§ Mr. MORRELLasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the need of increasing the production of the land, the Government will consider the advisability of framing a scheme under which farmers could obtain facilities for the supply of 863W sulphate of ammonia, basic slag, and other fertilisers, and the Board could in suitable cases make Orders compelling the application of such manures with provisions for recovering the cost incurred?
§ Mr. ACLANDThere is a scheme now in operation under which farmers can obtain sulphate of ammonia at under market rates—its application at these rates being likely to be highly profitable. As to slag and most other manures, the difficulty is to get enough produced to satisfy existing demand. Every possible effort will be made to see that the existing supply is used to the best advantage.
§ Mr. H. HOPEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the urgency of super phosphates being available for agricultural purposes if a full crop of potatoes and turnips is to be produced from the 1917 crop, he is taking steps to secure a supply of this essential fertiliser being available?
§ Mr. ACLANDThe demands upon sulphuric acid for munitions purposes are so great that there must be some shortage of superphosphate. The Ministry of Munitions is, however, in close touch with the Board in the matter, and both are doing their utmost to meet an extremely difficult situation.
§ Mr. HOPEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he will say what quantity of superphosphates has been exported since 1st September?
§ Mr. ACLANDBetween the 1st September and the 30th November last 3,78l tons of superphosphates were exported from the United Kingdom. The larger part of this total was exported to British Possessions before 23rd October, when the prohibition of exportation to all other destinations was made general. Licences for the exportation of superphosphate are now only being granted in very exceptional cases, in which the use of small quantities of this manure is an absolue necessity for the production of essential food products in our Dominions.