In December 1926 a Conference of the Principals of the Agricultural Colleges of England and Wales and Scotland was held at the offices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, at which a resolution was passed recommending that the National Diploma be reformed to make it a strong examination on the business side of farming, but that a recognised College Diploma be accepted for the academic side of the training. This resolution was communicated to the Royal Agricultural Society of England and the Highland and Agricultural Society, who have intimated that the National Agricultural Examination Board are prepared to consider concrete suggestions for strengthening the examination on the practical and business side of agriculture. WOOL BREEDING COUNCIL. The second meeting of the Council was held in September 1927. Three meetings of the Committee for Supervising Research in Wool Breeding were held during the year. HORTICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT. PLANT DISEASES. The work in plant diseases carried on by the Board's Plant Pathologist and her assistant continued to increase during the year. Acknowledgment is made of much valuable help received from the staff of the Royal Botanic Garden and the University Botanical Department at Edinburgh, and also in entomological questions from Edinburgh University and the Royal Scottish Museum. The investigation into bracken disease which had promised to afford a biological means of controlling the spread of that plant shewed that the supposed disease was really a mycorrhizal fungus, always present, and the occurrence of diseased patches in bracken slopes is still unexplained. An important piece of research dealt with the occurrence of Sclerotinia trifoliorum upon seed of white clover. This enabled the seed to be identified as New Zealand seed, and that fact was useful evidence in a legal case recently decided. Other diseases dealt with included the virulent Yellow Disease of hyacinths, Dry Rot of gladioli, and a new disease of carnations-Pseudo discosia dianthi. Identification of Pthorimaea opercullella (the Potato Moth) as occurring in a consignment of potatoes from abroad enabled prompt action to be taken to prevent the introduction of this troublesome pest into the country. A detailed list of the diseases met with is in course of preparation. FRUIT SURVEY. Considerable progress was made during the year with this survey, and the greater part of the country has now been covered. It is hoped that the survey will be completed in 1928. IMPERIAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE. The Conference referred to in last year's Report was held in October and the early part of November 1927. Some 200 representatives attended from all parts of the British Empire, being either themselves workers in agricultural research or officers responsible for administration connected therewith. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries were responsible for organising the Conference, and they were assisted by an organising committee of delegates from Government Departments of the Home Country, the Dominions, and Colonies. The plenary sessions of the Conference were held in Westminster Hall, and Committees were accommodated in other departmental offices. The subjects dealt with by the Conference were :- (1) The Recruitment, Training, and Interchange of Workers. (4) Periodical Conferences. These matters were discussed in the first instance in plenary session, then remitted to a Commission and ad hoc Committees, and eventually reported upon by these Committees to the Conference, which thereupon made its decisions. Various scientific questions were, in like manner, referred to special Committees and their Reports were in turn submitted to the Conference. Animal and Plant Husbandry; Nutrition and Disease; Soils and and Fertilizers ; Entomology; and Economics, were all dealt with in this way. Decisions were reached on the desirability of setting up central research stations in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the Empire; on the selection of certain Research Institutes as Central Bureaux; on principles of recruitment and training; on interchange of workers and study-leave; and on other cognate matters. Places chosen for clearing stations for information were Rothamstead for Soil Science, the Rowett Institute, Aberdeen, for Animal Nutrition, and London for Animal Health. Stations on a smaller scale were recommended to be set up for Animal Genetics at Edinburgh; Agricultural Parasitology at London; Plant Genetics at Cambridge and Aberystwyth; and Fruit Production at East Malling. Between the opening and the closing meetings in London, the delegates were enabled to visit Research Institutes in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, the principal centres visited being Cambridge, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Belfast, and Oxford. In Scotland the Conference arrangements were undertaken by the Board. The delegates spent the 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd October in visiting the Animal Breeding Research Department, Edinburgh University; the Animal Diseases Research Association premises at Moredun and the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College; the station of the Scottish Society for Research in Plant Breeding at Corstorphine; the Board's Seed Testing and Plant Registration Station; and the Rowett Research Institute in Animal Nutrition at Aberdeen. A full report of the proceedings of the Conference will be issued in due course. On the invitation of the Australian Commonwealth it was decided that the next Conference should be held in Australia in 1932. VIII. AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT. IMPROVEMENT OF LIVE STOCK. HORSE-BREEDING. Horse-Breeding Act, 1918.-Particulars of the disposal of applications for stallion licences received in 1927 are as follows: Appeals were made in respect of 5 out of 15 applications that were refused. One of these appeals was successful, the original decision being revoked. Licences were refused on the following grounds -Stringhalt, 3; Roaring, 5; Roaring and Ringbone, 1; Whistling and Sidebone, 1; Sidebone, 1; Ringbone, 1; Bone Spavin, 1; Defective Genital Organs, 1. The percentage of applications refused was 2.86. The number of applications received during the year again shows a decrease as compared with any of the previous years, the numbers for the eight years since 1920 being respectively 872, 822, 707, 616, 583, 537, 528, and 489. No case of contravention of the Act came under the Board's notice during the year. Heavy Horse Breeding.-Under the scheme for the encouragement of Heavy Horse Breeding 76 Societies were approved in 1927 as compared with 79 in 1926, while the number of approved stallions engaged by these Societies was 102 as compared with 104. The Board's grant, as formerly, took the form of a contribu tion of one-half of the fees, not exceeding 25s. per mare, payable by small farmer members of the Societies in respect of the service of their mares by approved stallions. Special grants not exceeding £20 each were also awarded to eight Societies in Orkney and the Western Islands to assist them in obtaining suitable stallions from the mainland. The results of the operations of the scheme in 1927 as compared with 1926 were as follows: COUNTY. Aberdeen Ayr Berwick .... .... Bute 2 2 37 52 .... Highland Ponies.-The number of stallions, the property of the Board, that travelled in the crofting districts of Scotland for the service of crofters' and small farmers' mares in 1927 was 15. The districts travelled were Skye, Barra, North Uist, South Uist, Harris, and Drumnadrochit (Inverness); Lochbroom (Ross and Cromarty); Lochinver, Durness, Rogart, and Dornoch (Sutherland); Latheron (Caithness); and Shetland. In addition, two stallions stood at the Board's farm of Beechwood for the service of mares in the surrounding district. The service fee charged was 7s. 6d. for crofters' and small farmers' mares, except in Barra, where 5s. was charged. The following table 1926 1 shows the allocation of the stallions and the number of mares served as compared with 1926 DISTRICT. Caithness The number of mares served in some of the districts must be regarded as very disappointing. In these circumstances, and having regard to the heavy cost involved in the maintenance and travelling of the stallions, it has been decided to reduce the number of horses to be employed in future years, and to travel the stallions in most of the districts only once in two years. Shetland Ponies.-Premiums of £7. 10s. each were awarded in respect of 25 approved Shetland pony stallions belonging to owners in Shetland. These stallions were placed in selected districts for the service of small farmers' mares at a fee of 2s. 6d. per mare. Approximately 530 mares were served. CATTLE-BREEDING. The scheme for the improvement of cattle-breeding was continued on the same lines as in 1926. It comprises two parts, viz. (1) the loan of bulls to Township Committees in the Congested Districts, and (2) the award of premiums in respect of the hire or purchase of bulls by Societies and Committees throughout Scotland. Supply Bulls. During the year, 304 bulls were lent to Township Committees, and were placed as follows: |