ALBERT

Notes: In the course of the nearly two decades since the revised SNA was developed, the role of pensions and insurance in the developed western economies has been significantly altered. The United Nations System of National Accounts (SNA) is not fully consistent in its treatment of pension and insurance transactions. This paper examines whether, in view of the changed institutional context, a modification of the SNA treatment of this complex of flows would be desirable. It investigates the impact on household income and saving of adopting a somewhat more consistent transactor/transaction approach for all pension and insurance transactions. Four main topics are covered: (1) social security, (2) private pensions, (3) life insurance, and (4) casualty insurance. Each is considered in terms of the treatment of contributions, the treatment of benefits, and the handling of reserves and the income generated by them. The same sorts of problem arise in all four cases.

Notes: Production maximization, together with an appropriate distribution of income and wealth, can no longer be considered as the exclusive objective of socio-economic policies. Economic and social life is accompanied by numerous hardships, constraints and damages which demand to be minimized. Combining these dual aims is not easy as no single model has yet been set up taking into account all these inter-relations. However, one may try to reduce the uncertainty about the statistical material that could be required for decision-making in this new context.

Notes: For estimates of the wealth distribution Canada depends on household surveys taken at 6–7 year intervals. The latest data from this source refer to household balance sheets in the spring of 1977. A comparison with 1970 shows that there is little change in the composition of wealth held by households but that inequality of the wealth distribution has been somewhat reduced. Wealth data by age of family head is presented in order to describe more fully the wealth distribution and composition in Canada.Weaknesses in the data are discussed as well as the difficulties of making appropriate adjustments to the data at the micro record level. For policy evaluation and formulation purposes the lack of comprehensive estimates inclusive of pension wealth as well as the small sample size (12,700 usable records) have been perceived as greater obstacles to utilizing the data than the underestimate in aggregate assets and debts which affects more the higher than the middle and lower ranges of the wealth distribution.

Notes: The article refutes the contention that Brazil's development has not benefited the poor and that rapid growth has had a polarizing effect on the distribution of income. It uses the National Household Expenditure Survey of 1974–75 to try to quantify the extent of poverty and concludes that the incòme levels of the poor have been underestimated in the past. The evidence suggests also that occupational and regional variables are powerful determinants of income stratification. Wage rate statistics convey information about long-term trends in income. The article notes considerable increases in rural wages during the 1970s as well as wage improvements in the urban informal sector. Shifts in the structure of employment have probably been the most powerful cause of economic improvement in Brazil. The enormous absorption of rural-urban migrants occurred without a flooding of the lower income urban categories. Social indicators and statistics referring to ownership of household durable consumer goods corroborate income and labor market evidence to the effect that there has been considerable progress for the poor during the 1970s. The article reviews statistical evidence bearing on distribution. There is little doubt that the distribution of income in Brazil is very skewed. It is not possible, however, to come to conclusions about changes that might have occurred in the degree of inequality over time. Finally, the article includes data on the “distribution of education” and the “distribution of life expectancy” and notes improvement over time in both.This article takes advantage of the Brazilian population census of 1980 to bring up to date some of the statistical material that bears on the issues of poverty and income distribution. First, the article describes the overall context of Brazilian development since 1960. The second part analyzes the extent of poverty in the mid-1970s. The third part deals with trends in wages, employment and selected welfare indicators. The last section briefly summarizes the information relating to income distribution: what is the extent of skewedness and how has it evolved over time?

Notes: This paper outlines a conceptual basis for the measurement and analysis of levels of welfare. It reflects the thinking that has been ongoing in the World Bank's Living Standards Measurement Study. Three alternative approaches to the measurement of welfare for the purpose of ranking households are surveyed, and the data requirements and analytical techniques for each highlighted. Various issues are discussed regarding the causal analysis of welfare levels and the changes in them. It is argued that the consideration of several dynamic aspects of welfare is significant for the identification of the poor and the potentially poor and for more accurate measurement of levels of living between socioeconomic groups.

Notes: This article discusses methods of integrating the “informal sector” in the national accounts of developing countries. This sector, defined generally as composed of producers who do not keep formal accounts, is difficult to capture by usual statistical collection techniques, and therefore is often neglected. The paper develops the requirements for a direct inquiry approach to obtaining data for this sector, emphasizing the need for national, exhaustive, and periodic coverage. It then proceees to propose methods of analysis for informal sector enterprises with and without fixed locations, tailored to the specific characteristics of each trade. The final section presents some results of application of the proposed methods in Tunisia and Niger.

Notes: This paper constructs estimates of income and consumption inequality for the world (124 countries), using various measures of inequality. It then goes on to examine the possible effects of various sources of error in the estimates, and attempts to set rough limits to the size of such effects. Among the sources of error examined are purchasing power parities used for currency conversion, systematic errors in estimates of per capita incomes, differences in age structure, government tax and expenditure policy, and lifetime income effects. The paper concludes that, although the level of uncertainty in the estimates is too great to permit conclusions about, for instance, trends over time, it is clear that the level of world inequality is extreme, and that it is primarily due to differences in average incomes across countries rather than to intra-country inequality.

Notes: In this study, new estimates are presented of the size distribution of household wealth in the U.S. in 1969. Compared to previous studies, its major advance is the inclusion of all marketable or discretionary household assets and liabilities and their alignment with national balance sheet totals. Household disposable wealth (HDW) is defined as the sum of all marketable or fungible assets held by households less liabilities. The Gini coefficient for HDW is 0.72, the share held by the richest one percent of households is 31 percent, and the share held by the top five percent is 49 percent. There is, however, a large variation in the concentration of different household assets. The Gini coefficient is 0.30 for household durables and inventories, 0.69 for equity in owner-occupied housing, 0.94 for bonds and securities, and 0.98 for corporate stock. HDW is then divided into two mutually exclusive components. The first, called “life-cycle wealth,” is defined as the sum of equity in owner-occupied housing, durables, household inventory, demand deposits and currency, and the cash value of life insurance and pensions less consumer debt. This form of wealth tends to be accumulated over the life-cycle for either consumption, liquidity, or retirement purposes. The second, called “capital wealth,” is the sum of time and savings deposits, bonds and securities, corporate stock, business and investment real estate equity, and trust fund equity. Life-cycle wealth is substantially less concentrated than capital wealth. The Gini coefficient for it is 0.59, while that for capital wealth is 0.88. Moreover, among the lower wealth groups, over 80 percent of household wealth takes the form of life-cycle wealth, whereas among the top wealth groups the proportion is under 20 percent. The results suggest substantially different savings motivations between the two groups.

Notes: This paper presents a method of estimating U.S. family net wealth across the entire population, utilizing capitalization of several income items available from income tax microdata. Other forms of wealth, and debt, are indirectly estimated using relationships gleaned from estate tax data. Concentration in the distribution of wealth, and assets such as corporate stock, are measured with Gini coefficients and Lorenz curve analysis and compared to similar estimates of concentration in the distribution of income. Comparisons of the results with previous estimates for the United States are made in the latter section of the paper.

Notes: This paper utilizes Household Expenditure Survey and Consumer Price Index data supplemented by private survey data in an attempt to compare the purchasing power parities of the pound sterling and the Australian dollar for a range of population sub-groups in the United Kingdom and Australia. In spite of the close political, economic, social and cultural ties that exist between these two countries, there have been no attempts to measure differences in living costs and real expenditures. Further, Australia has not been a party to the International Comparisons project of the Statistical Office of the United Nations. This study derives purchasing power parities which explicitly account for variations in expenditure patterns of different population sub-groups. For example, a household living in London intending to move to Sydney will find it useful to have a comparison of cost-of-living between households living in these two cities which takes into account explicitly the general expenditure patterns in these two cities. Due to the nature of the data, it was necessary to employ a new index number method derived by one of the authors.

Notes: “As compared with Hicksian, Harrodian measures of the concept of total factor productivity which rigorously take into account the reproducibility of commodity capital inputs and the technological interdependence of modern production economies are advocated. A number of recent measures of total factor productivity are shown to be variants of the Harrodian approach, and certain problems of aggregation associated with the Hicksian measures are shown to be resolved by the Harrodian measures. An examination of the concepts of technical progress and vertically integrated sectors advanced by Professor Luigi L. Pasinetti and their relation to the Harrodian measures of total factor productivity is made.”

Notes: The following note is a very concise summary of a paper2 that was presented at the 17th General Conference of the International Association for Research in Income and Wealth at Montvillargenne, August, 1981. As such it may be considered a new paper, although it contains practically all the conceptual issues of the original paper. As in the original paper its intention is only to place these issues before a wider audience, while specific solutions will have to wait for a more detailed treatment. All issues concern certain conceptual dilemmas, arising in particular in the use of national accounts when available concepts do not coincide with those for which data are sought. A decision to change the existing basic concepts would however require not only the support of the scholars in this field but also the co-operation of the users of national accounts. Due to extreme summarizing, certain statements are now fairly compact—compared with the original paper. It is nevertheless hoped that the basic problems still shine through. The following note gives instances in which the traditional national accounts, as established according to existing rules and statistics, may not suffice for actual data requirements, yielding differences in growth rates of several percentage points.

Notes: Empirical research using the opportunity cost approach to estimating the value of non-market work of women tends to focus on the value of actual or potential output produced at home and expected or actual earnings, and assume that a rational decision involves choosing the higher one. Evidence derived from data on young married women suggests that full-time homemakers frequently are unable to provide estimates either of their potential earnings or of the lowest wage they would accept to enter the labor market, and that such estimates as they do provide are not soundly based. We also found that using wages of women in the labor market to estimate the value of the home time of full-time homemakers involves upward bias. We conclude that there are good reasons for caution in using the opportunity cost approach.

Notes: How have government transfers altered the distribution of income, the level of work effort, and the rate of personal saving? Most scholars approach this question by comparing the current level of government transfers with the unrealistic counterfactual of a zero-transfer situation. This method overlooks the fact that nongovernment transfers existed before government transfers and the possibility that private transfers might have grown more if government transfers had grown less.This paper explores the significance of one private alternative to government transfers-namely, direct interfamily giving of cash, food, and housing. Fragmentary evidence suggests that such interfamily transfer was quantitatively more important than governmental transfer for these purposes thirty years ago, but is now only half as great. If current government transfers are conversions of, or substitutes for, interfamily transfers, then it follows that some of the benefits of government transfer “slide” over to “secondary beneficiaries,” i.e. those who would have made the private transfers. Further, it follows that the effects of government transfers are not much different from those of the private transfers which they replace.

Notes: In this paper we describe a micro consistent data set for Canada for 1972, assembled with general equilibrium tax policy analysis in mind. We stress the methodology used and in a number of tables report its main features.In the data set the separate detail contained in input-output transactions tables, national accounts, household income and expenditure data, taxation statistics, foreign trade statistics, flow of funds and other sources is adjusted for mutual consistency. The final result is a micro consistent data set in which demands equal supplies for all products, zero profit conditions hold for industries and all agents’ demands satisfy their budget constraints.The motivation for data assembly is the currently widely used practice of calibrating “empirical” general equilibrium models so as to exactly reproduce a base year data observation as an equilibrium model solution. This procedure enables empirically based models to evaluate counterfactual equilibria in a way which corresponds to comparative static analysis in theoretical literature.More detail on the data set is available on request in appendices deleted from the published version of this paper due to space constraints.

Notes: This article deals with some aspects of the compilation of input-output tables (I.O. tables). A global view is given of the way in which I.O. tables are compiled in The Netherlands. It is indicated that in The Netherlands a number of developments are in progress that have led to an extension of the uses that are made of I.O. tables. The changing demands on I.O. tables that result from these developments can be met in future to an important degree. This has been made possible by extending and improving basic statistics and by increasing the uses made of automation facilities. Some problems remain, however, and one of these problems takes a central place in this article. This is the problem of accuracy and continuity: how can yearly I.O. tables be compiled that combine accuracy with consistency over time. Accuracy means here that the tables should be as complete as possible and in optimal accordance with all available information. Consistency over time means that estimates of details of I.O. tables compared with the same estimates for previous years reflect real economic developments. It is obvious that those two demands may conflict, particularly for years in which new information becomes available. It then must be decided whether accuracy or consistency in time deserves priority. What problems result from this decision and what are the consequences for the yearly I.O. tables? The problems arising from the conflicting demands of accuracy and continuity apply to the Netherlands in the last few years. This led to a revision of I.O. tables and national accounts for 1977. This revision resulted in an increase of estimated national income of more than 6 percent. For some components the adjustments have been much larger; this is particularly true for the services sector. More information on the 1977 revision is given in an annex.

Notes: The Wealth-Income Ratio of households, although less known than the capital-product ratio, has not been ignored by economic analysis. But most of the studies concerning this ratio put the stress on one unique cause of variation: the saving ratio of households. Doing so, they neglect other important factors such as the behaviour of households in incurring debt, and the influence of inflation on the variation of nominal income and on capital gains. This paper first provides a simple formula expressing the Wealth-Income Ratio as a function of all these factors. Then it shows, using data from France and United States, that this relationship is a useful tool for analysing the observed evolution of the ratio. Finally, it comes back to the famous question of the “constancy” of the Wealth-Income Ratio in the long run.

Notes: This article on the distribution of wealth among individuals in the United Kingdom presents recent work on the effects of including pension rights and the significance of sex, age and marital status. It describes the rationale for including the accrued rights in occupational and State pension schemes (funded or unfunded) and the methods of estimation used. For funded schemes the rights are valued as the accrued liability of the schemes to their members, and for unfunded schemes similar liabilities are hypothecated; these estimates of the value of accrued pension rights involve assumptions about future earnings and interest rates. The trend in average marketable wealth with age is upwards until advanced years when it slows down or slightly reverses. Adding occupational pension rights only slightly raises the trend for females but has a bigger effect for males. Adding State pension rights raises these upward trends until the age of 60 after which there is a decline. For marketable wealth on the average males are wealthier than females but less wealthy if single, divorced or widowed. Adding occupational pension rights improves the relative position of males; adding State pension rights cancels this out. The effect of marital status rises with both age and sex and therefore a detailed three-way analysis is made. For females widows are on average the wealthiest; for young males the married; for older males the single. Using Theil's coefficient of entropy for comparing the inequality of wealth, the addition of pension rights reduces inequality by two-thirds. Age accounts for only 6 percent of inequality for marketable wealth but for 31 percent if pension rights are included.

Notes: Although consumer durables are treated as nondurables in most economic accounts, economists have long recognized that they could be treated as capital. If an estimate of the value of the services of consumer durables was available, it could be included in personal consumption expenditures and purchases of the durables treated as a form of investment. Such treatment would give a better picture of changes in a nation's economic welfare over time and make international comparisons more meaningful.This article reviews the economic literature on how the services of consumer durables can be valued. It examines six alternative measures: the (1) user cost; (2) capital recovery; (3) opportunity cost; (4) market rental value; (5) cost of a substitute; and (6) cash-equivalent value measures. The first three are based on the summation of the costs of the inputs used to produce the services, although only the first two are consistent with the principle that the purchase price of a durable equals the discounted present value of its expected future benefits. The fourth and fifth measures are based on the prices of marketed services while the sixth is derived from the consumer's demand function for the good's services. The article also discusses six major issues in implementing these measures: (1) imputing a rate of return to capital; (2) measuring declines in market value (depreciation and capital gains); (3) accounting for operating expenditures; (4) adjusting for capacity utilization; (5) deflating service values; and (6) defining consumer durables.

Notes: The major question addressed is the treatment of capital embodied technical progress. Should Obsolescence be deducted to calculate a net stock, or should quality adjustments be made in each vintage of new capital, or both, or neither? In order to estimate the contribution of new investment to growth it is necessary to use a capital stock where different vintages are weighted in proportion to their marginal products. The commonly used gross capital measures do not do this, because they do not allow for the higher marginal product of more modern capital. Such an allowance for capital embodied technical progress can be made either by quality adjusting new capital or by incorporating obsolescence into the valuation of the old capital (but not both). However, even if new capital incorporates an allowance for improved quality, it will still be necessary to revalue the old capital. Frequently, a reasonable approximation to the net capital stock results from a linear decline in quasi-rents and can be approximated by published estimates of the stock of capital net of straight line depreciation. Steady technical progress will not lead to the commonly used exponential service decline functions. To avoid overestimating the return to investment when technology changes it will be necessary to use information on capital embodied technical change to revalue old capital, rather than to change the price indices for new capital.

Notes: Measurements of rates of growth and senescence of leaf lamina per tiller and of changes in tiller population densities were made in three experiments designed to investigate the influence of sward slate on leaf turnover and net production under continuous stocking.In each experiment initially uniform swards were fenced to provide four plots on which animal numbers were adjusted twice weekly to give a series of swards maintained as nearly as possible in a steady state with respect to sward surface height (range 1.1–6.4 cm) and herbage mass (range 440–2690 kg OM ha−1). Two experiments were carried out in July–September on vegetative swards and one in May–June on a reproductive sward. Measurements were begun 3–7 weeks after treatments were started and were repeated weekly during 3–4 week measurement periods.In all three experiments the rate of lamina growth per tiller increased linearly with an increase in sward surface height and herbage mass. In the two experiments conducted in July–August this relationship was partially offset by a linear increase in the rate of senescence per tiller but net production per tiller also increased linearly in relation to sward height and mass. In the experiment conducted in May–June the rates of growth and senescence per tiller increased in parallel so that net production per tiller showed no relationship with sward condition.Tiller population densities in the July–August experiments were highest in swards maintained between 2 and 3 cm surface height and declined in swards maintained above and below this height. In the experiment in May–June tiller numbers were similar in all treatments prior to the summer solstice but diverged in a manner similar to the other experiments later in the year.The rate of lamina growth per unit area increased in a manner consistent with an asymptotic relationship and the rate of senescence increased linearly with increasing sward height and mass in all three experiments. Net production per unit area was reduced on swards below about 2.5 cm in height but was insensitive to variation in sward surface height between 2.5 and 6.0 cm (approximately 1000–2500 kg OM ha−1 herbage mass).The effectiveness of adjustments in tiller numbers and production per tiller and of changes in the balance between growth and senescence as mechanisms of sward homeostatis, together with their implications in the scope for manipulating herbage production by grazing management are discussed briefly.

Notes: There was a three-fold variation in epicuticular wax content between populations of white clover and a five-fold variation between populations of red clover. The mean for all populations of red clovers was twice that of white. There was also a two- to three-fold variation within each population.The epicuticular wax content of white and red clovers grown in the field showed an increase with age. Thin layer chromatography showed no qualitative differences in the epicuticular waxes extracted either between populations or with sampling date.The higher levels of epicuticular wax found in some clovers were considered to be of possible significance as a source of antifoaming compounds in bloat-inducing pastures.

Notes: Differences in ease of digestion of bundle sheath cell walls of leaf blades of Panicum spp. are shown to be associated with differences in bundle sheath cell wall structure, including the presence or absence of a suberized lamella. These structural differences are correlated with photo-synthetic type (viz. C3, intermediate C3/C4, and the C4 types, PCK, NADP-ME and NAD-ME), as are mesophyll: bundle sheath area ratios.

Notes: The construction of a transducer and the use of a recording system to measure jaw movements of grazing sheep is described, The time spent grazing, ruminating and idling may be measured by this equipment and the data produced automatically processed using a microprocessor which determines each minute whether the animal is grazing, ruminating or idling and also summarizes these data to give total times. The accuracy of this technique in relation to manual observation is discussed.

Notes: The effect of two heights of cutting (5 and 8 cm) on the dry matter harvested and persistency of a range of different grass species and varieties were monitored over a 3-year period (1976 to 1978). Dry matter harvested was measured in the second and third harvest year and persistence of sown grass was assessed at the end of the first and third harvest year. The grasses were managed under a frequent cutting system, i.e. simulated grazing. Results showed that at the low cutting height tetraploid hybrid ryegrasses and diploid Italian ryegrasses in the third harvest year gave lower annual dry matter harvests of sown grass and were less persistent than at the high cutting height, whilst, in contrast, perennial ryegrasses gave higher annual harvests of sown grass but persistency was unaffected. In general at the low cutting height varieties of cocksfoot, meadow fescue and tall fescue gave comparatively higher annual harvests of sown grass in the second harvest year but lower yields of sown grass in the third harvest year. A notable exception was Cambria cocksfoot which in the second harvest year gave higher yields of sown grass and was more persistent at the low cutting height.However, at 5 cm cutting height, the proportions of weed grasses (mainly Poa spp.) in swards sown to tetraploid hybrid ryegrasses and diploid Italian ryegrasses were generally greater, particularly in mid-season.

Notes: Laminae of Lolium perenne and Phleum pratense were tested mechanically and the results analysed using engineering composite theory and fracture mechanics. As the lamina dries the fibres double in stiffness. The intervening cells show a sevenfold increase in stiffness below 20% water content (based on dry weight). Work to fracture across the veins is almost independent of water content, but below 50% water content the mode of fracture changes. It is predicted that total fibre content will not affect hay shatter; total protein content may affect it by altering the water-binding properties.

Notes: Grass silages made from first-harvest perennial ryegrass in mid-May and early-June and termed high-D and low-D respectively had mean DOMD values of 694 and 633 g kg−1 and were offered ad libitum to twelve Ayrshire cows in a 16-week feeding experiment using a cyclic changeover design. The silages were supplemented with a concentrate containing 363g CP per kg DM at daily rates of 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 kg per cow. The average daily intakes of silage DM were 12.6 and 11.1 kg per cow on the high- and low-D silage treatments respectively, and were not significantly different on the three concentrate treatments. The mean daily milk yields were 171, 18.6 and 21.0 kg per cow on the low-D silage treatments, and 19.6, 21.2 and 22.8 kg per cow on the high-D silage treatments at the 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 kg rates of concentrate feeding respectively. Fat and lactose concentrations in the milk were not affected significantly by treatment, whereas the CP and SNF concentrations increased progressively and significantly as the rate of supplementary feeding increased. It is concluded that a high-protein concentrate supplement allows silage to make the maximum contribution in the diet, and gives a high response in terms of milk yield and composition.

Notes: Grass which had grown without interruption from late April was cut as for hay in early July in each of 2 years. Fifteen dates of removal of the cut herbage were compared ranging, at 1-d intervals, from the day of cutting to 14 d after cutting. Sward regrowth was studied.A delay of 5 d in removing cut herbage reduced herbage dry matter harvested during the remainder of the growing season by 9% and a delay of 10 d reduced yield by 16%. Delaying the removal of cut herbage reduced the density of grass tillers considerably in the short term, but the effect had worn off in 8 to 12 weeks. The presence of cut herbage reduced the rate of extension of leaf blades considerably. Delaying the removal of cut herbage reduced the area per leaf blade and the weight per unit area and these effects persisted for several weeks. Grass growing under cut herbage had a less negative leaf water potential and a rather cooler but much darker environment in which to grow than uncovered grass.

Notes: Book reviews in this article: Milk from Grass Edited by C. Thomas and J. W. O. Young Nitrogen Fixation in Legumes Edited by J. M. Vincent Herbage Intake Handbook Edited by J. D. Leaver Man's Proper Study By Richard J. Colyer Introduction to Sheep Fanning By R. G. Johnston

Notes: Information about the grazing behaviour and the return of dung to pasture by lactating dairy cows was collected from stocking rate experiments in northern Victoria. Grazing behaviour was observed for 24-h periods in mid-summer in two years. Grazing time increased as herbage allowance decreased to about 32 kg DM cow−1 d−1 but as herbage allowance decreased further grazing time also decreased. A herbage allowance of 32 kg DM cow−1 d−1 corresponded to a stocking rate of about 5.5 cows ha−1. This effect of herbage allowance on grazing time may have been confounded by herbage mass, however. Rumination time of the cows increased by 003 h for each kg increase in herbage allowance while resting time was not affected by treatment.The effects of stocking rate on some of the characteristics of faecal output were measured for a 3-d period in mid-summer. The number of pats deposited per cow daily declined by 0.66 for each unit increase in stocking rate. The fresh weight of dung also declined as stocking rate increased by 0.16 kg per unit of stocking rate. While the values for the amounts of dung deposited on the pasture by the cows at the lower stocking rates are similar to many of those reported in the literature, this study has quantified the way in which stocking rate may influence this in one instance. Furthermore, provided that some measure of herbage intake is made when measurements of dung excretion are performed, it is suggested that estimates of in vivo digestibility can be obtained.

Notes: Two red clover (Trifolium pratense) cultivars, Red Head (tetraploid) and Kuhn (diploid), were sown at a seed rate of 13 kg ha−1 either alone or in mixture with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) cv. RvP sown at seed rates of 10, 15, 20 or 30 kg ha−1. RvP was also sown alone at a seed rate of 30 kg ha−1 and received nil or 300 kg ha−1 fertilizer a−1 fertilizer N. All plots were established using the barley cultivar Midas sown at a seed rate of 100 kg ha−1 as a nurse crop.Neither clover cultivar nor ryegrass seed rate significantly influenced either dry matter harvested or botanical composition over the 3 harvest years. On average over all years the grass-clover mixtures produced 75% of the yield of the N-fertilized RvP, 125% of the clover monocultures and 225% of the unfertilized RvP. The red clover contribution to the total dry matter harvested of the mixtures averaged 45–60%. The dry matter concentrations of the mixtures were considerably higher than those of the pure clover stands. In the third year yields were markedly reduced in comparison with those in the first and second years.It was concluded that Italian ryegrass can be a suitable companion grass for red clover. Its superior yielding capacity over other grasses such as perennial ryegrass or timothy under a conservation management can be coupled to advantage with red clover to give a sward which Is essentially stable, at least over a 2- to 3-year cropping period, although giving slightly reduced yields in the third year. Italian ryegrass-red clover mixtures, without the use of fertilizer N, can produce high DM yields of good quality herbage.

Notes: Red clover cv. Hungaropoly was slot-seeded into a perennial ryegrass-dominant sward in April 1979. Glyphosate and paraquat were applied separately as bandsprays each at two doses and at two band widths. Control plots were either slot-seeded without a herbicide bandspray or received ±150 kg N ha−1 a−1. Red clover establishment was assessed and amounts of dry matter (DM) and total N accumulated were measured at two harvests in 1979 and three harvests in 1980. Bandspraying increased seedling vigour and development and resulted in the eventual replacement of 1 t grass DM ha−1 by an equivalent amount of red clover. Of the treatment variables investigated, bandspray width had the greatest influence on red clover establishment and productivity. The slot-seeded area, meaned for all treatments, produced a total of 6.40 and 13.16 t DM ha−1 in 1979 and 1980. This was estimated to be equivalent to the all-grass sward receiving 112 kg N ha−1 a−1 during the second year of the experiment or 238 kg N ha−1 over the 2 years when measured in terms of N yield. Slot-seeding overcomes several of the problems associated with conventional establishment of red clover.

Notes: Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of pre-harvest treatment by formic acid spray on the moisture concentration (MC) of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) in vegetative growth. In Experiment 1 aqueous solutions containing 0.080, 0.148 and 0.259 kg formic acid per litre were applied to a perennial ryegrass sward (fresh matter yield 21.0 t ha−1) at a constant volume of 41.2 litres t−1to give active ingredient application rates of 3.5, 6.0 and 11.5 kg t−1 respectively. In Experiment 2 similar solutions were applied to a perennial ryegrass sward (fresh matter yield of 6.9 t ha−1) at 35.2, 19.0 and 10.9 litres t−1 respectively to give a constant formic acid application of 2.8 kg t−1. The changes in MC and chemical composition after treatment with acid were compared with those in untreated plotsIn both experiments treatment with acid significantly reduced the MC (P 〈 0.001) within 5 h of treatment from 4.4 to 3.0 kg per kg of dry matter (DM) in Experiment 1 and from 3.0 to 2.6 kg per kg DM in Experiment 2. There was no effect of level of acid applied in Experiment 1 or of the volume of water applied with the low level of acid in Experiment 2 on the changes in MC of acid-treated plots. There was however a significant (P 〈 0.00l) difference between the MC of plots treated with acid and those untreated which was maintained in Experiment I for up to 9 d even during rainfall.There were no differences between the chemical compositions of samples from acid-treated plots in either Experiment I or 2 or between untreated and acid-treated plots in Experiment 2. However there were significant differences between untreated and acid-treated plots in Experiment 1 for the content of nitrogen (N), water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and digestible organic matter (DOM). There were changes in the content of N, WSC and DOM with time in both experiments. In Experiment I there was an interaction between sampling time and treatment for both N and WSC but not for DOM. Compared with untreated plots, treatment with acid at all levels accelerated the loss of WSC and delayed the fall in N content. There were no such interactions in Experiment 2.

Notes: Awned seeds of four grasses were submitted to humidity changes on dry and damp soil to see how far the awns assisted in distribution and seed burial. The results indicate that awns on their own are probably of limited importance. In another study, seeds of seven species were soaked in water with high or low oxygen levels to determine whether dormancy could be induced. Waterlogging delayed germination briefly but did not induce dormancy except in Avena fatua. Oxygen level proved unimportant. The effect of temperature on germination and dormancy was examined in seeds of Agrostis capillars. Seeds of this species germinated best at fluctuating temperatures with a minimum difference of 10°C between day and night temperatures. Constant or slightly fluctuating temperatures over 20°C or under 10°C induced dormancy in a small percentage of seeds.

Notes: Changes in the population of stem-boring Dipterous larvae (including Oscinella frit) were examined weekly for a year on plots of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. S24). The herbage net regrowth rate of these plots and of plots receiving the pesticide, phorate, was also monitored. Herbage net regrowth rates were greatest in April and October. At the same times the differences in net regrowth between treated and untreated plots were greatest, thus indicating the periods of the greatest loss of production due to pest damage to the sward.Populations of stem-boring larvae fell below 100 m−2 for only 4 weeks in the year and were maximal in autumn and early winter. Larval mortality exceeded 50% during the winter period. A correlation was found between larval activity and sward damage.

Notes: Swards of Phalaris aquatica-Trifolium subterraneum were subjected to four defoliation treatments—zero, low (11 sheep ha−1) and high (22 sheep ha−1) stocking rates, and weekly cutting. At high stocking rate the annual grass Hordeum leporinum dominated while clover was dominant at low and zero stocking rates. Weekly cutting suppressed species other than clover and so failed to simulate grazing.There were similarities in net herbage production between zero and lightly grazed swards and between heavily grazed and repeatedly cut swards. Net herbage production decreased in the order undisturbed sward 〈 lightly grazed sward 〈 heavily grazed sward 〈 repeatedly cut sward.When sheep grazed swards where herbage mass was low their daily consumption of herbage, and therefore liveweight change, depended on their recent grazing experience. Sheep accustomed to swards where herbage mass was low ate more because they grazed for much longer each day than unaccustomed sheep, although they selected a diet of similar digestibility.

Notes: A preliminary field experiment on a sward cut six times during 1978 indicated that total grass herbage harvested was negatively related to the number of Rumex obtusifolius plants present; densities of five to ten plants m−2 resulted in reductions of up to 30%, although the total quantity of herbage harvested (including Rumex) may have remained constant. However, R. obtusifolius densities did not significantly affect grass yield during the first half of the growing season. A negative relationship between R. obtusifolius ground cover and grass yield, particularly from late July onwards, was shown in a second field experiment during 1979 and 1980 using a 3-cut management. It was estimated that to produce a 20% reduction in grass growth in July-August and October, R. obtusifolius ground covers of 30% and 20% respectively were needed. Sixty per cent of the total herbage harvested in 1980 consisted of R. obtusifolius. These results indicate the damage that can be caused by this species and suggest that control measures should be taken before early summer.

Notes: A total of 104 cultivars of six agricultural grass species were compared under controlled conditions for their relative susceptibility to the common soil-borne fungus Fusarium culmorum (W.G.Sm.) Sacc. A number of the perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) cultivars showed a high degree of resistance, their emergence being little reduced under the stringent test conditions. The emergence of others was, however, severely affected. Italian ryegrass (L. multiflorum) cultivars generally had a high level of resistance, the outstanding exception being cv. Leda Daehnfeldt which proved very sensitive. None of the cultivars of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata), timothy (Phleum pratense), meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis) or tall fescue (F. arundinaceae) which were tested had more than a moderate level of resistance and most were highly susceptible.The vigour of ryegrass seedlings was, in most cases, closely correlated with percentage emergence but was less closely correlated in the more susceptible species. These often had a very low emergence but those seedlings which did establish were frequently of a size similar to that of healthy plants.Treatment of grass seed with a fungicide mixture of benomyl (15% a.i.) plus captan (60% a.i.) provided excellent protection against F. culmorum on even the most susceptible cultivars.Drazoxolon (40% a.i.) was, however, much less effective.

Notes: In field trials in 1979–81, perennial ryegrass cultivars Royal and Majestic (amenity) and Morenne (agricultural) produced maximum seed yields at levels of applied N ranging from 40 kg ha−1 to 160 kg ha−1. Available soil N levels were estimated at 55 kg ha−1; hence maximum seed yields were obtained at total nitrogen levels of 95–135 kg ha−1 in Royal, 95–215 kg ha−1 in Morenne, and 175–215 kg ha−1 in Majestic.Applied N at rates above 120 kg ha−1 either reduced or did not significantly increase seed yield, decreased seed numbers per unit area and decreased spikelets per tiller and seeds per spikelet.The use of a growth regulator increased seed yields by preventing lodging, but did so irrespective of nitrogen application rate. It is suggested that failure to increase seed yield at high N rates is a result not of poor pollination because of lodging, but seed abortion as a consequence of competition for assimilate supply by secondary vegetative tillers.

Notes: Swards were developed from plants of contrasting populations of Dactylis glomerata L. selected for high and low dry-matter (DM) production in monocultures and mixed cultures grown during 1970 and 1971. DM production of these mono-genotype swards was assessed during 1974. Those swards developed from the divergent selections from monocultures maintained a significant difference between the high and low selections, whereas those developed from selections out of mixed cultures showed no significant difference in yield. These results are consistent with earlier reports that there is no positive relationship between competitive ability in mixed cultures and vigour in pure stands. The implications of the physiological basis of these responses in terms of grass breeding are discussed.

Notes: The appearance of successive leaves on labelled tillers of S24 perennial ryegrass, and their subsequent death, were monitored for 1 year on cut plots on which four levels of N fertilizer were applied.A new leaf appeared about once every 15 d from the end of April until the beginning of September, and about once every 52 d from the end of October to the middle of February. Rate of appearance changed rapidly during September and October, and again from mid-February until the end of April. The response of leaf appearance rate to temperature changed early in the year; the effect of overwintering is discussed.Leaf lifespan was 50–60 d in summer and 120–140 d in autumn and early winter, and was influenced by conditions either during expansion of the leaf or shortly afterwards.The results are discussed in relation to the construction of a model to describe changes in the herbage available to animals grazing a grass sward.

Notes: A mathematical model which simulates the potential production and utilization of herbage on perennial ryegrass and grass-white clover swards in the context of an 18-month beef enterprise is described. Using the model the potential costs and benefits of replacing grass by grass-clover mixtures have been determined. Potentially grass-clover swards receiving no fertilizer N are shown to have annual DM yields equivalent to ryegrass swards receiving at least 300 kg N ha −1. Apart from the benefits of reduced fertilizer N usage there appear to be indirect benefits related to a lower concentrate requirement per head. In consequence, from an economic viewpoint grass-clover swards potentially compare very favourably with heavily fertilized grass swards, even if account is taken of the opportunity costs of lower stocking rates associated with grass-clover systems. However, this conclusion awaits experimental confirmation.

Notes: Earlier studies have concluded that for a dairy enterprise the most profitable conservation strategy, where cutting and grazing areas are separate, is generally associated with relatively low-digestibility silage. The aim of this study has been to investigate whether this conclusion remains true where cutting and grazing are integrated. A mathematical model of grass production and utilization by a dairy enterprise has been developed from information collected from a variety of experimental sources. It was found that cutting strategies aimed at making low-digestibility silage could not automatically be regarded as the most profitable. In good grass-growing conditions strategies resulting in low-digestibility silage did appear to offer the highest gross margins per unit area, but under average and poor growth conditions the greatest profits were associated with high-digestibility silage strategies. In particular, it was noted that the timing and frequency of conservation cuts influenced the efficiency with which grass could be utilized on the grazing areas and this fact rather than yield of conserved material influenced the comparative biological and economic efficiency of the different cutting strategies.

Notes: A study was conducted to determine the influence of herbage mass under continuous stocking management with sheep on rates of herbage growth (G), senescence (S) and net production of green herbage (NP) in a mixed-species sward of Lolium perenne. Poa annua and Trifolium repens. Plots were maintained in as nearly constant herbage mass as possible at 500, 700, 1000 and 1700 kg organic matter (OM) ha−1 by continuous but variable stocking with sheep for the period May to July inclusive. Estimates of G, S and NP were obtained for each species from repeated measurements over two 2-week periods on individually identified grass tillers or clover stolons. Estimates of species population densities enabled estimates of G. S and NP per unit area to be made.Rates of G were higher and of S were lower for Lolium tillers and Trifolium stolons than for Poa tillers. The laminae of Poa tillers occupied inferior positions in the canopy of the swards maintained at higher herbage masses and were less accessible to the grazing animals, so that Poa tissue was less well utilized.The total population densities of tillers and stolons declined at herbage masses both above and below 700 kg OM ha−1. The rate of G for the three species combined increased with herbage

Notes: The most likely reasons for seeding failures of sod-seeded lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) were determined from eight field experiments, where the effects of a range of pesticides on the establishment of and damage to lucerne were compared. The experiments were conducted during 1979–80 at four sites near Ithaca, N.Y., USA. Pesticides evaluated were: methyl bromide (MeBr), carbofuran, acylalanine (1979, 1980); fonofos, diazinon, methiocarb, metaldehyde and combinations of carbofuran with methiocarb or metaldehyde (1980). Seeded areas were pretreated with glyphosate for vegetation control.In 1979 seedling losses were decreased by carbofuran and methyl bromide whereas in 1980 seedling losses were decreased by methyl bromide at two sites and by methiocarb at all sites. Methiocarb was the only pesticide to reduce defoliation damage. The effect of combining methiocarb and metaldehyde each with carbofuran tended to be additive in terms of reducing seedling numbers and damage, and increasing yield. Treatment effects on lucerne yield were still apparent up to 12 months after seeding. Based on the consistent results of methiocarb, it was concluded that molluscs were probably the main factor limiting the establishment of sod-seeded lucerne but an arthropod component also appeared to be involved.

Notes: Book Reviews in this article: Silage in Milk Production By A. J. Corrall, H. D. St C. Neal and J. M. Wilkinson Sward Measurement Handbook Edited by J. Hodgson, R. D. Baker, Alison Davies, A. S. Laidlaw and J. D. Leaver Managing Agricultural Systems By G. E. Dalton

Notes: Faeces of cattle, pronghorn and rabbit were collected from the Central Plains Experimental Range, Colorado, 6, 18 and 30 months after being excreted. The faecal material was placed in moistened potting soil and seedling emergence observed. Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama grass) and Sporobolus cryptandrus (sand drop seed), emerged in abundance from cattle dung. Emergence of B. gracilis decreased with increasing period of exposure before collection, but emergence of S. cryptandrus increased with exposure. Forbs dominated the seedling populations in pronghorn dung, and few seedling populations of any species emerged from rabbit dung. The results are discussed in relation to the effect of large herbivores on the establishment of species from seed in rangeland.

Notes: The effect of temperature on the nutritive value of Macroptilium atropurpureum cv. Siratro and line 10–105 was determined in a controlled environment at day/night temperatures of 24/18, 30/24 and 36/30°C, and a 13-h daylength. Estimated dry matter digestibility, cell wall and lignin concentrations of leaf, stem and stubble were measured in two 5-week regrowth cuts.Siratro and line 10–105 were similar in digestibility and responded similarly to temperature with whole tops, stem and stubble decreasing by an average of 0.0023, 0.0026 and 0.0056 units of digestibility for each 1°C rise in growth temperature. These changes reflect the increase in cell wall and lignin concentrations with higher temperature.The digestibility of young, just-expanded leaves was increased by increased growth temperature. This effect may be explained by the faster rate of leaf expansion at high temperature which reduced cell wall and lignin concentrations at this stage of leaf development. However, for the bulk leaf fraction digestibility was unaffected by temperature. Leafiness declined at high temperatures.

Notes: This second paper concerned with effects of prolonged spring defoliations on two early perennial ryegrass varieties (Cropper and RvP Hay Pasture), an intermediate perennial ryegrass (Talbot) and an early cocksfoot (Roskilde) examines the effects of different closing dates on ear emergence, weekly DOMD (in vitro) and conservation yields. The grasses were mown fortnightly to simulate sheep grazing from January until three closing dates, 19 April, 3 May or 17 May, in 1978 and 1979. A set of plots was left undefoliated. All plots were sampled weekly from 2 or 3 weeks after 17 May until the end of June or early July.Prolonged mowing resulted in a small delaying effect on 50% ear emergence of the ryegrasses. The maximum delay was 3 d with the latest closing date. Under this treatment, ear emergence of the cocksfoot was delayed by an average of 12 d but by only 0–4 d under the earlier closing dates. Delay in date of closing caused a significant delay in the time to reach a given DOMD but the effect was largely confined to the latest closing date and was greatest for the cocksfoot. The time when 670 g kg−1 DOMD was reached was delayed in the ryegrasses by no more than 5 d, except for a 12-d delay in the intermediate ryegrass in 1978 following the late closing date. Under this treatment the delay for the cocksfoot was 8 d in both years. The early ryegrasses produced stemmy regrowths.

Notes: For the 2 years 1977 and 1978 Masham ewes grazed a perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. S24) pasture from the beginning of April until the end of September each year. Twelve ewes were allocated to each of the three stocking rate treatments, 12 (L), 16 (M) and 20 (H) ewes per ha. Each treatment was rotationally grazed around six paddocks with a forward creep for the lambs. Conservation cuts were taken from each treatment in late May and were generally sufficient to cover a 3-month winter feeding period for treatments L and M but were always insufficient for treatment H. Lambing took place at pasture during the second half of May. No concentrates were fed to the ewes during late pregnancy or lactation but lamb birth weights (4–8 kg) and lamb growth rates over the first 4 weeks (240 g d−l) were satisfactory. Organic matter intakes (OMI)of grass by the pregnant ewes(1816,1844 g OMI ewe−1) were not affected by the stocking rate. Intake of grass by the lactating ewes was affected by year and by stocking rate. The overall growth rate of lambs was higher on treatment L than either M or H but decreased on all treatments during the latter half of the grazing season, resulting in 43% of L and only 3% of M and H lambs being fit for slaughter by the end of September. The main features of this time of lambing are low costs and the production of predominantly store lambs.

Notes: A trial was carried out to investigate whether or not sheep grazing at stocking rates of 22 (low) and 44 (high) ha−1 select red clover from a red clover-perennial ryegrass sward, The distribution of botanical and morphological components was assessed in consecutive 5-cm layers through the canopy inside and outside exclosure cages moved every 2 weeks for 6 weeks. The difference between inside and outside cages for a given layer was an indication of the amount of each component consumed from that position in the sward, and the corresponding difference for clover content was considered an indication of selection.Evidence of selection was observed over the third and fourth weeks of grazing, especially in the high stocking rate treatment. Laminae of red clover were selected in preference to other plant parts and were grazed throughout the depth of the canopy in contrast to grass. The basal layer at the high stocking rate during weeks 5 and 6 was not grazed suggesting that the crown of red clover may be protected from severe overgrazing by accumulation of dead matter.It was concluded that the low herbage density of red clover-grass swards allowed the occurrence of selection which was most pronounced when the sward was being grazed down relatively quickly.

Notes: An attempt was made to determine monetary values for grass which might be used by researchers to assess the likely economic implications of their findings. It is shown that the value of extra grass production will vary considerably depending on the use made of it. At 1982 price levels, estimated values for grass in the field ranged from 1–4 to 10–6 pence kg−1 DM, with a modal value around 3–5 pence kg−1 DM. At the same time, the seasonal distribution of the extra grass production is important since the value of extra grass at different points in the growing season may vary markedly. The way in which these values for grass may be used is illustrated, using as an example weed control during sward establishment. Finally, the sensitivity of investment returns to changes in the value placed on grass is discussed. Extreme caution is necessary in drawing general conclusions about benefits and costs from an evaluation based on a specific value for grass.

Notes: In three separate feeding experiments using a total of twenty-six individually-housed Ayrshire cows, three wilted silages made from Blanca white clover were offered ad libitum with either different supplements or different proportions of grass silage. The clover silages contained 680 g white clover kg−1 on a DM basis, and had a mean DM concentration of 263 g kg−1 with 231 g CP kg−1 DM and 91 g ammonia-N kg−1 N. The pH values averaged 4·16 and the DOMD concentrations 611 g kg−1. In experiment 1 the daily intake of clover silage given alone was 15.2 kg DM per cow, i.e. 30·1 g kg−1 live weight, and decreased by 0·76 kg DM kg−1 barley DM and by 0·66 kg DM kg−1barley plus soybean meal DM when these feeds were offered as supplements. Milk yield and fat concentration were higher on the supplement treatments than on the clover silage-only treatment. In experiments 2 and 3 the intakes of silage and total DM increased as the weight of clover in the diet increased from 0 to 700 g kg−1 with parallel increases in milk yield. The effects on milk composition were small and generally non-significant. Although white clover silages with excellent fermentations were made, it is concluded that the main role of white clover in a silage system will be in mixed swards with grass to reduce the input of fertilizer N and to increase the voluntary intake of silage.

Notes: This is the second of two articles which bring together two aspects of industrial relations: the practice of arbitration and the disclosure of financial information at general pay claim references. This article reports and discusses the findings of a mailed questionnaire survey of ACAS arbitrators and offers some general conclusions.

Notes: The most comprehensive attempt to relate differences between or typologies of shop stewards to other factors has been the research undertaken by Batstone et alia. This article reconsiders and amends their typology.

Notes: This article argues that managerial control over industrial relations is becoming more centralised. Managers are deliberately following a strategy which balances elements of centralisation and decentralisation. There are implications both for management and for the future study of single employer bargaining.

Notes: Recently, the conciliation role of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service in the settlement of some prominent disputes has attracted wide press and television coverage. This article examines the extent and conduct of what is still a relatively unknown aspect of ACAS' work.

Notes: The fire service would seem to an outsider an excellent area for industrial unionism; several unions exist but only the major union, the FBU, is a TUC affiliate. This article analyses the problems that have led to conflict between the representative organisations within the uniformed ranks of fire service employees.

Notes: Flexible hours systems are traditionally regarded as shifting control towards employees although British Rail's ‘flexible rostering’ is correctly seen as increasing management control of the pattern of hours worked. This article discusses such systems in their industrial relations context and considers the potential for a ‘split control’ approach.

Notes: Here the author reviews a new wave of research in how shop stewards actually operate in the workplace. He presents a selection of findings from a study conducted in several manufacturing companies which suggests that the shop steward operates in an essentially dynamic environment.

Notes: Institutionalised collective bargaining can be seen as a limited vehicle for the promotion of workers' demands. This detailed participantobserver case study in a plant in northern New Jersey describes the process of a wildcat strike and evaluates its efficacy as a means of advancing important aspects of workers' interests outside the conventional, institutional channels.

Notes: Book reviews in this article: WORKERS AND THE NEW DEPRESSION Robert Taylor THE BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS: SOME PROBLEMS OF INTEGRATION A. Thomson and M. Warner Gower THE CAUSES OF INDUSTRIAL DISORDER: A COMPARISON OF A BRITISH AND A GERMAN FACTORY Ian Maitland THE DYNAMICS OF WHITE-COLLAR UNIONISM: A STUDY OF LOCAL UNION PARTICIPATION Nigel Nicholson

Notes: The management of redundancy has always posed difficult industrial relations problems. As the recession has deepened these problems have of course become far more widespread. This article explores aspects of redundancy from the standpoints of employers and employees.