NOTES AND MEMORANDA 823 Customs. Report of the Commissioners March 31, 1891 (C--6538). for the Year ending THE Coznmissioners in their report state that the gross receipt of Imperial customs revenue for the financial year 1890-91, including cl?arges and the revenue of the Isle of Man, amounted to 19,749,530, showing a decrease of 945,962, in comparison with the gross receipts of the corresponding period in 1889-90. This decrease is mainly attributable to alterations in the tariff, with regard to the duties on tea and currants, and the abolition of the plate duty. Another cause of decrease is due to the fall in the receipts from foreig?l spirits, hitherto used for the purposes of methylation. The Com?nissioners report that the extent of the loss whiclz tim revenue has sustained by the reduction in the tax on tea of 2d. per lb. when compared with the preceding year's receipt, is not so great as had been anticipated, the increase of. consmnption having been very marked. The gross revenue from tea in 1889-90 was 4,490,695. Last year Jr'was f;3,416,802, an actual loss of 1,073,893. Experimental Farms in Canada. Minister of Agriculture. Appendix to the Report of the THIS is a report by Mr. William Saunders, Director of the Experimental Farms in Canada, relating to souse portions of the work which has been done during the past year at the Ce?tral Experimental Farm in Ottawa, with brief references to the branch Experimental Farms in different parts of Canada The report is issued under the authority of the Dominion Parliament. Appended to it, are reports' from the following officers of the central Experimental Farm:from the Agriculturist, the Horticulturist, the Chemist, the Entomologist and Botanist and from the Poultry Manager. Accompanying these are reports of progress from the Superintendent of the Experimental Farm for the Maritime Provinces at Nappan, Nova Scotia; from the Superintendent of the Experimental Farm for Manitoba at Brandon; from the Superintendent of the Experimental Farm for the North- West Territories at Indian Head, and from the Superintendent of the Experimental ]?arm for British Columbia at Agassiz. These reports are very full of information on many topics of special interest to farmers and fruit-growers, as they cover almost all deparuuents of agriculture and horticulture. A report is attached to that of the Horticulturist from a joint committee of prominent fruit-growers from the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario, and tl?e Mm?treal Horticultural Society, who were invited, under the instructions of the Canadian Minister of Agriculture to examine the frnit plantations at the Central Experimental Farm, and to inquire intc? the merits of some of the new seedling fruits growing there.
