... DECENTLY more than 70 farmers from East Anglia and Kent, together with officers of the HGCA and Essex NAAS visited Brittany to study maize growing. The tour was organised by RAGT the French breeder organisation for Dekalb, and Newgrain Ltd., their UK agents. Brittany was selected in prefer ence to Northern France because of its close similarity in climate to south east England. V isitors saw ...

... A MONTH or so ago you had an editorial in Farm Country about the policy and readership of the magazine. 1 meant to write in at the time, but have been somewhat delayed, to say how very much 1 enjoy reading the magazine, and how useful it is in helping one to keep up to date with new trends and developments. In particular I am impressed by the fact that so many of your contributors show a sound ...

... I AM sure that H. G. Clarke's article on The shape of food to come has been read by all your other readers with the same gathering interest that carried me through to the end. Unlike the poster he takes three pages to tell us 'Prepare to meet thy doom', but it is most useful at least to have a few years warning. I certainly would not pre sume to ridicule either his ideas or the products. We ...

... AT A recent conference on Ergonomics held by the Institution of Agricultural Engineers, Mr. H. T. Lovegrove and Mr. D. J. Evans, both of the Agricultural, Horticultural and Forestry Industry Train- Board, said that farm machinery manu facturers could do a great deal more to make operators' instruction manuals more useful. They said that there was great variation in the content, format, layout ...

... IN HIS December article Up to date with the power game, Herman Simper indicates that merits and demerits claimed depend mainly on what the particular spokesman has to I offer! This is clearly true but I felt it rather left the impression that International Harvester had nothing to offer except lower link sensing. Surely the boot is on the other foot and some other manufacturers, not having ...

... I read with interest the article I on stubble hygiene in the August issue of Farm Country. I am, however, rather alarmed at the emphasis Mr. Tilley appears to put on the use of chemicals in stubble clearing. Agriculture seems to be pass ing through a phase where the crop sprayer is the order of the day. Almost every week we read of a stronger pesticide for this, a more concentrated herb icide ...

... Promotinn riprau IN MY article published in the September issue ( to promote growth) the top line of the table in the third column on page 44 was printed as 1 ton straw contains 40 %C =80 lb C this should have read: 1 ton straw contains 40 %C =800 lb C T. M. Blake Court Farm, West Meon, Petersfield, Hants. ...

... I READ with great interest Hugh Tilley's comments on electric fencing in the July issue. He is quite right in saying that the trans istorised battery fencers are less liable to accidental earthing than the older mechani cal types. However, I wonder if he has any experience with modern mains operated electric fencers. With these, accidental earthing is almost impossible. If you want to kill ...

... THE annual scramble for the Christmas turkey makes me wonder why farmers don't go in more for geese, which are far easier to rear, excellent food and profitable. Geese require little care. They like a wide range of liberty over common or pasture land, with a pond by the way, stubbles to forage in during the autumn. They will pick up most of their living in this way and thrive and fatten ...

... IN HIS letter in the August I issue, commenting on Mr. H. G. Clarke's article on the food of the future, Mr. J. A. Farbon refers to our research work on protein, and we would like to set his mind at rest on what is clearly an important subject. We do not see non-animal protein foods such as our own A3/5 protein replacing farm- produced meat or poultry. On the contrary, we believe that British ...

... ACCORDING to Hugh Tilley, in his article on storing grain in the May issue, 500 tons of barley need a 100 ft. 60 ft. x8 ft. building. According to my calculations a building of this size should hold around 950 tons Who is rieht? G. Prvor. Faircloagh Hall Farms, Weston, Hitchin, Herts. Hugh Tilley writes: My apologies for this. My calculations gave a total of 937.5 tons, without heaping the ...

... IN RURAL areas livestock farmers are only to get 4 ft. high post and rail fences where their farms are bisected by motorways. The Ministry of Transport states that the 4 ft. high post and rail fence is the agreed standard fence for rural areas. However, if you look down from Prior Road Crossing, Portsmouth Road, Camberley towards Frimley you will see 6 ft. close boarded fencing is on both ...