§ MR. SMITH BARRY (Hunts, S.)In the absence of the hon. Member for the Ramsey Division of Hunts, I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture if he is willing to offer any advice or explanation of the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act for the guidance of County Councils as to the best methods of putting the Act in force; if his Department will require any declaration of the scientific qualifications and practical experiences of the district analysts to be appointed under the Act; and if he will issue the form of certificates which the analysts will be required to give for artificial manures and feeding stuffs?
§ * THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. H. GARDNER,) Essex, Saffron WaldenI had already given instructions for the preparation of a Circular Letter to County Councils explanatory of the provisions of the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, and it will be issued in the course of a few days. Under Section 4 of the Act, the appointment of the district agricultural analysts is subject to the approval of the Board of Agriculture, and we propose, before giving such approval, to ask County Councils to furnish satisfactory evidence as to the possession by the persons appointed of adequate knowledge, skill, and experience of analytical chemistry and microscopy applied to the analysis of the articles 651 falling within the purview of the Act. Under Section 5 of the Act, the certificate of the District Analyst is to he in such form, and is to contain such particulars as the Board of Agriculture direct, and we are about to issue instructions with regard to it.