Weekly Mail

FARMING IN ESSEX. A Traveller," writing in the Mark.lane Express about a run from London to Doncaster on the Great Eastern Railway, gives a few very interes- ting particulars about the appearance of land and crops in that part of the country. Judging by the remarks of almost everybody interested in the subject, a good fruit year appears to be anti- cipated these remarks also applying to bush fruits, such as gooseberries, currants, and rasp- berries, that are more than usually prolific in blossom, which, it is thought, the advancing leafage will protect from any sudden frost that may yet occur. Passing through that part of Essex where vegetable culture is extensively conducted for the supply of the London market, it was evi- dent there was little to sell beside rhubarb. The so- called winter greenstuff, such as kales, savoys, and Brussels sprouts, was over, and neither broccoli nor spring cabbages yet "in." This is not satis- factory to either producers or consumers. A full crop of well-hearted cabbages would have been worth £70 an acre. There is no doubt about this, and it might be realised provided the right variety were grown in the right manner. A few planta- tions of early cabbages were seen that arrested particular attention, and an opportunity was sub- sequently afforded of learning something worthy of record. A hundred and fifty miles north of London he found cabbages in the finest possible condition for market on April 15, and many had been cut a week previously. The variety was Ellam's Early, sown on July 10. There are few cabbages if raised so early that would not run," but in the plantation in ques- tion only about one plant in a hundred refussd to "turn in." The true type of this cabbage is marked by the absence of useless leafage. It is so exceedingly compact that the plants may be well- grown for earlv use a foot apart. Those referred to were planted eighteen inches asunder, at which rate there are 19,360 to the acre, and 19,360 pence equal £80 13s. 4d. Passing to farm crops, it is hardly necessary to say that there was practi- cally no pasturage along the east coast, however fertile the soil may be. This is entirely due to the ungenial weather that for such a long time prevailed. The natural result of this is that thousands of sheep have been forced on the markets, bringing down the price fullv 10s. a head lower than would have been obtained if "keep" had been fairly abundant. It is much the same with beasts, which are simply down in price because of the impossibility of keeping them "up" in condition in a season like this. Stillf there is no appreciable difference in the price consumers have to pay for meat. It is the old, old story of the middle-man and the butcher, who, to say the least, have had a rather better time than has been experienced by the farmer; but, as one of the craft observed, it is not easy to make landlords, who pay a shilling a pound for their beef and mutton, believe that we have to sell at sixpence." The moral is obvious. We are getting a little "mixed" in reference to farm crops, as stock has forced itself uppermost; but the subjects are indissoluble, and pasturage leads not unnatually to lambs. In response to inquiries on this important subject an extensive and very successful Lincolnshire sheep farmer observed the luck is good as far as it goes," which being inter- preted means that those dropped have done very well indeed, but instead of having 60 pairs about 20 is the rule. This is attributed to the drought of last summer and the animals getting low." The same drought, too, has told seriously, in some cases almost disastrously, on the provision for sheep this spring. The seeds failed extensively, and scores of acres that were intended for the support of flocks have been ploughed up, and either sown with spring corn or planted with potatoes, accor- ding as freedom has been allowed to depart from the prescribed routine of cropping. It is clear the shackles are not yet in all cases removed from the British farmer. He must not use his brains if they clash with old covenants yet brains will, never- theless, win in the end, though both farmers and landlords have in the meantime to suffer.

AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS. The Farmer of Monday saysEnglish wheat is Is. cheaper; foreign wheat is 2s. lower on the week. Foreign flour is nearly 2s. per sack lower, owing to the unparalleled arrivals. English sacks are Is. lower. Barley favours buyers, and maize has the same tendency; while oats are fully 6d. down. The backwardness of English and European crops and the poor American prospects to some degree counterbalance peace influences. Nevertheless, value is generally lower from last Monday.

GARDENING NOTES. [BY MR. J. MUIB, MAEGAM.1 FERNS IN POTS.—The majority of those who cultivate plants for room and small conservatory and greenhouse decoration generally prefer those subjects which produce very showy flowers to the soft colour of ferns, but a well-grown fern is always attractive and pleasing, and, although at first they may not be very interesting, as they develope their graceful fronds and assume a re- freshing green hue their owners will soon be in- duced to show them with pride and regard them with much affection. Only hardy or the coolest growing ferns should be taken in hand by amateurs. It is a mistake to spend a lot of time in trying to grow a tender exotic which will shrivel up in the slightest cold draught and withstand no hardship. There is no prettier fern grown than Adiantum Farleyense, and it is invariably the admiration of all who see it. but it requires a great deal of beat to grow it well, and would not prove satisfactory with the majority of amateurs. Adiantum Cuneatumis the favourite maidenhair fern, and is one of the best for general culture. It possesses the very desirable peculiarity of succeeding in either a cool or warm place. A. formosum, A. pubesceus, A. setulosum, and A. venustum are other very pretty cool-growing Adiantums. The Gymnogrammas are the golden and silver ferns so very beautiful on the back part of the fronds, but ex- tremely delicate. Somaria Gibbi is a beautnul fern, with a short stem after the' tree fern style, and a most graceful head. It does admirably in a cool house. Many of the Pteris are very nict, ferns for general culture, and are very valuable as room and dinner table plants. Nice plants of all those named, and others of their class, may be grown in 6-inch pots, and they will be found very useful for window, table, and other decorations. Just now is an important time in fern culture. Those in a bad state at the roots should be re- potted. The best of all rooting mixtures for them is a compost consisting of loam. peat, and sand in equal parts. The pots should be thoroughly well drained, the stun rammed firmly about the roots, and watered sparingly until growth begins, then give them plenty and keep them out of cold draughts until the delicate young fronds have become hardened by gradual exposure and mature growth. FERNS IN BASKETS.—They are very pretty grown in this way, and may be appropriately hung up in doorways, windows, or any kind of recess. The baskets may be formed either of wire or fancy sticks. A lining of moss should be put all round the sides to hold the soil in. Then plant the fern, and fill up with the soil mentioned in the previous paragraph. The Woodwardias, especially Wradicans, form lovely basket ferns, as they pro- duce long fronds, which droop over and hang down in the most graceful manner imaginable. FERNS IN CASES.—These are excellently adapted for windows in town or country, and afford their cultivators endless interest. Sometimes there is a little fishery" in connection with the fern case, but, with or without this, the cases may be made any size convenient for certain windows or recesses. They are generally covered all over with glass, which should be perfectly transparent. The best way of filling a fern case is to have a tin tray, made the same size as the interior of the case drain this as if it was a flower-pot, plant the ferns out in it, and then put them into the case. Like all the others in a young state, they ought to be shaded at first and kept rather close until the- growths have developed to a considerable extent, when they may be placed in the full light of the window and air may be admitted to them freely. Those who have no fernery or glass-house may soon get a very nice collection of ferns into one or more cases, and we would specially recommend this mode of culture to all who have no pther outlet for their inclinations in this way. The Wardian case is a well-known form, and some of the more tender varieties which would never succeed fully exposed may be grown to perfection under the friendly protection of a case. FERNS IN THE OPEN.—Here we come to ferns for everybody, as all who have a vacant foot of space, inside or outside the house, front or back, in sun- shine or shade, may grow hardy ferns. Many of them are very easily grown and very beautiful. They may be grown in pots or planted out. In either case a rough, sandy soil will suit them better than anything. Bare places on which the sun never shines; nooks where bright flowers would refuse to open, and in all out-the-way places where no one would expect to find pleasing vegetation are just the places to introduce choice, hardy ferns. They are very numerous in variety, and delioate and beautiful in structure. Hardy ferns are a class by themselves, more suitable for planting in the open than confining to pots, and all who have a small rock or root work in their back or front gardens, or, indeed, anywhere, should introduce them exten- sively at once. They are a splendid class of plants and the most accommodating of all ferns. Hymenopbyllum Tunbrigeuse, Polypodium hexa- gonopetrum, Scolopendrium vulgare supralinea- turn, and Strathioptns Pennsylvanica are a few of the names botanists have been pleased to append to hardy ferns, and it may be difficult to understand their meaning, but they are sometimes useful, as the lady who planted them near her entrance gate and labelled them conspicuously was never troubled with beggars afterwards, as those gentry thought they indicated the locality and name of some hidden explosive. Hardy ferns delight in a cool atmosphere and moist soil. They do admirably under trees, in holes, and amongst rocks and roots. The Osmunda regalis is generally known as the royal fern, and grows wild in many parts of Wales. It is a noble species and should be in all hardy ferneries. Adiantum capillus veneris is the hardy maidenhair, very pretty, and grows wild in Glamorganshire. Hardy ferns are sometimes grown in pots, and make fine specimens when got up for exhibition, but a collection grown naturally in the open is most interesting. TUBNIF-ROOTED CELERY.—Where much celery is used in the kitchen this is a capital sort to grow. Seed sown in the open garden now will soon pro- duce plants, and if these are planted about one foot apart on rich, level ground they will form turnip-like bulbs by the autumn, which possess all the good qualities of expensively-grown celery. They will remain good for stewing throughout the winter, and be much appreciated as a vegetable. The American white plume celery is, we hear, being much grown this season, and this variety forms a curious and valuable neighbour to it. FLOWER PLANTING.—This should now bo com- pleted. Secure every plant with as much soil to the roots of it as possible; let it comfortably into the hole without breaking the roots, and in finish- ing off make the soil very firm. Stake anything which will be liable to be broken or blown over, and leave the surface neat and clean. INDIAN CORN.—Seed of this, if dibbled into the ground now, will produce plants five or six feet high by August, and they will then appear more massive and grand than any ornamental grass. They are very affective in the centres of beds and in the back ground of borders and shrubberies. BRUSSELS SPROUTS.—These are amongst the most hardy and serviceable of all winter vegetables. They may be had in use from October until April. The main sowing of Brussels sprouts is generally made about the middle of March. A plantation from this bed should be made early in May on a good, rich soil, in rows two feet apart, and eighteen inches between the rows. The young plants raised from the March sowing should be pricked out into rows about four inches apart on a nicely-prepared border, where they will make a good stocky growth, preparatory to being planted out per- manently later on. The April sowing, intended for the latest crop, should be treated ia the same way. Hoe frequently and keep clean from weeds. OPEN-AIR FRUIT CULTURE IN MAY.—Peaches and nectarines now require particular attention in the disbudding, stopping, and regulating of the shoots, and in preserving them from injury, so that they may complete their growth and get properly matured, for if they are injured or destroyed, either by insects or frost, the later growths seldom get properly ripened. Stop all shoots on apricots not required to fill up vacant places, and search for caterpillars, which are very destructive to young fruit and foliage. Pinch off the end of the young shoots on pears, plums, and cherries when they are a few inches long; this is better than leaving them to complete their growth and then cutting them clean away. As soon as caterpillars appear on gooseberries dust them over with some white hellebore powder this will destroy them. THE VIRGINIAN CREEPER.—This plant is found growing wild in Canada and the United States, and was introduced into this country in 1629. It is a free-growing deciduous climber, with large digi- tate leaves of a warm green colour in early summer, but changing on the approach of autumn to a bright red, giving the plant at that season a peculiarly grand appearance, amply compensating for its small inconspicuous flowers, which, being of a greenish white, are not of themselves attrac- tive. This shrub is one of the most ornamental of hardy climbers, unrivalled for covering walls and houses, to which it clings closely and firmly with no other aid than that of its tendrils and that few plants withstand the smoke and dust of towns so well is proved by the frequency with which it is to be seen growing, and even thriving, on windows and balconies in the most crowded thoroughfares, with no other'soil than that afforded by a shallow box, or moderate-sized flower-pot.

WALES AND DISESTABLISHMENT. A PROTEST FROM LAMPETER. The Spectator publishes a letter from Professor John Owen, of St. David's College, Lampeter, on the subject of The Church in Wales and Dises- tablishment," which will be read with interest by great numbers of WeJsh people and by great num- bers of others aoross the border who have been wofully and shamefully misled by the Libera. tionists with reference to the desire for Disestab- lishment supposed to have such a widespread exis- tence in the Principality. After maintaining that the statements of another correspondent, to whose letter this one is a reply, concerning the impotence of the Church in Wales are not borne out by the facts, Professor Owen proceeds:— The truth is that the Church in Wales, like the Church in England, is strong in some districts and weak in others. 1. Take, for instance, the large and poor diocese of St. David's. The Bishop of St. David's, in his last charge, maintains that in his diocese the Church has at least kept pace in pro- gress, within the last ten or twenty years, with most of the English dioceses, and that the pro- portion of Church communicants to the total population is scarcely, if at all, behind some dioceses in England. This proportion in Cardigan- shire—as Welsh and as poor a county as any in Wales-is 2 per cent. higher than in the Arch- deaconries of Gloucester and Cirencester, for instance. 2. Canon Bevan, of Hay, has exposed, in his 'Letters to Liberationists,' the complicated blunders and mutual discrepancies of the various Welsh statistics of the Liberationists. Welsh Churchmen are, therefore, entitled to ask the English public to receive with caution sweeping assertions like that of your correspondent, until the Liberation Society con- sents to a general religious census by Government, the only way of really getting at all the facts. 3. As regards their social influence, the Welsh clergy need not fear a comparison with their Noncon- formist brethren in the matter of visiting or in attention to those various aspects of life which are commonly denoted by the term social.' Their social attention is, as a rule, readily extended to Nonconformists, particularly to the poor and to those in trouble. The very little use hitherto made in Wales of Mr. Osborne Morgan's Burials Act may, among other things, be quoted to show that Welsh Nonconformists, especially in rural districts, do not regard the clergy of the Church, as a class, with aversion. 4. Wales is rapidly learning English. Canon Bevan has recently shown, by an examination of Mr. Ravenstein's statistics, that in 1871 only 21 per cent. of the population were monoglot Welshmen, whereas 45 per cent. were bilingual, and 34 per cent. ignorant of Welsh. The Welsh monoglot percentage is now much smaller than in 1871. Welsh will not for a long time yet cease to be spoken; but Principal Edwards, of Aberystwith College, a short time ago predicted from the chair of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Synod that within 20 or 25 years English would be generally spoken throughout the Principality. The Church suffered more in the past from the bilingual difficulty than the Nonconformists, but—now that it has given up the somewhat supercilious attitude which it assumed last century towards Welsh-the advantage, as far as language goes, is likely to be reversed. The Church is more prepared than the Nonconformists to meet the rapid advance of Eng- lish. 5. Wales is now, through the diffusion of English literature and through the recent remar- kable development of Welsh education, on the eve of a period of intellectual ferment unparalleled in its history. Such a time as the present seems singu- larly ill-chosen for proposing to weaken the religious forces of Wales by disestablishing and dis- endowing the Church. Church revival, which is so conspicuous in England, is rapidly making itself more and more felt throughout Wales. The Church, so far, has shown no signs of losing ground, to say the least, in the recent educational progress of Wales, and will have—whether Established or Disestablished—a great and growing field for wholesome influence in the Wales of the future, through her comprehensive catholicity and historic character, if she continues to rise in a sympa- thetic spirit to the responsibilities of her inheri- tance. But I contend that she would be crippled for her work by Disestablishment, without any adequate compensatory benefits being derived by the Welsh Nonconformist bodies, whose valuable work for Wales, in the past and present, I gladly acknowledge. It is neither true nor Liberal states- manship to punish the present and the future mainly on account of the shortcomings of the past, especially where those shortcomings—as in the case of the Church in Wales-ha-ve been often exaggerated, and often assigned to wrong causes." ===============—

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THE SPIRIT OF THE WELSH PRESS. | [Br GWYLIBBYDD."] It is like an oasis in the desert to the weary traveller to see a little common sense in the treat-1 ment of politics in the Welsh newspapers. Tha Universal practice has been to swear by Mr. Glad- stone, and accept whatever he said or did as Gospel, however unwise and contradictory they may happen to be. When he ordered the flower of the army to invade the Soudan for no intelli- gible purpose, and thereby exposed our brave soldiers to the influences of a tropical desert and the sword of the fanatical Mussulmans,he was right. And when he ordered their-withdrawal, after causing the sacrifice of thousands of lives and millions of treasure—without securing any benefit or advantage to anybody—he was also right. When he played into the hands of "Holy Russia." he was right, and when he stood on the floor of the House of Commons and defied he was an- plauded, and again when he surrendered to Russia he was right. It is, therefore, very gratifying to read an article in the Genedl on the Afghan ques- tion displaying an independent judgment on the part of the writer, and a courage to question the infallibity of the Grand Old Man. That paper says:—"What strikes every reasonable man is that Russia is bent upon strengthening herself in Afghanistan. Her next point is Herat, and it is evident that she will get there under the noses of the English Government. She is proverbial for cunning and duplicity, and we have at this moment an illustration of the truth of the proverb. The day that Russia takes possession of Herat, England should occupy Candahar, otherwise she will have gained an advantage that it will be difficult to recover. We fear that Mr. Gladstone is not equal to meet the craftiness of Russia. We do not question Mr. Gladstone's determination, but fear that she will throw dust in his eyes by showing a desire for peace when in reality she is biding her time with the view to secure her pur- poses clandestinely." The American Drych says that Russia is bent upon extending her territories in Central Asia. "It is only about a year ago that she grasped Merv with her paw, in the same way as she took pos- session of Penjdeh lately. There is no doubt that Herat will be her next capture, whatever the pre-1 sent attempt at patching up a peace may be. It is the opinion of some who are in the secrets of Downing-street that Mr. Gladstone will be firm, and will not yield an inch to Russia. We doubt it. We believe that Mr. Gladstone is prepared to do anything short of the sacrifice of the honour of the country to prevent war. He sympathises largely with his Quaker friend, John Bright. He wishes peace, far and near, and hence the uncer- tainty which hovers around the Afghanistan busi-1 ness. Time alone-will tell." This was printed on the 23rd of April, before either the defiant or humiliating speech of the Premier was delivered! Several papers are in mourning after the Rev. Dr. Rees, of Swansea, and most of them contain articles on his life and character. Lladnierydd," in the Tt/st, pays an affectionate and graceful tri- bute to the memory of his old companion and friend. The Celt says:—" His giant form, his peculiar manner, roughness of voice, the extraordinary peculiarity of his voice, his white beard, and patriarchal presence com- bined to make him one of the most acceptable preachers of his age. No one ever stood on tho platform of a Cymmanfa who was more popular or more acceptable." The Baner says:—" The pulpit of his denomination, and the Welsh pulpit, have lost one of their chief ornaments. He was too large to be confined to one denomination—ho was a. man of his nation in many respects. He adhered to the clear and simple truths of the Gospel through life, and preached them with wonderful acceptance and effect. He was formed by nature and grace to be a of assemblies, and often has his powerful and plaintive voice travelled through the throngs ot listeners whilst he proclaimed the tenderest Gospel messages, until evei-ybody who heard him melted with fervent heat." Most of the papers refer to the promised Inter- mediate Education Bill of the Government. The Baner says:—" We hope the Bill will be complete, just, and fair. If not, we hope we shall have the manliness to amend it, and wait for a year or more to secure a good one." The Goleuad says that it is announced that the Intermediate Education Bill will be introduced as soon as the Redistribution Bill is passed. The delay in introducing the measure produces doubts, and until we hear the voice of Mr. Mundella explaining its provisions in the House of Commons we cannot feel confident that the end is near at hand." The Llan says:— We understand that certain persons, who pose themselves as the leaders and representatives of the Welsh people, wish to take the Grammar Schools away from the Church. We cannot bring ourselves to believe that the Legislature will listen to the claims of I these gentlemen. It would be a black spot on the measure if an attempt were made to interfere with the management of schools that have done such good work in Wales as Brecon, Llandovery, Cow- bridge, Bangor, Beaumaris, Ruthin, Baht, and Bottwnag. We cannot believe that Mr. Mundella will entertain such a proposal, and we also trust that no Welsh member will support such an un- just and iniquitous a proposal." The Herald has an able leader on the subject, and exposes the sen- timentality and mock patriotism that have pre- vailed on the subject of late. The Gweithiwr gives an amusing account of a committee meeting of the Aberdare Eisteddfod, held last week We went to the place of meeting at the appointed time, and found the door closed. The number increased to about 40 in the course of half an hour, but there were no means of getting inside. It was ultimately de- cided to push the secretary through the window, and the door was opened. The chairman having opened the proceedings, Mr. D. Davies, grocer, gave his estimate of the probable expenditure and re- ceipts of tho Eisteddfod. He was of opinion that the expenses would amount to £2,856 5s. 6d. (we are not certain whether there was a half-penny in the estimate), and that the receipts would be £ 2,942 9s. Mr. Davies is one of the cleverest little men at nguresthatwe know; and we hope that he does not count the chickens before they are hatched. After we secure the surplus we will go on a trip to Jersey." The Tarian, another Aber- dare paper, states that the Dean of Llandaff has offered a prize of £20 for the best essay on the Advantages Wales will derive from the new Colleges." Has the dean offered two prizes on the new Colleges, for the secretary announced in the Baner of last week that he bad offered a prize of £5 for a similar essay ? The committee pay scant courtesy to the worthy dean for his offers by not making them public. Is this hapless committee going to blunder to the end of the chapter ? Gurnos has contributed a long letter to the Tarian in support of the candidature of "Mabon" for the Rhondda Valley. Seren Cymru also advocates the claims of Mabon." By the bye Seren is en- larged, but it is a matter of opinion whether or not it is improved by the change. I am pleased to see that the brilliant and genial poetical critic of the Baner ha.s sent a message from Parnassus" after his long sojourn among the gods. It was feared that his long presence in Elysium had made him forget us mortals. He apologises for his silence, and asks the forgiveness of the bards for the delay in reviewing their pro- ductions; and, by way of excuse, he relates bis own experience in this wise—" It will be a source of comfort to you all who have been waiting so long that we suffer alike. I once sent a number of hymns to the Drysorfa. Before they were printed they had been in the office of the editor of that patriarchal old monthly for nine years. I sent to the Cymmrodor four years ago a new and original article on the foik-lore of Llyn Sarw,' and there it still remains unprinted. In my youthful days I sent a poem on The Creation to a publication that is now in existence. It never appeared, and is likely to remain in manuscript until the fire of the resurrection." The following are two verses from a pretty little poem which he has just written, entitled Cyfoedion Cofadwy ":— Breuddwydiodd y Prydydd ei fod wrth y tan, A ehydag ef chwech 0 rai eraill Sef lorwenll Glan Aled, fi'i wyneb hardd, glAn, A Ehydderch o Fori, ei bur gyfaill. A galwyd am delyn i loni y ewrdd, A 'baco a dïod-na wader 'Boedd Creu., a Glasynys,a Thai, wrth y bwrdd, Ac R. Ddu o Wynedd mewn eader. Adroddodd Talhaiarn ei Gywydd 1'1' Haul," Ac englyn i'r Lloer''—y gwvrdd gosyn: Ac Iorwerth Glan Aled gytodoJd yn ail, I adrodd peiinilljon y Khosyn." Adroddwvd ystraeon, siaradwyd mewn trefn, A chanwyd pennilliol1 am 'gorel1; A notiwyd yn hen Gymry drachefn, Ehwng hanner ac un yn y boreu. Long life to the poet, and may he continue to furnish his countrymen with specimens of the fruit of his Parnassus. The Llan gives a portrait of Mr. Howel Gwyn, of Duffryn, Glamorganshire, and a sketch of his life. Mr. Gwyn is one of the most generous-hearted men in the Principality. Appeals for help, whether of a personal or national character, are never made in vain. Like most liberal landlords and kind neighbours, Mr. Gwyn is a Churchman and a Tory. He is descended from an old Breconshire family, and is in his 80th year. In an article recommending the union of the Calvinistic Methodists of Wales with tho Presby- terians of England in the Goleuad the editor makes the following remarks, which deserve notice as a sign of the times :—" Tho sectarian spirit is un- usually strong in Wales n.t the present time; but we are better able to conceal it than it was in the time of our fathers. Tho strongest denomination in a neighbourhood is looked upon with jealousy, and tho weakest with contempt. If there should happen to be a good understanding and fellowship among the several denominations in any particular place it may be inferred that Nonconformity is weak and the Church strong; and in such places, and under such circumstances, the bond of union is political rather than religious. Radi- calism and Nonconformity are stronger bonds of union among the sects than any higher con- sideration. It is very seldom suggested that the Calvinistic Methodists snould join the Established Church. The reason is that. union is impossible. Not that there is greater distance between them than there is between them and Baptists or Wesleyans. The literature of the Church of England is the literature of the Cal- vinistic Methodists. The Thirty-Nine Articles are the creed of the Methodists; and Non- conformity is simply an accident. Although wo are Nonconformists from conviction we would not have it thought that we make Nonconformity an article of faith or an unchangeable principle of first importance. Nonconformity is a negative thing, and its importance increases or diminishes according to circumstances. For instance, if the Church of England were to recog- nise the validity of Nonconformist ordination and become separate from the State, or had the wisdom of the Church of Rome to receive into its fold differential societies without robbing them of their distinctive peculiarities, Nonconformity would present a very different aspect in the pre- sent day." I commend the foregoing remarks to the serious consideration of the Welsh agents and lecturers of the Liberation Society.

THE SOUTH GLAMORGAN PAKLU MENTARY DIVISION. MR. J. T. D. LLEWELYN AT ST. BRIDE'S MAJOR. A meeting of the St. Bride's Major Conservative Association was held on Tuesday, when an address was delivered by Mr. J. T. D. Llewelyn. Mr. T. W. Booker presided, and among those presont vntt Colonel Franklen, Mr. F. C. Boles; tho Rev. C. Ll Lewellin, Dr. Lewis, Mr. D. Francis Morgan, &c. The room in which the meeting was held was crowded by an enthusiastic audience. The CHAIRMAN having briefly addressed the meeting, Mr. LLEWELYN contrastod tho position of thii country at the present time with its position ftvt years ago in the counsels of Europe. Five year? ago we were friends with many of the countries with whom we could scarcely say we were friends now. France was anything but friendly towards us. Then, with regard to Egypt, five years ago thd Conservatives left that unfortunate country happy and prosperous, and with an increasing revenue. Now she was ruined and bitterly hostile to us. We havo great interests in that country, and we ought to have kept friends with its people. We ought to have kept friends with France, our nearest neighbour, and now almost our enemy. Prince Bismarck only laughed at u? and watched for any advantages which Germany might reap because of our difficulties. Austria which was our nearest ally when Lord Beaconso- field left, bad been insulted so much that it wai almost jealous of us. Five years ago, when Lord Beaconsfield left office, Ireland was peaceful, and it was since then that those agrarian outrages and murders had occurred. It was painful and pitiful to think that the people of Ireland should now openly say that England's difficulty was Ireland's opportunity. There was a great dangei to be averted, and it would take years of good management to overcome it. Mr. Parnell desired to see Ireland alienated from England in order that he might propose Protection for the former country. What he meant by Pro- tection was that import duties should be levied upon goods sent from England to Ireland. He did not beiieve that if Lord Beaconsfield had remained in office Great Britain would be in the plight in which she was at the present time; and the reason he was a Conservative was because he thought tha country would be better governed by Conserva^ tives than by Liberals. The Liberals had promised more than they bad been able to perform. The? promised us peace, retrenchment, and reform, but they had not fulfilled that promise. The expendi- ture of the country under the present Government was many millions a year more than it was under the Conservatives. It was true that the Conser- vatives when they went out of office were engaged in a war which the Liberals put an immediate end to; but it was coming to an end at the time—he alluded to the Afgbar War. The Liberal Government stopped the construe tion of a railway which they had since commenced to re-place, and they withdrew our army froir that country. The people of this country did not want to fight, but they were bound to keep peace in those realms over which they had jurisdiction The letirement from Candahar was accompanied by a dreadful loss of hfe, and were it not for tbt marvellous march of Sir Frederick Roberts—who by the bye, was a Welshman—we should havt suffered a disastrous defeat. Mr. Llewelyn thet alluded to the recent conflict between the Russian. and Afghans at Penjdeh, and said we were un certain at the present time whether there was peace or war between that great country and ou; ally. It was impossible that peace could be con eluded with honour to this country. For al the blood and money which had been los under the present Government there was nt return. In 1882 Alexandria. was bombarded, anf £4,000,000 had to be paid for the mischief that was done, but he was not aware that any good had resulted. The work that was done by our troops was beyond praise—it was magnificent. The battles of Kassassin and Tel-el-Kebir, in which about 7,500 lives were lost, were fought to secure our interests in the Canal. Afterwards the Govern- ment sent General Gordon to Khartoum, and although he telegraphed over and over again for assistance the Government would not send out an army until the debates in the House of Commons had'shown that the temper of this country would not put up with any further delay. But this decision was arrived at too late. Since that time there had been three expeditions, one to the Sou- dan and two to Suakim. all of which had been fruitless. We had been put to the expense of sending out material for a railway, about a mile of which had been laid, and of getting people from India and elsewhere to work on the line; and now the whole thing was to be stopped, and the troops taken away. This waste of money was caused through the indecision of the Government. It had been represented that he was in favour of war. He was in favour of such measures as were necessary being taken to safeguard our interests in the Canal but that did not imply a Soudan War, In the expeditions he had alluded to certain of the natives bad been asked to come to our assistance, and we could not now abandon them to the savage butchery of those who were opposed to them. That was a matter which ought to have been taken into consideration at the outset. He knew something of that country, and it might bo interesting to them to know that it was not so much the heat in the day as the cold in the night which was so trying to our soldiers. It was the alternation of heat and cold. He then went on to compare the expenditure of the Conservative and Liberal Go* vernments, pointing out that the latter were spending millions a year more than their prede- cessors, to say nothing of the eleven millions which had just been voted. He alluded at length to the proposed Disestablishment and Disendow- ment of the Church. On the motion of Mr. F. C. BOLES, seconded by Dr. LEwis, a resolution declaring Mr. Llewelyn 9 fit and proper person to represent the division in Parliament, and pledging the meeting to use all legitimate means to return him, was unanimously carried, and three hearty cheers were given foi Mr. Llewelyn. A vote of thanks to the chairman, proposed by Mr. BOLES, and seconded by Mr. S. H. STOCKWOOD, terminated the meeting.

MR. J. T. D. LLEWELYN AT COW, BRIDGE. We beg to draw the attention of all our readers and especially of members of the Cowbridg* Farmers' Club, to the fact that Mr. J. T. D Llewelyn will address a political meeting at tin Town-hall, Cowbridge, on Tuesday next, May 19 at 3 p.m. It is highly desirable that all who ar, connected with the agricultural, as well as al other, interests should be present, in order ti satisfy themselves as to Mr. Llewelyn's politica views. It is confidently believed that there will bt a crowded audience.

THE REPRESENTATION OF GOWER. SELECTION OF A LIBERAL CANDIDATE. MR. TALBOT'S INTENTIONS. The uncertainty which has prevailed respecting the intentions of Mr. Talbot with regard to the Gower Division, in which lie owns so much pro- perty, has been dispelled by the following letter dated May 8, which has been read at a meeting 01 Liberals at Reynoldstone, Gower. The letter was addressed to Mr. Richard Beynon, and was in response to an invitation to Mr. Talbot to be nomi- nated for that division of the county:— Dear Sir,—I received to-day your letter, together with copy of the resolutions passed at the meeting held at Reynoldstone, of which you were the chairman. It gives me much satisfac- tion to know that my conduct during a Parlia- mentary career of 55 years meets with the approval of my Gower friends, and I beg you will convey to all such this my expression ol gratitude for their good wishes. But, under all the circumstances of the present position of the case, I am not a candidate for the representation of West Glamorgan.—Believe me, yours most truly, Mr. Richard Beynon." C. R. M. TALBOT. On Wednesday afternoon a meeting of thf council of the West Glamorgan Liberal Associa' tion was held at Swansea for the purpose of choosing a candidate for the division. The fact that Mr. Talbot did not intend to stand was inti- mated to the meeting, which then resolved unanimously to select Alderman Yeo, the only other gentleman named for their consideration.

THE ROYAL NATIONAL EISTEDDFOI OF WALES. ADOPTION OF THE PLAN OF THE PAVILION. On Tuesday evening the Executive Committea of the National Eisteddfod held a meeting at the Eisteddfod Offices, Aberdare, in order to select presidents, conductors, &c. Mr. D. Davies was voted to the chair, and a good number of member; were present.. In addition to Lord Aberdare and Sir George Elliot, Bart.. M.P., as presidents, the secretary was requested to write and ask other gentlemen, whose names were mentioned, to act as presidents of the Eisteddfod, and also to thoso chosen as conductors. Letters were received from Principals Viriamu Jones and H. R. Reichel, both consenting to act as adjudicators of Dean Vaughan's essay, "The objects and prospects of the new University Colleges of Wales." It waS decided to have a register of places of those oper to entertain strangers, and the said register to be kept in the secretary's office. The plan of the in- tended structure recommended by the Pavilion Committee was submitted to the Executive Com* mittee for their approval. After some consultN tion tho committee considered the plan a con venient and well-arranged one and adopted it.

DIOCESE OF ST. DAVID'S. The Bishop of St. David's has appointed the Rev. Alfred G. Edwards, M.A., of Jesus' College Oxford (Warden of Llandovery School), to tM Vicarage of St. Peter's, Carmarthen, vacant by the cession of the Rev. D. Pugh Evans, M.A. His lord- ship has also appomted Mr. Edwards to be bit private secretary and one of his chaplains.

ST, DAVID'S COLLEGE SCHOOL, LAMPETER. Tho following boys, from elementary schools* have been elected to entrance exhibitions• 1. Prank Manuel, from Mr. T. Holland'# Boys' School" Abergavenny. 2. David Davies, from Mr. Jonah Evans. Uansawet School. 3. J. Gregory Wordsworth, the Board School, lJan- badarn Fawr. 4. W. R. Williams, the National 8chool, Aberdov«y 5. R. Williams, the National School, Aberdovey.

CURRENT AGRICULTURAL A TOMCS. ^RULJ [BY AGEICQLA" OK THB "FIKLB."] fcateitv seem to grave misgivings bili^ me^ cert £ "n quarters as to the proba- itb$4 itt y, °* farmers being better represented i *^2 ^Uad6^0111'13^ ^ar''ament when the election is 1 f°1 n *9nt °n new constituencies tha» at pre- S fl to di AjnoD £ others, Mr. Clare Read, M.P., is said id uS iat, S^rus^ the probability of the agricultural C ^e'n5 strengthened by the change, and it 10 3 the determined nob again to seek jh! d VilL^14888 of any constituency. General regret ;ld eli| w,.0* Course, be felt at his retirement from 3D3e°J t)u j)° Such men as Mr. Read and Mr. 'de^j although of opposite party politics, belo^J I}, 8Pared from the Parliamentary arena, cl?4 ge 6 0rmer is the better debater, but the latter :usat|j jj has his subject at his fingers' ends, and to °f agricultural facts. Very much is it of >3 ^oped both that the electors of Hereford- 3 « e'ec^ Mr. Duckham again and that Mr. lrlaV he disposed to forego his intention of 7 prfJ I am given to understand, however, or '"j be iT W'n reclu're the very strongest influence to P VyL r°ught to bear on him for there to be the TP3! Th^ Pr°h»bility of this. ace* toriw^^811^^ Camber Agriculture has been ed trn^^ termed the Parliament of agriculture. '• y to merit that denomination at its as when no less than five highly Impor- in«:i jj_*uhjects were discussed, and resolutions J )D w °n th«m all, -which will be brought under °dtfe' "bj °* the Government. These were the con^ #v^C^onahle features of the Registration Bill, the bal»^ ^ns'on °f the Death Duties to landed property '°f°^ ^t#a' estato, the proposed increase of the Beer- 1Q best way of relieving farmers from the tlier1 ^"tax, and the injustice of the revenue for IUS,^ superannuation coming from the local hick' these subjects in their order, the feeling rcejj appeared to be unanimous that ;s *opOSed Srant from the Treasury to local tec$'•si*4'68 to meet the increased expenses of under the new system is wholly I 1 ijw/^Uate, but as the point was fully contested ireV lot 6 °f Commons subsequently it does 1:de* C™" he further remarked on here. The ,e a» 1 Proposal of landed property being liable J faile, tig^ other property to legacy duty was stigma- 48 unprovoked aggression, and the view enforced that until local taxation be nd a"! relieved of its excessively unjust bear- 3Proposed extension of the Death Duties is The •1°' t0 oe a^owe(^' the to l0cre&se of the Beer-tax will cause brewers 9 ofj' Uore sugar and saccharine product and less tv° Was sa' an^ predictions were made 6 ^r'C0s °f secondary barleys may be ex- STeit^ w. decline several shillings a quarter as the >°^|( the change if it be carried out How. ''wb' <th°se wh° argue on these lines can scarcely m b^j.8 case without assuming that cheaper ?e> et» be manufactured from sugar than from *8Pecj The subject altogether is an intricate one, ;'°o> a* y as the present extraordinarily low price Th an un^oubted factor in the account. c|jj fl6 discussion on the Income-tax question plP CQQtred in the fact of the Chancellor of the °^Uer having made a suggestion in his thi^et sPoech that, as English farmers appear to ofg3j> J"'ley are unjustly assessed in comparison j iff, jj be c°tch and Irish farmers, the better way will TJ,8 assess one and all alike under Schedule D. fe >bt4j^resentatives of the agricultural interest f ^ere something that they did not at all bar- lertfi frotu °r' '^° get under Schedule D will be leaping 'n,l$thn, tlle ^ing-pan into the fire, and it was truly al*j ught u ,1 Jj| 5.e^ter to bear the ills that be pijfj "ai» fly to others that we wot not of. *6o^0'ut,i°n was consequently passed unani- 'n 1 ^ec'ar'n? it not desirable that the change p rheSt8^ ^r" should take place. iin^ t>n ^°iice Superannuation Bill has only come ^Vri6 ^a^'s at ^'le Central Chamber because, i*s provisions, the entire cost of pen- iceS J g the retired members of the force is pro- IIl3y thrown on the local rates. This is [J ^if :lne^ to be absolutely and essentially un- f ^S th 6 Olore especially as the cost of maintain- tte^.4 s^g e constabulary is at present^divided, tfV heing thrown on the Imperial pUt <jia0(ie^Uer- The true moral to be drawn from the 'e,jt$^if88'00 these questions is the grave ne- a'lln( .listing for farmers to be bettor repre- 1<' .d In Parliament. Trade was very fully considered at the last iueffJ of the Norfolk Chamber of Agriculture, er L ^Putation from the West Suffolk Fair Trade being received by the chamber. Mr. J. H- t(^6er and Mr. Manfield were the advocates of jt v, league on this occasion, as they have been at y ^°Us times in reality at the Central Chamber; 90^ the Pair Traders did not get it all their own l0d t the discussion, Mr. S, M. Delf, as one who had i' 't>j under Protection and Free Trade, affirm- wel^ rec°iiect<3^ having had to deny id to f°ur able-bodied men in one day> the wages paid at that period under the pi r*9^me were only 7s. a week. Mr. Clare Jf0 Sai^ he could not recollect that wages ""(Jf W ever been less than 8s. per week, o«V -r" appears to have been fully corrobo- ^'S 8tatement, and it was also stated by 1^r»( f that under Protection, when the [0^ c°rn were high, the families of agricul- ^C] tf ^°urers were on the verge of starvation. '*°i Nt *as Undoubtedly the state of things in the 'f, 0 if not in Norfolk, and there are Nods fhree incidents on record at different s\»$^V6j after the price of wheat getting compara- n y 0^' 0yf*DS to a bountiful harvest, of able- j y 111611 with families receiving only 6s. per ^es J ^ttis er,°us decline in the values of pedigree **«t4JeeQls tolerably apparent by contrasting the t l^s. 6d. for 44- made by the Booth 0^s of Mr. James Ho\*5 of Broughton, Hun- i>e%ed' on the 7th inst" with that of £119 5s. ad. ,|»D j d by him at a similar sale in 1876. There eitJ d ^e^ractinS circumstances affecting the °a/. ^o>j'SPersal, no doubt. The 7th of May r t & y. 1 ad jj D16ak, stormy day, causing the outlook fei'jir S'owth of grass to be rather unfavourable* *$\fcL 8Pirits of those who came to buy to flag Wj ?'v 5 and there was a large proportion of The highest price realised was, however, d3 Vlj ^lf. Water Nymph 14th, by the Warlaby Baldersby, which, although only 0Q tl30 9th of October last, exhibits so ul4jPail(3 development and chaste moulding as if. ^er eligible to enter the ranks of the show- a Probable high-class prize winner of the >1^ Ber figure was 147 guineas, the next il'^V ^>Flce heing for Royal Christon, 120 rt^j ^hich, however, belonged to the Hon, adp ^Vic^°Ql'3s» and had been sent over from 0» 10 he sold, as well as a heifer dpS vNij. B°ycott, which realised 77 guineas. "4 V*= tha both the latter are of pure ^Vs ^°od, they sold even cheaper than Mr. "\A ^t>imal3, three or four others of which made v, guineas each. an<^ discussion at the Farmers' Club ftf Poultry has probably not attracted so Wr Svtnt ion as the importance of the subject y^( Ni ere can be no question that both poultry ^arminS are unpopular with the class of J^V ^Hi ^^ho generally attend the London Farmers' Vjj .Saw not altogether because large r) l "•osider them utterly beneath their notice, the majority are situated on large I 3>jJ 8'With ^hle fields approximating close ^0l°e8tead, and a large stock of poultry v" tL^»b circumstances is not merely out of ^or^s,incalculable mischief. However, 1/ ij. ^ousands of instances where much more $out of poultry than is done at pre- circumstance alluded to by Mr. <t paper °f Morris having made a 0e last year on her father's farm in Aylesbury makes it apparent that when ot 'O* !lo Corn crops near to be destroyed the nil d 1 ^aughters of a great many farmers '|i' In many districts the farm* i*8° 8'tuated that there would not be the °f the evil referred to being expe- j' it is just here that the enterprise to dovetail in well with other I *0rna an industry well adapted to the A O* bo femala members of the xf., supposing he has no time to lt faiaiself.

t art"18' GDAN0 As MANURE. ifl £ « iQ the Mark Lane Express some to Particulars are furnished with re- Jt* ^6 u6w at promises to be an exceedingly "V HQ 1ia fertiliser. According to the writer e*tPri .a comparatively new candidate in jt-iM ^Or^g SlVe field of artificial fertilisers, and iT^s- ^e IY, a3 t° its composition and mode of 4/ 1» be»^atura.ay he of interest. Although a per- S, of «. Pj?dllct, it, of course, comes under J twWVd i Flal" fertilisers, inasmuch as it !r brought on to the farm, instead 0,1 "*he homestead in the f„e of farm practice, as is the Gavea yar(* manure. From bat- 111 the State of Texas bats' guano is now beginning to find its way into the English market. In the counties of Uvalde and Comal are two immense caves, known as the Uvalde Cave and the Cibolo Cave, remarkable for the rich deposits of bats' guano they contain, which have been accumulated by myriads of bats over an unknown period. Their depth has been tested by boring, and in some cases has been found to be as much as 25 feet, while the average depth is believed to be not less than six feet. The guano is of a dark brown colour, about the consis- tence of finely-grdund coffee, and is as strongly impregnated with ammonia as the best Peruvian guano. Chemical tests have established its great value as a fertiliser, and it is being removed in large quantities and shipped to Europe by a company organised for the purpose. As Peruvian guano is so well established, bats' guano must stand or fall entirely on its merits, and it appears that the few parcels which have yet found their way into this country have been disposed of, after analysis, at an average price of £9 per ton, which compares favourably with the price of Peruvian guano, provided the two fertilisers are equally effi- cacious. A well-known firm of guano merchants values it at £8 10s. per ton in bags on the London wharves. With regard to its composition, analyses have been made by Messrs. Bernard Dyer, John Hughes, C. Dixon, and the late and present Drs. Voelcker. Glancing over the results of these analyses, it is seen that the total nitrogen equal to ammonia varies between 9 25 per cent. (Mr. John Hughes) and 1139 per cent. (Dr.Voelcker and Dr. John Voelcker), while the percentage of tribasic phosphate of lime represented by the phosphoric acid present ranges between 1443 and 16.74. Judging from these figures it is likely that bats' guano will become no unworthy rival of Peruvian guano. Field experiments made during the last year or two in England have yielded highly satisfactory results, and it is proposed to repeat these on a larger scale during the coming summer. The Texas Guano Company, by whom the deposits are now to be worked, find that there is a local demand for between 2,000 and 3,000 tons per annum, but it is to be hoped that the output will be sufficiently large to meet the demand which should arise in this country, providing the fertiliser continues equal in quality to the shipments that have already been made to England, and there is no apparent reason why this should not be so. A fair estimate places the total quantity of bats' guano in the Texas caves of Uvalde and Cibolo at not less than half a million tons.

PABRT AND ROCKK'S Welsh Knitted the but. 7803c