10 years ago

- It was revealed the Highland Show's showground could be under threat as a result of outline proposals to construct a second runway at Edinburgh airport. The site owners pledged to resist any moves which would result in Ingliston losing land. Although the new runway would bring jobs to the area, it was believed it would have economic consequences since the venue attracts 1m visitors each year.

- Europe's ban on antibiotic growth promoters used in intensive farming had not produced the expected improvements in human health, according to research carried out by the European Federation of Animal Health.

They claimed: "None of the expected human health benefits have materialised."

- Milk price increases, coupled with a dip in the quota price, offered a good opportunity to cash in on marginal milk production in the winter of 2002.

This advice was given by ADAS Dairy Group, which pointed out that, historically, the milk price, less leasing costs has been around 13p/litre in a year when the UK was close to or above quota.

25 years ago

- Welcoming the Government's amended farm woodland scheme, Scottish NFU vice-president John Goodfellow claimed the union's message on farm woodlands had been substantially accepted.

- Poultry producers were encouraged to expand further by Neville Wallace, director-general of the British Poultry Federation.

He told broiler growers attending their agm that any decision to peg production at the present level would only result in the market being put further under siege from abroad.

- Keeping a bull would cost around £650 a year, farmers were warned by English Milk Marketing Board's AI organisation. Tony Poole, claimed in an article in the board's journal that if a herd had a tight calving pattern, a bull could expect to cover 60 cows. If that calving pattern was spread, this went up to about 100 cows. The cost was therefore in the range of £6.50 to £10.80 per cow in calf.

50 years ago

- It was said that three good Scottish products future less and less prominently in the farming scene. They were oats, farm workers and draught horses. The latter had dwindled so far that they did not figure with other livestock in the annual census of Scottish agriculture. As far as farm workers were concerned the census revealed that in 1962 there were almost 4000 fewer regular farm workers than there were in 1961 and most of the loss has been men. The oat acreage, though still the largest devoted to any crop shrunk steadily, to the tune of 63,000 acres compared with the previous year.

100 years ago

- Popular household columnist Gretchen gave some advice for a children's nightgown, she wrote: "For a winter nightgown that will keep covered the legs of a kicking child, make it in the usual way, fastening up the back; then convert the lower half into drawers by cutting it up to the middle, slope a very little of the material out, stitch round, and finish with wide bands at the ankle. The legs cannot become uncovered with this garment, as is regularly the case with ordinary nightgowns, and the ordinary child."