. Under these arrangements the S.S." Sweet Home," a small steamer of 180 tons, chartered by the Board for employment on the service, sails in alternate weeks from Mallaig, and, after calling at Isle Ornsay in the south of Skye and at Kyle, proceeds to Staffin, Kilmaluag, Uig, Stein and Dunvegan in the north and northwest of Skye; thence it sails to Gruinard in Ross-shire; and, working down the mainland coast with calls at Aultbea, Poolewe, Inverasdale, Gairloch, and at places in Loch Torridon and on the Applecross coast, returns to Kyle and Mallaig.

The bulk of the cargo shipped at Mallaig for delivery at the places of call is received by rail from Glasgow and the South; while at Kyle, in addition to consignments from the local stores and oil depots, goods for shipment are received by rail from Inverness and other centres in the north-east of Scotland. The cargo carried consists mainly of foodstuffs, oils, building materials, and agricultural requisites.

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The round" trip by the steamer on its scheduled run is usually completed within six days, but the amount of the traffic to the places of call does not justify more frequent sailings than once a fortnight. In the weeks when it is not engaged on the regular service, the steamer is made available to undertake special runs with such bulk cargo-timber, coal, etc.-as may be offered for shipment by it.

Under the abnormal conditions arising from the dispute in the coal-mining industry, the working of the steamer according to its scheduled time-table was at that time not free from difficulty, but a satisfactory service to the regular places of call was maintained during the whole period under review.

SERVICE BETWEEN NORTH RONALDSHAY AND KIRKWALL. A grant of £45 was made by the Board in respect of the maintenance of this service during 1925, this sum being equiva

lent to 75 per cent. of the amount found to be payable to the Orkney Steam Navigation Company on the basis of a subsidy of £10 for each trip in excess of twelve.

The Board agreed to continue their grant in respect of this service during 1926, on the same conditions as in preceding years.

MOTOR BOAT SERVICE FOR THE ISLAND OF SOAY.

During the year the Board, in consultation with the Fishery Board for Scotland and the Scottish Board of Health, had under consideration the desirability of assisting the inhabitants of the Island of Soay in organising a motor boat service for the transport of lobsters and other shell-fish to Mallaig.

Representatives of the three Departments visited the island in November and discussed with the inhabitants a scheme under which the Board offered to make an annual grant not exceeding £100 for a period of two years in aid of the establishment of a motor boat service of 26 trips a year between the Island and Mallaig, and the Scottish Board of Health offered a grant not exceeding £30 per annum for special trips by the motor boat for the purpose of conveying the doctor between Glenbrittle in Skye and the island. This scheme was not approved by the islanders as adequately meeting their requirements for the prompt despatch of lobsters and other fish. As a result of the discussion, revised proposals were made for the provision of a more frequent service to and from Mallaig. These proposals were under consideration at the close of the year.