§ MR. COBB (Warwick, S.E., Rugby)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he has yet completed the arrangements for the issue by his department of a periodical journal for agriculture on the same lines as the Board of Trade Journal?
§ MR. H. GARDNERAs my hon. Friend is aware, it has for some time past been my desire to make some movement in the direction indicated in his question, and I am happy to say that the Treasury have now placed at my disposal funds 379 for the purpose. We propose to make the journal a medium for conveying information as to matters of interest in connection with agriculture at home and abroad, the crop prospects in foreign countries, and other particulars obtained from sources of intelligence to which we have access. We shall also include notes on dairying, fruit farming, poultry rearing, and the smaller rural industries, together with short accounts of noxious insects and fungi. Certain statistics as to agricultural production, imports and exports, and prices will also be given. The first part will be issued early in September at the price of 6d.
MR. J. LOWTHER (Kent, Thanet)Will the right hon. Gentleman state what is the amount of the funds for this proposal?
§ MR. H. GARDNERI am not in a position to state.
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)Who will be the registered proprietor of this journal in case it should be necessary to bring against it actions for libel?
§ MR. H. GARDNERI suppose it will be registered in the same way as the Board of Trade Journal.
§ MR. DODD (Essex, Maldon)How is it proposed to circulate this journal? Is it to be circulated among the farmers or the Members of this House?
§ MR. H. GARDNERExactly in the same way as the Board of Trade Journal.
§ MR. TOMLINSON (Preston)I should like to ask whether the journal will give information as to the cost of sending agricultural produce to the market?
§ MR. H. GARDNERI cannot give any information upon that point. If the hon. Member will buy the first number he will see for himself.