The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard

SEED FROM SPRING CROPS. [From the Mark Lane Express."] It is now, or within the next few weeks, that the effects of the unfortunate harvest of 1838 will be most fully realised. Farmers are making preparations for the sowing of spring crops which, roughly speaking, constitute some three-fourths of the entire cereal crop of the United Kingdom. Field operations are further advanced than is often the ca=e at this season of the year, and the chief anxiety for the present is with regard to the quality of I the seed from last year's crop. By an unfortunate combination of circumstances this p anxiety spreads itself over the whole of the British Islands. The Northern farmer has, in recent years, borne the brunt of the harvest misfortunes but those of 1888, if scarcely less severe on high-lying farms, were more evenly distributed than usual over the country. The earlier districts, with their kindlier climate, had the advantage during the summer months, but autumn so completely reversed the condition of things that upland and lowland farmers alike approach the seeding season of 1889 with rather exceptional uneasiness. Tha select,ion of sr.fiH will he n. rliffifnlfc nnr? rlmiKffnl The sleetinn of !P,r! will he n rliffifnlfc "n rlmiKffnl matter. Even grain that seemed tolerably good and sound when stacked is in many cases turning out disappointingly when dressed. This circumstance points to the importance of having the vitality of the corn thoroughly tested before it is committed to the soil. It is just possible that in sample it may look fairly healthy and yet prove defective seed. It would therefore be well that every farmer should satisfy himself as to its fruitfulnes;i before risking it, because there is very probability of another trying spring after such a mild winter, and it is doubtful as yet as to whether the soil owing to the absence of frost, will be in the best condition for its reception. A great many farrrers will require to buy seed. They cannot depend on home-grown grain. Where this is the "Case let all vigilance attend the transaction. A change of seed is to be commended now and again, but it h:18, we regret to say, been more a matter of necessity than commendation for some years past. This will be the ninth or tenth time in the course of eleven or twelve years in which seed has had to be procured from earlier districts in some of the higher lying parts of Scotland. The changing of seed, as a rule, is greatly undervalued by farmers, and as a natural consequence it is not so widely practised as it should be. In buying seed it is well that it should come from an earlier to a later climate. Attention to this point has enabled some northern farmers to greatly counteract the natural tendencies of ttvvr late farms as well as to raise grain of superior quality. Another essential point in purchasing seed is to know the character of the soil that produced it. Let it come, if possible from a lighter soil, i.e., from gravelly laud to clays or loam, and the result of such a change will prove its wisdom in one year's time. It is noteworthy that a frequent changing is more necessary in wheat and oats than in barley. The latter, which occupies the third place as regards its extent of cultivation in the British Islands, does not degenerate so readily as the other two cereals mentioned by repeated growth on the same land, yet it would be unwise to use the same grain for a long succession of years on the same farm. In changing seed, farmers should have satis- factory assurance that the grain is perfectly reliable. They, of course, can put it to the test as we have suggested themselves, but it cannot be too well tried. The testing process, which the average farmer has con- venience of carrying out, may differ so widely as regards temperature and moisture from natural conditions of the soils as to make all the difference between an 85 per cent. germination and no germination at all. Many farmers have quantities of the oat crop of 1886 still on hand. They retained it in the hope of getting better prices by and by. Now. in such circumstances as those by which we are. at present surrounded, there is a strong temptation to fall back IOn old grain in order to economise in the purchase of seed. This practice cannot, be commended. Grain may not necessarily lose much of its vitality from lying in a well-kept granary for a year or so, but there is no doubt it decreases in strength, and nothing but the strongest and best seed available should be sown in order to fortify the young plants as far as possible against the abrasions of a tyrannous spring. Whether the feed be home-grown or imported, it should be sown a little thicker than usual. Thick sowing is not always desirable, but from half a bushel to a bushel extra per acre, especially in the case of oats, might be the means of averting thin and irregular brairding. Then every attention should be given to the dressing of the grain. A thorough dressing will remove any positively dormant seed. The time of sowing must, of course, ba governed by circumstances. Much diversity of opinion exists on thio point, but we are strongly in favour of early sowing, especially as the latter end of April and the month of May are usually so trying upon the tender plants as they are just beginning to peer through the soil. With barley at least, the earliest sowings, as a rule, produce the best quality of grain.

REVIEW OF THE BRITISH CORN TRADE. Propitious, if somewhat cbscure, causes have pre- vented the autumn-sown wheat from growing as rapidly Nt a wet November, followed by an almost frostless December and January, might have led us to expect. Nevertheless, the state of the plant is now such that a mild February would be much to he regretted. Continued mild weather must inevitably increase the chances of serious mjury from frost later on. We note a slight but appreciable demand for seed wheat in the north-east of England and in Scotland, so that the wheat area in these parts is likely to be increased a little from its present ex- tent. Owing to the absence of frost this winter, plough- ing is laborious and the land heavy. The deliveries of English wheat have been heavy, the weather having favoured gtbreshii-, and the hope of higher prices prevailing before the close of winter being much reduced through the influence of the almost spring- like mildness of the season. The range in price of Eng- lish wheat samples is unusually extensive, inferior gram being offered at as low a price as 26s., while 10s, above that level is made for sound wheat 63 lb. to the bushel, and 23s. difference prevails between the worst of 1888 and the best of 1887 wheat. The fine crop of the Jubilee year, however, is exhausted all but a few thousand qrs., scattered up and down the country. When any of these find their way to market, millers are ready purchasers at a satisfactory price. On the ordinary samples of 1888 corn offered at the recent markets a decline of Is. per qr. must be quoted. The Imperial average of English wheat at the 187 statute markets last week was 59,3141 qrs. at 30s. Id. per qr., against 62,9412 qrs. at 30s. lOd. per qr. in the corresponding week of last year. The London average for the week ended with Tuesday was 30s. 9d. per qr. on 449 ars. The small sales and the decline of Is. 2d. per qr. in trie piice afford sufficient commentary on the state of Mark Lane with respect to home-grown grain. The price of flour has been reduced 6d. per sack for both American and English descriptions in London and Liverpool, but there in a majority of country centres at which no charge can be recorded.-Mark- Lane Express.

o FEEDING PIGS. It requires 13*80 Jb. of skim milk to produce lIb. of Eork when fed with maizemeal in ration 11-7 to fattening ogs. 2. Skim milk could not be economically fed to fattening hoes, unless it were a waste product which could not be otherwise utilised. 3. It required on an average 4! lb. of maize to produce lIb. of pork during an average period of four weeks, or one bushel produced 1 lb. 4. It required 4-h lb. of meal to produce 1 lb of pork, or one bushel of maize made into meal and fed produced 1 lb. of pork. 5. When friven dry, maize is more economical than maizemeal for fattening hogs. 6. It requires 7% lb. or one-fourth bushel of ground oats to pro- duce 1 lb. of pork, when fed with equal parts by weight of maizemeal. 7. One bashel of maize is worth nearly three bushels of oats as food for fattening hogs. 8. Maize- fed pijjs gained about 4J lb per week, and ate about 21 lb. of maize per 100 lb. of live-weight. 9. An insufficient food supply for two weeks caused a very considerable loss in feeding thereafter. 10. Indian corn is the most economical pork-producing material during the winter months in regions where it is extensively grown.-T.H., ia Afa?k Lane Express.

ADVANTAGES OF FACTORIES. The advantages of factories over farmers' dairies are that in a district where, we will suppose, there are twenty dairies, none of them over six miles from a given centre, with fair roads-we will also suppose that one half the batter of these dairies is good, the other half middling from various causes (this, according to our market records, is nVwe the average quantity of good bdter as sent to mark-* and that these dairies are turn- ing out during the SPI ing months from 201b. to 1501b. of butter per week—here are twenty people, at least, labouring with very little relaxation every day of the week and, under the most favourable circumstances, at slushy work. Then in most cases there has to be one member of the family sent off one day every week to take the produce to market, so that we can safely say there are twenty- five people employed in making and selling the produce of these twenty dairies. Now we will still further sup- pose that these twenty dairies produce about 1.000 gallons of milk per day, and that the owners of these aerree to put up a small building in a central position for all to take their milk to before eight o'clock in the morn- ing. fix up one or two cream separators, a chum and butter worker, engage a man and a boy or girl-this will be ample to do the work. Separate the cream, give the farmer back his skimmed milk for calf or pig feeding, say at £ d. per gallon, and he can be back on the farm by ten o'clock, ready for any other work waiting his return. The factory men having by this time converted the cream of the previous day into butter, it is packed in boxes, and it can be on its way either to the Melbourne or London market, and at the end of the month the twenty farmers can divide the profits, minus the man's and the girl's wages. Here is a, real instance of the saving of an enormous amount of worry and labour. But that is not all. A more im- portant change has taken place. Instead of having twenty different samples and qualities of butter, packed in as many different utensils, thus prohibiting them from being exported, you have, or ought to have, one even and large line of good butter, in suitable packages and weights for either foreign or local coniumption.-I). WILSON, Melbourne.

FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND.—Mail advices just received from New Zealand show that a* early as the beginning of December, in consequence of the drought in Australia, the prices of farm produce had gone up in some cases be- yond the value of the same in England. The best oats were worth 358. a quarter in Lyttelton, whereas the highest quotation for New Zealand oats in London is 32s. Wheat in the Colony wa.s selling as high as 3Ss., as com- pared with 41s. for the best New Zealand wheat in Lon- don. It was difficult to get potatoes in Christchurch at less than 8t. a ton. as compared with 31. to Gl. in London. Grinding barley had gone up 100 per cent., and the prices of peas, beans, and dairy produce had greatly advanced. With a g«od harvest the position of farmers in the Colony would be prosperous beyond any recent eirperience, but, unfortunately, the season has been very wet and cold, so that prospects are doubtful. IMPORTATION OF DRESSED MEAT.—The importation of dressed meat from South America and Australir6 seems to be rapidly increasing. Eight years ago the East and West India Docks Company fitted up a small hulk to contain 8,000 carcases of mutton. Three years later a barque was appropriated to the same service to store 12,000, and now a large warehouse has been fitted for the same purpose, raising the aggregate capacity of the three depots to over 100,000. Every part of these several estab- lishments is now full, and the company is about to increase the accommodation. NCMRER or SILOS TN BRITAIN.—A return of silos has again been obtained, from which it appears that the number in Great Britain is now 2,667 as compared with 2.694 in 1887, while their total cnpacity is greater by 1-14,301 cubic feet. It is mentioned that eighty of these silos will not, however, be used this year. In addition to the total number of silos, here referred to, 1,275 persons say that they, propose to make ensilage in stacks. The number of those who stated that they adopted this method last year was 1.362. According to some of the reports it is believed that had the returns relating to silos been deferred for a few weeks, the numbers given would have shown an increase, but, for the purpose of obtaining this further information closely without delaying the other returns, a separate collection would have been necessary. A NEW BARLEY.—A specimen of the Goldthorpe Barley" has just been sent me from its propagator, Mr Dyson. Am I speaking intelligibly ? Probably Gold- thorpe Barley may be a new name—a never-heard-of name—to some of our readers. If so, the estrangement must be got over, for it is a variety of grain which should be very popular with farmers. It has a peculiarly square formation of head, which is large and of beautiful quality, while the straw is unusually long. Mr Dyson speaks for himself :—" The way I became possessed of it is this A few years ago I found one head among my barley, and I searched for days and could not find another like it and from that one head last year I grew over 60 acres. and it has not 11 varied in shape and style.—" Mark Lane Express." WHEAT IN INDIA.—Official reports on the wheat crops have not been received from four out of the five most ex- teusive producing Provinces in India, and one other. In the Punjaub the area sown is estimated at 6,046,200 acres as compared with 6,756,000 acres harvested last year but it is pointed out that the area sown last year was under- estimated. and that it is probably the same again, so that the harvest area is likely to be about equal to that of last season. The crop is described as in excellent coadition. In the North-Western Provinces and Oudh the area is a little more than that of last year but prospects are des- cribed as, on the whole, rather low. In the Central Pro- vinces the condition of the crop varies greatly in connec- tion with the rainfall, which has deficient in most districts. The report from Bombay is also unfavourable. In the British districts the area of the crop is about 600,000 acres less than that of last year, and its condition is said to be good in only one district. The seed was sown very late, and wheat never does well in Bombay under such circumstances. In Berar the acreage is less than it was a year ago, while the condition is described as good. DEATH OF A WKLL-KXOWN AGRICULTURIST.—Mr James Howard, the well-known agriculturist and breeder, and senior member of the firm of J. and F. Howard, of the Britannia Agricultural Ironmongers, Bedford, died on Frida". in London, of apoplexy. He was last week elected unopposed on the County Council for Bedford-, shire. Deceased, who was in his sixty-eighth year, repre- sented Bedford as a Liberal from 1868 to 1874, and Bed- fordshire from 1880 to 1885. Mr Howard, who had acted as president of the Farmers' Alliance, had written several works on agricultural matters, was chairman of the Bed- ford and Northampton Railway, and had served as High Sheriff of Bedfordshire. An inquest was held on Tues- day afternoon at St. Pancras, fLondon, by Dr Danford Thomas. The deceased was found dead in bed at the Midland Hotel, St. Pancras. last Friday, having been seen alive an hour previously by A waiter. A medical examination showed that death was the result of apoplexy and effusion of blood on the brain.—The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the doctors' testimony. DAIRY PRODUCE.—At the annual meeting of the Derby- shire Dairy Farmers' Association on Friday, the Com- mittee repotted that the season had been favourable for the production of milk and the price had, except in a few instances, had been kept up, although it was still far from being satisfactory. They had reason to believe that the pressure of outsiders in the production of milk would be decreased, owing to better prices being obtained for store and fat stock, and that it was only necessary for the growing of corn to become more remunerative for many farmers, who have in arable districts gone into the milk trade, to give it up, and thus lessen the supply. ALLOTMENTS.—The Holbeach Rural Sanitary Authority is the first public body in Lincolnshire that has set the Allotments Act in motion. On Friday, the members n"rchased thirteen and a-half acres of grass land at Whaplode, at 69s. per acre, and it is to be let in allot- ments. This step was taken at the request of the labourers of the village, who offered to become tenants at 23 10s. per acre. The same Authority is in treaty for' land for similar purposes at Fleet and Sutton St. j Edmunds. In other parts of the country the, labourers are complaining of the apathy of the Guardians in this respect.

Market CVtJrts. CORN AVERAGES. -w- For the week ending January 26th. The following are the quantities sold and the prioee this year and last year:— QUANTITIES SOLD. PRICKS. This year. Last year. This year. Last year Wheat.~ 59,314.62.941 -80s, Id 80s. 104 Barley. 108,073. 78,229 26s. 7d .„30e lOd Oats. 8.733- 9,618 16s. 3d 16.. lOd CORN, dec. LONDON, Monday.—The singularly open and springlike weather which prevails tells against the market, which was extremely discouraged with lower prices taken for almost every staple. English wheat was out of condition, and numerous light samples were parted with for less than 30s. per qr. On the whole a nett decline of Is. on the week may be quoted. Foreign wheat was 1s. cheaper for white wheat, and 6d. for red, with a very poor Inquiry all round. Oats are de- pressed, the arrivals into London during the last ten days equalling the enormous quantity of two hundred thousand qrs. The decline does not exceed 3d. per qr., however, which is less than might have been ex- pected. Maize is 3d. cheaper for mixed American, steady but with only a slow sale for round corn. The trade in beans and peas lacked in any feature of encour- agement. Barley was dull and unaltered for malting descriptions, but 3d. to 6d. decline was allowed on cheap grinding sorts. Linseed was steady at 43s. 6d. from Calcutta, but linseed oil declined 28. 6d. per ton on the week. Flour was in very poor retail request, owing to the exceptional character of the season. The price of both English and American sacks may be quoted 6d. lower on the week. CCRBBNT PBICE8 OF GRArN- B. a. a. a. Wheat (red) 27 to 42 white 29 44 Barley (grinding). -.22 to 26(malting) 26 42 Malt, English (new). 34 44 Oats, English feed —„ 16 23 Beans, English (Mazagan) 26 38 Peas, white boilers (English). 30 33 (Canadian).—30 31 &laize — •— Floor, best per 280 UM, 30S to 31* i LIVERPOOL CORN, Tuesday.—Wheat Canadian ] Os Od. to 0s. ad; Oregon, Os. Od. to 0s. Od; Californian i s. 8d. tc 7s. lid; red winter, .7s. 2d. to 7* 10d;Chilian, 7s. 5d. to 7s. 6d Bombay, 7s. 5-&d. to 7s. 6d. Wheat moderate trade at Friday's rate. Flour unchanged. Maize moderate demand old mixed American, 4s 4d to 4s. 5d. new, 4«. OJd. to 4«. 2d. Beans, (Saidi), dearer, 28s. 9d. to 28s. 3d. Peas -aod oats unchanged. FRIDAY'S PKJCES. s. d. a. d. American Wheat. iV 100 8 3 to 8 5 Chilian Wheat, 11 100 lb, 7 7 7 9 Canadian Flour. V 260 lbs 0 0 0 0 Grinding Barley, 100 lbs.. 0 0 0 0 English Oats. t1100 lbs. 0 0 0 0 Oatmeal, 100 lbs 0 0 0 0 Canadian Peas,$100 lbs. _w. 5 11 6 0 Egyptian Beans, qr 29 6 29 9 Indian Corn. American new mixed 4 5f 4 6 SHREWSBURY, Saturday.—This market was poorly attended, and business in all departments was quiet. Wheat was in bad condition aud 2d. per bushel lower. Barley moved slowly at a similar decline. Quotations :— S. Q. S. (1. White Wheat, per 75 lbs 4 8 to 5 0 New ditto 0 0 0 0 Red ditto n. 4 4 4 8 New ditto 0 0 0 0 Barley (malting) per 70 lbs4 0 4 9 (feeding) to 3 6 3 9 Oats (white), per 22olbs IS 0 19 0 New ditto to 12 0 13 6 Oats (black) 0 0 0 0 Peas 0 0 0 0 .Beans, per 240 lbs 19 0 20 0 New do 14 6 15 6 CARMARTHEN", Saturday.—The supply of all kinds of grain was small, and sold at, for wheat, from 35s. to 408. barley, 30s. to 32s. white oats, 188. to 20s. black ditto. 16s. to 18s. BIRMINGHAM, Thursday.-Reelish wheat was difficult to sell, but not quotpbly lower. Foreign only saleable at 6i. to Is. reduction per qr. BRISTOL, Thursday.—Trade inactive during the week, and on market to-day a fair supply of English wheat found buyers at barely late rates. Foreign a slow trade, and the turn in favour of buyers. Grind- ing barley in poor request and 3d. cheaper. Oats un- altered. LIVERPOOL, Friday.—Spot parcels of wheat were firmly held to-day, and a fair consumptive business resulted at id. to Id. per cental under the currencies of last market. Californian futures advance iel. to d. per cental on yesterday's rates, but buyers held off. East Indian futures were neglected. CATTLE. LONDON, Monday.—The total imports of foreign stock into London last week amounted to 9,106 head. In the corresponding period last year we received 7,871, in 1887 10,422, in 1886 7,126, and in 1885 6,924 heads. At Liverpool were received 305 beasts from Baltimore, 1,039 beasts from Boston, and 160 beasts from New York. Per 81b. sinking the offal. s. d. B. d Coarse and inferior Beasts 2 6 to 3 0 Second quality ditto 3 0 4 0 Prime large Oxen ._m. 4 4 4 61 Prime Scots. &c 43 4 10 Coarse and inferior Sheep 3 6 4 0 Second quality ditto 4 6 50 Prime coarse woolled ditto 5 8 6 2 Prime Southdown ditto .m. 6 0 6 6 Lambs 0 0 0 0 Large ooarse Calvea. 3 8 44 Prime small ditto 4 6 5 6 Large Hogs 2 S 3 6 Neat Small Pckers 3 10 5 0 BIRMINGHAM, Tuesday.—Beef realized 6d. to 7id. per lb. mutton, 7d. to 9}d.; veal, 2 6d. to 8d. per lb.; lamb, Od. to Od bacon pigs, 8s. 9d. to 9<1. Od. per score; sows, 7s. 3d. to 7s. 8d.; porkets, 99. Od. to 9s. 6d. MI SO ELLA NEO US. LONDON PROVISIONS, Monday.—The arrivals! last week from Ireland were 4,70S bales bacon, and from foreign ports 1.100 bales bacon. The bacon market continued steady last week, with more inquiry for lean meat, and for such in some cases Is. advance was obtained fat still meets a slow sale. In the butter market the demand continued for the lower- priced descriptions, but finest sorts ruled very slow. CORK BUTTER, Saturday. -Firsts, 137a seconds, 120a.; mediums. 118s thirds, H5s. Kegs—Firsts, 00s seconds, 00s thirds, OOs. fourths, 93.3. Mild- cured firkine-Superfine. 000s. fine, OOOs.; mild, 000s. Do. kegs-fine, 000s.; mild, 00. In market— 88 firkins, 5 kegs. CARMARTHEN BUTTER, Saturday.—There was a fair supply of cask butter at our market to-day, which sold at, for the finest quality, from lB. Id. to Is. 2d. per lb. Inferior sorts sold at from lid. to Is Od. per lb. Fresh market pound butter at Is. 3d. to Is. 5d. CARMARTHEN CHEESE, Saturday.—A good supply of cheese, which sold at late quotations, being from 20s. to 23s. per cwt., according to quality. LONDON FOTATOES (Borough and Spitalfields), Monday.—There was a moderate supply of potatoes on sale. The trade was steady at the annexed prices RAgents 60s. to 120s. per ton. Magnum bonams. 60s. to 115s. Hebrons 60s. to 115s. Champions. 50s. to 80s. Early roses OOs. to 00s. HAY AND STRAW. WHITECHA PEL, Saturday—A rather large supply was on sale. The trade was dull at late prices. Prime clover, old. 120s to 144s ditto new, 80s to 110s inferior, 45s. to 75s. Prime meadow hay, old, 120s to 128s.; ditto new, 80s. to 102s. 6d; inferior. 30s. to 70s.; old straw, 42a to 48s.; and ditto, new, 30s. to 44s. per load. ABERYSTWYTH. MONDAY.—W^heat (new), 5s 6d. (old), Os Od to Os Od fj1 65 lbs: barley, 3s. 9d. to Os Od., oats, white, old, 2s. 9d. to 3s. Od. black, 2s. 6d. to 2s. 9d.; eggs. 16 per Js butter (salt) lOd to lid lb., fresh. IsOdto Is Id.; fowls, 3s. 6d. to 4s. Od. V oouple; chickens. Os. Od. to Os. Oci. V couple; ducks, 4e. Od. to 4s. 6d. P couple; geese, 4s. 6d to 5s. Od.; turkeys, Os. Od to Os Od each; old potatoes, 4s 6d to 5a Od per cwt.; new, Os. Od. to Os. Od. per cwt. NEWTOWN. TUESDAY. -Wheat, 16s 04 to 16s. 6d per 240 lbs. barley, 4s.Sd to 5a. 6d V 70lbs; oats, 17s 6d to 21s V 225 lbs; eggs, to 12for Is; butter, Is. to Is 2d. per lb. fowls, 4s. Od. to 5s. Od. per oouple; ducks, 4s. 6d. to 69. Od. per couple geese 5s. Od. to 7s. Od. each turkeys, Os. Od. to Os. each; potatoes, Is. P 16 lbs. beef, 5d. to 7d. I.,er lb.; mutton, 6d. to 8d; veal, 8d. to Od., pork, 7d. bo Sd. lamb. 101. WELSHPOOL. MONDAY.—Wheat, Os Od. to Os. Od. $751bs.; barley. Os. Od. to Os. Od. fj1 70 Ibs; oats, Os Od. to Os: Od.; eggs, 0 to 12 for a shilling butter, Is. 3d. to Is. 4d. tP lb fowls, 4s. Od. to 53. 6d. II couple: ducks, 4a. 6d. to 6s. Od. V couple geese, OsOdto Os. Od. each; turkeys, Os. Od to Os Od. each; potatoes, Os. Od. to Os. Od. per 90 lbs.

DUTIES OF LICENSING MAGISTRATES In the Court of Queen's Bench on Friday (before the Lord Chief Justice and Mr Justice Hawkins) the case of Jones v. Goodman was heard. This was a beerhouse licensing case from Congleton. The bouse was one fully licenced, and in September the annual licensing meeting of the justices Was held. No notice having been given to the tenant, he did not appear. The owner, how. ver, happened to be present, and applied for a renewal of the licence, as a matter of course. The justices had some conversation with a policeman and refused the licence, saying that they understood the house was vacant, that the premises were, in their opinion, entirely unsuitable and insufficient, and that they thought there were public-houses enough in the town, and that this was not required, and so they refused the licence. An application had been made on behalf of the tenant for a mandamus to the magistrates to renew the licence, on an affidavit that he had had no notice and no opportunity of being heard.—Mr M'lntyre appeared on the part of the magistrates, to show cause" against the application for a mandamus. He urged that it had been held by the Court of Appeal, in a recent case, that the justices had an absolute discre- tion to renew or refuse to renew a licence.—The Court, however, said it was a judicial discretion, to be exercised judicially, and without calling on Mr Marshall, who appeared for the applicant, they at once made the order.—Lord Coleridge said it was a well- settled rule of law that a discretion vested in justices must be exercised according to the forms of law and, he hoped, with the substance of justice. Discretion in such a case did not mean, and he hoped would never be taken to mean, anything arbitrary it meant a judicial discretion, which could be maintained in a court of law and exercised on legal grounds. Without any notice, to call up a policeman and have a little conversation with him in an undertone, and then to refuse to renew a man's licence, and so, perhaps, inflict grievous injury upon him, without giving him an opportunity of saying a word, was a travesty of a judicial proceeding, which could not possibly be maintained. There must, there- fore, be an order in the nature of a mandamus to the magistrates to grant the renewal of the licence.—Mr Justice Hawkins concurred, and the order was made aotoordingly. ".IRV

LOCAL LAW CASE. (Before the Lord Chief Justice and Mr Justice Hawkins.) JONES v. JONES. In this case an action was brought by the rector of a parish in Anglesea to recover treble damages against the defendant, under the Act of William and Mary, for pound breach of a distress for tithe-rent charge. In February, 1888, the plaintiff distraiued some hay and straw upon the defendant's farm for arrears of tithe rent-charge, but he took no proceedings to realise the distress until the following June, when he found the hay and straw had disappeared. The plaintiff ex- plained the delay by stating that the neighbourhood o the farm was in such a state of riot that it was dan- gerous to proceed without the protection of a large force of military and police, which he was unable to ob- tain. The defendant denied he was guilty of pound breach, and alternatively alleged that by not proceeding with the distress within a reasonable time the plaintiff had abandoned it. In the course of the proceedings the plaintiff obtained from the Master an order up tn the defendant for the discovery of all documents in his possession relating to the matter in dispute. The defendant resisted the order, and upon appeal, Mr Justice Cave referred the matter to the Divisional Court.—Mr Malcolm Douglas, who appeared for the defendant, contended that the action was substantially one for penalties, and that being so, the plaintiff was not entitled to any assistance by way of discovery. -Mr Maurice Lloyd, for the plaintiff, submitted that the rule relied upon by Mr Douglas only applied to actions where the plaintiff wa.3 a common informer, and had no interest in the suit other than that given to him by statute. but that at any rate the defendant must make an affidavit as to documents and afterwards take objection upon oath to the discovery of any documents he refused to produce—The Lord Chief Justice said he had no doubt upon the facts of the c,Re and the law applicable to discovery that the decision of the Master must be reversed.—The appeal was therefore allowed with costs. o

RURAL SCHOOLS. OT S. A deputation of teachers of rural schools from four- teen counties waited upon Sir W. Hart Dyke, at the Education Department, to call attention to the diffi. culties they experienced in carrying out their duties.— Mr Parker, M.P., introduced the deputation.—Mr MUSCOTT, of Oxford, explained that the deputation did not contend that the ditncalties of which they com- plained were confined to village schools, but that they were more acutely felt in the rural districts. These difficulties, mainly arising from natural causes, such as scarcity of funds, bad weather, bad roads, and the! mental abilities of the children, were further increased by the regulations of the Code. Mr GREAVES, Northampton, spoke on the subject of attendance, which was impeded by weather, distance, the poverty and indifference of parents, and juvenile employment. He suggested that it would be advisable to abolish half-time altogether, and make the law uniform throughout the rural districts of England. (Hear, hear.) If the law wa3 made uniform, it should not be made oppressive, but should be enforced. (Hear, hear.)—Mr BALES, Suffolk, and Mr ROLES. Chipping Norton, also addressed Sir W. Hart Dyke on the question.—Mr JENKINS, Swindon, aud Mr BOWRING, Berks, introduced the. subject of classification. and asked that teachers should have complete control in this respect, and that the system of payment by results should be abolished.—The difficulties connected with the curriculum, particularly in the three R's and needlework, were treated by Mr ELLERY, Luton, Mr SMITH, Cambridge, and Mr POWELL, Oxford.—Mr KELLY, Sussex, brought forward the question of Staffs," and complained of the overpressure on teachers.—Mr WILLIAMS, Swinciou, referred to the decrease in the attendance at night schools. He said that rural England was practically devoid of any means of continuing the scanty education of the day. Sir W. HART DYKE, in reply, said that since he had held the office he now occupied he had seen nothing to modify the opinion that he had always held of national elementary teachers. The great mass of them were actuated by the one idea and resolve to do their duty to the children under their charge—(hear, hear)-and he was glad to recognize the esprit de corps that existed among them. He believed that they carried out their duty with the greatest zeal, intelligence, and discretion. (Hear, hear.) Both in Parliament and outside, the greatest variety of opinion must exist on the important questions that the deputation had raised, and he must confess that he had the greatest sympathy with many of the observations that had been addressed to him. The question or school attendance was a very sore point in connection with our rural school system. The agricultural depression through which we had been passing had necessarily very seriously influenced the attendance. As a landowner he knew how this depression had touched the pockets of all connected with the land, -,ii(i in affecting the position of the tenant farmers, it made itself felt on the labourers and their children. The conditions of weather and climate also, no doubt, had a very serious effect on the attendance of the children. Whatever changes they might advise in our rural school life, any alteration they could introduce to make the school life happier and brighter, and that would make the schools draw, was most desirable, and should be considered. They would not expect him to speak on the other im- portant subjects that had been raised. He had listened very attentively to all that had been said, and could assure them that he was engaged with his colleagues, and in connection with the Department, in endeavour- ing to meet some of the difficulties they had to face in the elementary school system. In considering the various proposals, the remarks that they had made would not be lost sight of, and the information that they had adduced concerning our rural school life and system would be valuable to him in coming to a con. elusion on these great and important subjects. The deputation then withdrew. -0

GENERAL BOULANGER. The voting on Sunday in the Department of the Seine was conducted with the utmost tranquility. It was only as the evening advanced that the Boulevards of Paris became crowded with people desirous of hearing the results of the poll in the several electoral districts. The first information showed General Boulanger to be considerably ahead of his opponents. Each subsequent announcement only added to his majority. As the hour approached when the final figures would be known, the streets and Boulevards became densely packed with people, so that all traffic was necessarily suspended; but the greatest good humour prevailed, and not the slightest disturbance occurred. At midnight the result was announced to be 244,070 votes for General Boulanger, against 162.520 for M. Jacques. The General was thus elected by a majority exceeding 80,000. No noteworthy incident in connection with General Boulanger's return for Paris had occurred up to Monday evening. Meetings of the Cabinet were held on Sunday night, and again yesterday morning, to consider the position of affairs, and M. Floquet, the Premier, has, it is stated, intimated his readiness to resign should the President or the Chamber deem such a course desirable in the interests of the Republic. The only reference to General Boulanger in the Chamber of Deputies yesterday was in the formal withdrawal of a question of which notice had been given some time ago as to the measures contemplated by the Government with a yiew of stopping the progress of Boulaogism. The Chamber afterwards proceeded to discuss in a quiet way a bill for the, improvement of the military ports. —

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