Weekly Mail

EVERY MAN HIS OWN GARDENER. QUESTIONS ASKED AND ANSWERED. By J. MUIR, 30, Bouverie-street, Fleet-street, London. Name of Tree.—"Newmarket Reader."— Mastacanthus sinensis, a kind of blue spiraea. Aspidistra. Leaves Plotting.—J. T. Barnes and Others.—-Please eeo note in this -week's issue on this subject. Name of Flower.—"W. F."—The Bleeding Heart, Dielytrai specabilis. It is hardy every- where. Caterpillars Defoliating Gooseberries.—Mrs. Morley. Please look liD notes in issue of May 21, where you will find advice as to the destruction of caterpillars. Name of Gooseberry.—"J. J."—I cannot name a gooseberry from a green, undeveloped fruit. Please Bend me a sample when it is ripo. The Old Clone Carnation.—A. Finch.—Oh, no. it is not extinct. It would be a. thousand pities if it were, as it is a fine flower, prized by all. You can obtain it from any good nurseryman, and retain it afterwards by getting up a stock of young plants. Name of Rose—"D. R."—Chesthunt Hybrid, a bright early rose, which blooms very freely at this time on a wall in a- sheltered position. It is one of the best dimbing roses of a rich colour. Please send me a bloom of your other variety. Ferns in Greenhouse Scorched.—Mrs. W. A. Russell.—The fronds are very tender now. Non of them will bear full exposure to the sun. You should shade them lightly, but carefully, during the brightest part of the day. Bignonia Grandiflora.—"A. W.It is often found in the South of England in charming order, but I can hardly advise you to plant it in the open air in Cumberland. It requires the protection of a greenhouse in the North. Pansy Flowers Eaten by Slugs.—W. Collins. —You should put a ring of sharp ashes round each plant. If it is two inches wide and one inch high hardly a slug will get over, and the flowers will remain unmolested. A thin layer of ashes under the plants would do them no harm, and would further help to stop slugs. Name a.nd Treatment of Fern.—"M. A. B."— Your fern is Nephrolepis Davalloides. The soil is evidently sour at the roots, and you should examine and put the drainage right. Water once a week with soot water. It is difficult to say how often it should be watered, as that depends on the temperature you keep it in. Twice a week may probably be often enough. Names of Plants; When to Take Strawberry Runners—"Whetstone Lane."—No. 1, Lycium Europaeum; No. 2, Acer eaccharinum; No. 3, Viburnum caasinoides; No. 4, Aucuba Jap-onica. July is the best month to secure strawberry runners, and they should all be taken not later than August. I will be giving details as to the management of the young plants when the time comes to deal with them. Old Lily of the Valley Bed.—E. Jackson.—If you had thought of it sooner you should have lifted all the roots before growth began, and re-planted them in deep, well-manuled soil. Now you can only put a layer of rich manure between the plants, and keep them well soaked with liquid manure, made from cow droppings, in dry weather. This will strengthen them much, and you can re-plant next Maxell. The Variegated Yucca.—"J. L."—This plant is an easily-managed subject, and succeeds in greenhouse or window. It requires a coaise, gritty soil to grow in, and I fear yours is in a fine soil. This accounts for the leaves dying at the points. You had better examine the roots. If the soil is fine and non-porous to some extent, re-pot it in a sandy mixture, and let it have plenty of drainage. It should be well watered when growing, but kept almost quite dry from October till March. Stocks Failing.—"Puzzled."—Grubs are very partial to the roots of stocks, and destroy many of them. No doubt, this is the cause of yours failing. A good preventative is to mix some soot in the soil in which they are to be planted. A free dressing of this will pre- vent failure, and it is a wise precaution to use it in all the soil previous to sowing the seeds and onwards. The eoil should be made very firm round the roots in planting. You appear to have added rather too much horse manure. This would encourage grubs. Horse with Sore Shoulders.—"B. A. W."—A badly-fitting collar and a disregard to cleanli- ness are the main causes of eore shoulders, and they are a discredit to those in charge of the horse, as with care they can easily be prevented. Excessive work may also be responsible. Have the collar altered to fit nicely. Give the horse a rest for a week or two, and dress the eores twice daily with a lotion composed of the following:—Solution of sub-acetate of lead, one ounce; solution of sulphate of zinc, one ounce; glycerine, three ounces; water, 1 £ pint. The horse would be best out at grass. A Cure for Broody Hens.—"R. A. P."—You cannot prevent them from becoming broody. That is natural, and it is best to let them all sit for a week, to give them a rest after laying; then prohibit it. This may be done by taking the hen off the nest, and putting it under a coop or box on a cool, hard floor, with no material whatever under. Feed only once a day on boiled vegetables, with a. little meal, and give water to drink. The broody disposition will soon decrease, and the hen will come on to lay soon again. Some dip them in water, but this is no remedy, and gives the hen much discomfort. The cooler the place they are put in the better, as warmth encourages sitting. Plants Not Succeeding.—"Dwarfs."—I am sorry you meet with disappointments, but all plant growers do that more or less, and if you persevere you will find your successes outnumber your failures. You can rely on this. The mignonette plant is too small for me to express an opinion on it. The geranium leaf is unhealthy, but when once it gets hold of the new soil you gave it in re- potting it will become healthy. I hope you drained the pot carefully. Do not keep it very wet at the roots until it is in active growth, and let it have plenty of fresh air. Th-o ferns do not grow very fast for a while after being re-potted. Worms at the roots add much to their ill-health. You should waiter occasionally with soot liquid. Destroying the Onion Grub; Propagating Gooseberries from Cuttings.—"Vegetation. You should water the roots of your onions, brussels sprouts, and the plants you fear being injured with grubs with soot water. This is a good preventative, and a fertiliser as well. Lime-water is also an antidote. When your soil is vacant you should give it a dressing of fresh lime, and dig it in. That is the best time to check them. Transplanting the gooseberries has checked the growth but they will soon grow and become established, and bear as well as ever next year. You should secure some of the best young shoots when pruning in Novemberand insert them as cuttings then. They will root freely in any sandy soil. Weed in Field.—J. L. Daviee.—The weed you send is the meadow sweet, Spiraea ulmaria. Like rushes, it is partial to damp ground, and draining the field would check it materially, and improve the pasture as well. Apart from this, you can dig out the plants with a small narrow spade, such as farmers use for corn weeding. Doing this would be good recrea- tion for yourself. If the vacancies caused by the removal of the weeds are not more than six inches wide, the grass will soon spread over them, but if the blanks are wide patches it would be better to sow them over with seed, but this you conld not do till next April The sooner the weeds are uprooted the better, and you will soon benefit by their absence, as they are very objectionable in pastures, whether grazed or cut as hay. Insects on Currant Bushes.—"Wallasey."— Your cnrrant bushes are in a bad way. All the thick, stumpy, dormant bude contain the black currant mite, which is a terrible pest that ie fast exterminating the black currant crops throughout the country. Owjng to the mite being so securely protected, it is impos- sible to destroy it, and up till now there has been no remedy discovered. The only way ie to clear out the whole lot, and wait for several years before introducing some clean bushes, if such can be found. The caterpillars may be destroyed completely by syringing the bushes with loz. of hellebore powder and Zoe. of powdered alum mixed in one gallon of water. Wet all the bushes with this, and yon can also dust the hushes with hellebore powder, and after it has been on for one hour wash it off. Fowls for Confined Run.—"W. D. J." (Cheshire).—Half a dozen hens will be enough for your run. This number will give you more satisfaction than double the quantity. Buff Orpingtons would suit you well. They agree with confinement, and are good layers. You need not keep a male bird. Yearling hens are the right age to get. Keep the run very clean. Let them have fresh water and a little green food daily. Feed on barley meal dough in the morning, and wheat, barley, and oats in the evening, and give the bones and house scraps as a substitute for the meal if plenti- ful, or, if only a little, as a mid-day feed. A little meal may be mixed with the boiled vege- tables left from the table, and the bones may be given to pick over by themselves. You will find useful information in the weekly poultry notes appearing here. Dog Thin and 111.—"Boy."—You are trying too many doctors. One remedy often counter- acts another. You should feed it twice daily with the most nourishing food you can think of, but do not give too much, or raw meat. Give five drops of sulphate of iron a.nd ten drops of liquor arsenicalis once a day for a fortnight. A chemist will preoare this for you. Get a lotion consisting of glycerine 102. carbolic acid loz.; laudanum twenty, carbo- nate of potash 2dr., water lj pint, and dress the skin with this twice daily, and wash occa- sionally. When these details have been carried out for a fortnight, give a- tonic This may consist of pills composed of the follow. ingQuinine, 12gr.; sulphate of iron, 18gr.; powdered ginger, 18gr.; extract of gentian, 24gr. Make into twelve pills, and give one twice daily.

RURAL JOTTINGS. VALUABLE HINTS AND INFORMA. TION. THINNING YOUNG VEGETABLES. This is urgent and important. Nothing is more injurious to the crops from first to last than allowing the plants to crowd on each other. A great deal of it is allowed, and inferior crops are the inevitable result. As a rule, all seeds are sown fifty times thicker than the plants are wanted. The crop plants may be grown at a distance of from six inchee to one foot from each other, but crowds occupy that space, and hare to be drawn out and thrown away. The thick sowing is dose in case of failure of the seed, but it might be sown very much thinner with advantage. As the plants grow and crowd they run up with' long, thin stems. When the plants are removed the support of those left is taken away. and the long stems are too spindly to keep the heads upright; then the stoms double over. and their growth is greatly impeded at the time, and all their after-growth will be of a hampered nature. Tbeir productiveness will be reduced by one- quarter or a half, and the crops will be alto- gether very unsatisfactory compared with what they would be had they been thinned in good time. The best plants are those which are robust and have leaves fully developed from the ground upwards. Long stems and then a head is a poor specimen in the case of the majority of vegetables. The time to begin to thin is as soon as the plants caxn be handled. They will then be about two inches high. Even if close, the plants do not suffer much from crowding up to that height,, but they do soon afterwards. Begin thinning by taking out all the plants between each three inches. Let one good plant remain at this distance all along the rows, and you can rest satisfied that they will have the advantage of making a robust start, which goes far to assure a perfect crop in the end. As growth goes on and the leaves meet between the plants, another thinning must take place, and it will suit most crops to take out every other plant and leave the permanent ones at a dis- tance of six inches apart; but be guided in this by tho growth the subject is likely to make, and always remember the great matter is to thin in time and before any harm has been done by crowding. In many cases the plants drawn out can be transplanted to increase the crops. THE ROOTS OF THE ASPIDISTRA PLANT ROTTING. Something is going radically wrong with the aspidistra plants just now. Of all window or room plants this is the most grown. It will count ten to one of all others. This is, no doubt, owing to its excellent adaptability of remaining healthy in all conditions of rooms; that is its rule. But, judging from the almost daily specimens of leaves I am now receiving, it is failing to an unusual extent. The complaint is that the leaves are becoming yellow or decaying on the top. When the roots are looked at they, too, are more or less decayed, and are a great anxiety to their owners. No surprise need be felt when one or two leaves fail. That is rather natural with all plants, but when roots decay that is more serious, and may lead to a general failure of the plant, which must be averted. Deficient drainage is the cause of the whole evil. When growth begins the young rootlets are delioate. Sour soil or stagnant moisture will quickly cause them to perish. This ex- tends to the older roots, then the leaves ¡ wither and die. Every plant that shows the least sign of decay should be turned upside I down, the pot lifted off, drainage removed, and re-plaoed with clean materiaJ; put the pot on again, and ram the soil down firmly all round the pot. Be sure the drainage is well arranged and ample. Use broken bits of flower-pots or oyster-shells. This will sweeten the soil, now roots will soon form, and the flower-pots or oyster-shells. This will sweeten the soil. now roots will soon form, and the plants will recruit ra.pidly. Keep the eoil moist, but not saturated, until growth is active. Saturation must be avoided. Do not expose them fully to the sunshine until Sep- tember, when they should be put fully in the sunshine, to become hardened before winter. They should have plenty of fresh air, as this strengthens the leaves and prevents them from splitting, which some oorrjplain of. CERASUS JAPONICA ROSEA. This is the Japanese double-flowering cherry, and one of the most delightful of all hardy trees that blossom in mid.May. I have seen many specimens of it of late amongst other attractive flowers, but it stood out con- spicuously in its profusion of flowers, its extremely pretty pink colour, and the great size of the individual blooms. It is a- tree which all should possess, especially in the form of a standard. It is very hardy, and thrives everywhere. TOMATO PLANTS UNDER GLASS. The early ones are all bearing ripe fruit, whioh is most acceptable. They should be always confined to one stem, but led up as far as possible. They often become more fruitful as they extend, especially if trained up to the top of a house where there is plenty of light and air. As soon as the first fruit is ripe the plants may receive liquid manure, as this will cause the fruit to develop more fully, and it will not influence superfluous wood a.nd leaves now. A liquid made of Clay's Fertiliser or guano, at the rate of one ounce of either to one gull on of water, will suit them capitally. A handful of Thomson's plant manure shaken round each stem and over the surface roota is productive of much good. Liquid may also be made from cow or horse manure. I need hardly advise anyone to gather the fruit as soon as ever it is ready to let the later ones swell, as the ripe fruit ie being daily waited for. Wherever a glasshouse has vacant spaces at the ends or anywhere, pot up some tomatoes and place them there. They do not require great space, but they produce a great deal of very valuable fruit, which is as acceptable in the summer and autumn as anything that can be produced. The earliest plants will cease to fruit, and the open-air ones may be hindered by bad weather from maturing much fruit, but those introduced under glass now will be sure to give a. supply all the autumn. Let none of them be grown in a close atmosphere, neither should they be shaded from the sun. Rich soils and prema- ture feeding with stimulants are more wood and leaf than fruit producers. Damp atmos- pheres are always apt to produce disease, and abundance of air prevents it. Where large fruit for exhibition is desired all the small ones should be removed when their miniature forma can be distinguished. HEAT AND AIR IN GLASSHOUSES. No amateur has any desire to employ more artificial heat in the glasshouses than is actually necessary, and the time is longed for to be able to save the ooal and the labour of firing. The value and class of plants owned or contained in the house should be some guide as to when to discontinue fire heat. The weather has also to be considered, and in cold springs it is often a drawback to cease firing too soon, but the time has arrived when it may be wholly dispensed with. Many plants become more healthy when the fire heat is stopped, as the cooler air suite them, and the ventilation of the house should receive a little more care now. The ventila- tors should be entirely closed late in the afternoon to shut in the sun heat and raise the temperature to about 80deg. or a little more. This will suit all vines and growing Pot plants, especially if moisture is freely distributed, but a little ventilation should be Put on about dark, as night air is extremely invigorating for all plants. When the sun shines brightly in the morning on a closed glasshouse the temperature risee rapidly, and scorching often occurs. The night ventilation prevents this, and more should be given about seven a.m. on bright mornings, and increased as the temperature rises. In genial weather the ventilators should be opened wide, and abundance of air given in the heat of the day. Indeed, ventila- tion can hardly be overdone then. When the wind is strong or chilly, ventilate at the top, but not at the bottom, and avoid strong currents of air passing amongst the plants, but a circulation of airlfeeeps the plants both robust and dwarf, and they blossom and fruit far more satisfactorily then than when drawn up weakly in a warm, close atmosphere. It is much better to ventilate to keep the tempe- rature down than put shade on to keep the house cool. Frames should also be ventilated early and closed to secure a. high tempera- tnre in too afternoon. MASSING FLOWERS. The most attractive and fashionable way of arranging flowering plants now is not to plant them in lines, rows, rings, and such like, or in mixed beds and borders, but each is planted in a mass of various sizes, with a keen regard to the harmony of shades and colours, and tHe results are delightful. The capabilities of the plants are displayed in this way to the fullest, and the effect is far more striking than in the old way. CLEANING FOWXrHOUSES. Unless restricted, fowls and fowl-hotusee will soon be. swarming with vermin. The hot weather favours their production and increase to a most objectionable extent in a very short time, which gives much discomfort to the owners and deteriorates the fowls. A thorough cleaning is the only way of hinder- ing them aind making conditions comfort- able. This should be given at once. Fowls in confined runs are the worst, but the houses of all will be infested. Clear out every nest. Burn every particle of the material of which they are composed. Brush the walls down, scrape and brush the floor, scald the nests and perches with boiling water. Be sure it gets into the cracks and orevices. It is there the pests like to harbour. Wash the walls with hot lime and sulphur. Do the nests with this as well, aud brush the roosts over with paraffin oil. Wash the floor with lime water, and shake a handful or two of powdered lime into the bottom of each nest. This is an excellent safeguard against insects lodging there. A nest should then be formed with clean straw. This is better than hay in hot weather, and a small quantity will be enough. New dry ashes should be put on the "floor. Clear all off weekly, and re-place with more. If the runs are confined and a soil surface, dig this every fortnight, and sprinkle a little fine ashes on after- wards. If the surface is not turf, but hard, give a new dressing of ashes often. The old ones will contain many droppings, and if ta.ken out and put in a heap will form excellent manure for the garden next winter or spring. Fowls kept as clean as I suggest will be extremely healthy, remain in fine plumage, andvbe as productive M possible; while those ow-run with verznin give no pleasure, and are vety %aieed, it is better not to keep fowls at all than let them remain in a vermin-worried condition. JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Volume XXVni. has been issued, and fully maintains the exceptional high standard this publication has now reached. The price to non-fellows is log., and I always regard receiving it through being a fellow one of the compensating features of the association. It is not a mere statement of the transactions of the society over a certain period, but con- tains many highly-instructive articles by leading authorities. The illustrations, too, are especially well selected and accurate. The subject of "Hardy Ornamental Vines" is admirably treated by James H. Veitch, F.L.S. It also includes "Fungoid Posts of the Garden by Dr. M. C. Oooko; "Vegetables for Exhibition," by Edwin Beckett; "Vegetables All the Year Round," by W. H. Divers; "The Productivity of Seeds," by F. J. Baker; "Autumn Rasp- berries and Strawberries," by James Hudson, and many other articles of interest to both amateur and professional gardeners. THINNING ROSE BUDS. Those who like great inaeses of small roses must not think of thinning any of the buds, but let all remain. The flowers will then come in clusters, and make a great display, but others prefer fine individual blooms, and these can only be had of a superior order by thinning the buds. All exhibitors practise this, as it is one of the greatest helps in securing large, full, perfectly-formed flowers. Thinning the buds can hardly be begun too early. It can be seen from the first which bud will be the one to give the beet bloom. That is the largest one on the point of the shoot, and the smaller ones cluster round it. The whole of these should be removed. Clip them off, but be carefnl not to injure the stem. or bud left. Each bud is on a little stem. Do not cut this down by the main shoot that supports the end, but cut it close up under the bud itself. Climbing roses are not often disbudded. INTRODUCING MUSHROOMS TO FIELDS. Mushrooms come up thickly in some pasture fields; in others they never appear. It is often thought fields where horses graze are the most favourable for them; in fact, that the horses introduce and maintain them. Thia is. no doubt, owing to its being under- stood that horse droppings are a material which favour the growth of mushrooms, but very many exceptions are to be found to this. Indeed, horse grajing has very little to do with their growth, and cannot be depended on to produce them. The spawn, which is always necessary to produce mushrooms, generates naturally in some pastures, then mushrooms come in the season whenever weather conditions are favourable. Theee are moisture a.nd hot weathers A hot June, July, or August, with rain to satuievte the soil, is I sure to bring them up. Field mushrooms were scarce in 1903. There was plenty of rain. but the soil was too cold. Many were disap- pointed by their absence; others are always disappointed, as their land never pro- duces any; while some have a great surplus. Where they do not come naturally they may be introduced. Now is a good time to do this. It may be done by digging up a good spadeful of soil, pntting half a spadeful of horse droppings in, and a piece of spawn about the eize of a pigeon's egg. and placing the turf back on the top and treading it firmly down. Another way is to make a hole with a dibber from two to three inches in circumference, four inches deep, and drop the bit of spawn in, and cover over and make firm. Mushrooms will follow both ways, but the former is rather the more snre, Orchards, pasture fields, and such like are the best for them. If the spawn is put in now the mush- rooms will appear about mid-summer or a little later. It is not necessary to introduce the spawn annually, but when once set going they often become a.n annual crop. 6AMBUOUS LACINATA AUREA. Were I classifying this, I would include it with the elders, which it moch resembles in habit and general appearance. It is a bush well furnished with foliage of a golden colour, like the yellow elder, but the leaflets are cut into fine segments, which give them more the character of fern fronds than tree leaves. For this reason it is a peculiarly interesting subject, and it is a plant of a class which i« much desired in small gardens, where choice specimens can always be seen to advantage. PANSIES AND VIOLAS. They are both closely related, and succeed under the same treatment. Of the two the pansy is the more popular, but the viola is much grown, and both are found in almost every garden. All are now in their flowering quarters. Some have been there for a con- eiderable time, and they all begin to flower and make a. display almost a.t once. This is encouraged by many, and thought to be highly satisfactory, but better results would be secured if there were lees hurry to secure flowers and more time were given the plants to form growth before blooming. If every bud is picked off until the middle of July, and then allow all to oome and develop, there will be a much better and more continuous display than by flowering them at once. This applies to all, bat more especially to weak plants. When once growth is proceeding, saturate the roota occasionally with cow manure and soot liquid. Over-dryness may cause some of the plants to die. WATERING FERNS. A deep dark green oolour is always desired in ferns, but many of them are pale, and not a few rather of a yellow hue. As they have to be grown in partial shade, their delicate colour may result from this, but all in good health ought to be robust in texture and colour. A constant dense shade will not give the best results. Plants should, if possible, be fully exposed to the light in the morning and evening. A movable shade is the beet for them, or the plants may be put in shade or exposure as is desirable. Watering has, how- ever, a great deal to do with their colour. Over-watering will soon give a sickly shade. Keeping the pots constantly in saucers of water has this tendency, and I prefer giving water without these. The fronds must never be damp if the sunshine reaches them, as they would become discoloured. Soot water may now be given once a week. This always imparts a dark green colour, and ferns enjoy it, but artificial manures should be avoided. Let fresh air reach them daily. WATERING LAWNS AND RECREATION GROUNDS. To have lawns and tennis, croquet, cricket, and bowling greens in the 'best possible condi- tion in warm, dry weather the turf should never bo allowed to burn up or become brown and baked. Once these conditions are allowed to appear they cannot be removed until the cool autumn, and where water can be applied it should be given, not to remove scorching, but, to prevent it. "Some have a. habit of almost daily sqttirting water over their lawns and greens, but it is given as only a little sprinkling, under the impres- sion that this will keep it freeh, but it rarely does. It needs more than surface watering to retain luxuriance. Nothing lees than a good soaking twice a week in dry weather will do this. It must be given amply, to satu- rate the roots thoroughly, when all will remain green and fresh. The best .time to water is after sun-down in the evening. If applied in the morning or wheo. the 8Un is bright in the day time, the green will be changed to a sun-faded, dun colour, which is not refreshing to look on, and increases one's ideas of discomfort from heat. When watered in the evening there is do danger of the colour being interfered with, and all most admit that to have an absolutely green lawn in the warmest weather is a possession which all long for. Whepe the grass is thin or patchy on grownd that is much used, eatura- ting the roots is a. great inducement to the plante to spread and form a close surface.

CARDIGAN BOARD OF GUARDIANS. At the fortnightly meeting of the Cardigan Board of Guardians, Mr. B. Bees presiding, the vagrant returns were presented, showing that 48 tramps had been received during the fortnight, just double the number for the corresponding fortnight of 1903. At the la^t meeting of the assessment committee a peti- tion was read from the Dewsbury Union ask- ing the Cardigan Board to support a petition against the Valuation lull now before Parlia- ment, and the matter was left to Mr. W. Picton Evans, Mr. W. J. W"illiami3j and Mr. B. Rees for consideration.—Mr. Picton Evans now read a petition they had drawn up. embodying that of the Dewsbury Board, a.nd moved its adoption, copies to be sent to the Local Government Board, the members of Parliament for Pembrokeshire and Cardigan- shire, and the secretary of the Poor-law Asso- ciation.—This was carried.—\ letter was read from the Bridgend and Cowbridge Union ask- ing the board to petition against the Licen- sing Act, and notice of motion was given to discuss the matter at the next meeting.

FALSE PRETENCES AT MAESTEG. Frederick James Rees, 4, Talbot-street, Maesteg, refreshment-honse-keeper, appeared at Bridgend on Saturday to prosecute Miss Gordon, alias Gwermie Evans, 22 years of agife, for obtaining by false pretences board, lodgings, &e., to the value of 25s.—Prosecutor stated that prisoner came to his house on April 11 and engaged a sitting-room and bed- room. She remained there until April 20, and said her sister kept the Masons' Arms at Pontypridd. He trusted her to the extent of 25s. because of what she told him. She asked ebim to write to her sister, but he refused.— Prisoner pleaded guilty, and Bald that since she had lost her situation at Liverpool she had gone to the bad.—Superintendent Davis said that when arrested at Cardiff prisoner was attempting to obtain a cycle.—Prisoner vu remanded in oostody for a week.

RED DRAGON SOCIETY. ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING AT SWAN- SEA. A meeting of the Undeb y Ddraig Goch (thr Union of the Red Dragon), called by the Ma;r of Swansea, was held at the Guild- hall on Thursday afternoon, and attended by some 36 ladies and gentlemen. The Mayor presided, and welcomed the society to Swan- sea. The object of the society was an excel- lent one, and was particularly to keep up the old Welsh language. He was afraid the Welsh language would never be the language of commerce again, but he was a warm sup- porter of the old Welsh language and tradi- tions. He understood it was the intention to develop Welsh music. The music of this country would be much improved if the Welsh were greater instrumentalists. Mr. W. Edwards (his Majesty's inspector of schools) remarked that the Society for the Preservation of the Welsh Lan- guage took Welsh chiefly in ita educa- tional aspect. It had succeeded in get- ting Welsh taught in the schools. Be- tween the two societies there could be no rivalry. It was no good teaching children Welsh in the schools if, as &oon as they left, they left the language behind. It was hardly right to say that Welsh had ceased to be the language of business. It depended what business they were talking about. Welsh had ceased to be the language of the docks and certain trades in the community. It had not ceased to be the language of business in the shops of Swansea. Too Society of the Red Dragon was trying to prevent the language getting lees spoken. The Rev. Father Hook (Neath) said there was less Welsh spoken now at Neath than twenty years ago. Some people thought there was something inferior in being a Welshman. Mr. Lleafer Thomas said tha.t if a nation belittled its past it could not make its mark in histotv. The Hon. W. Gibson, attired in Gaelic dress, said in Ireland they had awakened to tho fact that their language was almost dead. He had noticed similar sinister signs in Wales. Through the formation of the Gaelic League in Ireland be believed the Irish language had now been saspd. The Mayor proposed that a committee of four be appointed to adopt the best means of forming a society in Swansea. Mr. A. Thomas, J.P., seconded, and it was agreed to. The committee appointed were Messrs. Lleufer Thomas and A. Thomas, the Rev. Penar Grimths, and Principal Salmon. It was agreed that an effort be made to establish branches in the villages. The mayor entertained the company to tea.

CARDIGANSHIRE LIBERALS. MR. VAUGHAN DA VIES, M.P., "THOROUGHLY SICK" OF THE IRISH. The annual meeting of the Cardiganshire Liberal Association was held at Lampeter, Mr. E. J. Davies, Cellan. presiding. Mr. James James, Ffynonhowel, was appointed -president. — Mr. Vaughan Davies, M.P., addressed the meeting. He described the Education (Local Authority Default) Bill as a pioce of coercion as bad ae any that had been practised on Ireland. They would have expected that Ireland, having fought so much against coercion, would have shown a little sympathy towards Wales in this matter; yet they found that Mr. John Red- mond and all his men voted against them. It would be very difficult to support those people whenever the time ca.me that they would require assistance. Mr. Davies went on to say that he favoured Home Rule if it were given all round; but he was thoroughly sick of those Irishmen. Wales wanted many reforms, yet he could only regard the attitude of the Irishmen as a serious impediment to those reforms. On every conoenrable subject the Irishmen held different opinions to them as Welshmen, and he could not help thinking that so long as the Liberal party associated themselves with J the Irish party so long would they remain out in tlhe cold.—A resolution thanking Mr. Davies for his services in the past and expressing unabated confidence in him was unanimously passed. j

THE MERTHYR GUARDIANS MAINTENANCE OF PUPIL TEACHERS CENTRE. The ordinary weekly meeting of the Mel"- thyr Board of Guardians wai3 held on Satur- day, Mr. John Rogers, chairman, presiding. It was reported that the overseers of Aber- dare had paid in a further sum of £2.,000 on account of the current call. It was referred to a committee to consider and report upon the desirability of having three relief committees instesvd of two. It was resolved to increase the board's subscription to the Porthca.wl Rest from JM 5s. to JElO 106. per anrrum, so as to get twenty tickets a year instead of ten. A cheque for £7,Zt8 0s. 3d. was drawn in payment of the first instal- ment of the precept reoeived from the Gla- morgan County Council. Mr. David Evans (Merthyr) protested against £1,260 being charged by the county against the parish of Merthyr for the maintenance of the pupil i teachers' centre at Merthyr, when the cost to the late school board was only JB566 a year. —Mr. John Morgan, a member of the county council, said he thought they had a right to object to the county making a charge of £1,2:X) when their own accountant estimated the amount required to be only £1.000, but there would be no injnstice done, because any- thing paid ever and above the actual cost would be placed to the credit of the parish. Notwithstanding the drawing of the cheque, it was agreed, however, to defer payment pending the consideration of the matter of this £1,250 by a committee.

_j'i' RESCUED BY A CHILD. DISPLAY OF GREAT GALLANTRY AT SWANSEA. An instance of great gallantry on the part of a little boy occurred at Swansea on Satur- day afternoon. A child named Lily French, four years of age, living at 6, Boroughs-place, while playing on the bank of the canal near her home, accidentally fell into the water near the Boroughs Inn. A boy, twelve years of ago, named William John Rose, of 1, Boroughs-place, was playing with some other boys on the canal bank at tie time, and find- ing there was no one older than himself present, he jumped into the water without divesting himself of any of his clothing. He dragged the drowning child from the middle of the canaJ. where the water was five feet deep, to the side, and held her there nntil a man named David Thomas, living close by, reached the spot and took both out of the water. The chief-constable, who ascertained the facts, was loud iu praise of the boy's conduct, and stated that he deserved every recognition, for he undoubtedly risked his own life in the effort to save the child.

TRAMS FOR CARDIFF TRIPPERS. The Cardiff Tramways Committee on Friday decided to nm trams in oonneotion with Messrs. P. and A. Campbell's late boat ser- vices. At ptreeerat the trams cease running about 11.30, but so heavy was the traffic to the Somerset coast by the boats on a recent occa- Irion that a D11tnbe.r of trams were, 80S an ex. periment, kept in waiting at the docks to con- vey the trippesrs to various parts of the town. —Mr. Arthur Ellis (electrical engineer and manager) was now of opinion that trippers landing in Cardiff about midnight would only be too glad to have the trams to bring them into town, and, therefore, suggested that from 11.30 to twelve o'clock the fares should be increased to 2d. and 3d., and from twelve to one o'clock (at which hour the trams should cease running) to 3d. and 4d.—The Chairman fMr. J. W. Courtis) and the other members of the committee heartily concurred with this suggestion, and agreed to adopt it forthwith.

LUNATIC AT LARGE AT LLANELLY. At Llanelly Police-court on Monday Mr. J. H. Blake, deputy-clerk to the Llanelly Board of Guardians, made an application on behalf of that body for an order of adjudica- tion of the chargeability to the county council in respect of a pauper lunatic named J. Tweedy.—It appeared that in April, 1902, a lunatio was found wandering at large and was apprehended in Stepney-street and removed to the police-station. Subsequently, Tweedy was pronounced to be insane by Dr. Evans, medical officer of the union, and he was removed to the asylum. Since then the cost of maintenance had been charged to the Llanelly Guaxdians, as the man was fonnd within the union, but not being a resident the present proceedings were instituted with a view of getting the county to pay for the maintenance pending the discovery of the place of settlement.—The bench made the order asked for.

GASWORKS FOR FISHGUARD. At Fishguard and Goodwick gas -was used for the first time last week end. At noon, in the presence of a large assembly, including the directors of the North Pembrokeshire Water and Gas Company, Mr. Owen Philippe, J.P., as high-sheriff of the county, formally- opened gasworks erected at a cost of about £5,000, tm a site near Goodwick Old Bridge on the Fishguard side of the valley that sepa- rates the two places. The capacity of the works is five million cubic feet per annum, and this is capable of being Multiplied to double that supply without undergoing strnc- tural alteration. The gasholder hae -a storage Mpaoiijr ot 5,000 feet, and ja eelfcactins.

I MOTHER AT SIXTEEN. REMARKABLE AFFILIATION CASE AT NEWPORT. Recollection of the terrible murder of an old woman near St. Mellon's was aroused during the hearing of a paternity case which occupied the attention of the Newport county justices on Saturday. The complainant, an attractive-looking young woman, named Louisa Williams, reo sides with her parents at the Mullen Cottage, St. Mellon' which has been built on the site of the old Mullen Cottage. at which Hannah Williams was done to death some three years ago. The defendant in the paternity case is Thomas John, 30, a farmer, living at St. Mellon's. From the statement of Mr. Harold Lloyd, Cardiff, who appeared for complainant, the parties became acquainted in October, 1902, when the complainant was only fifteen years of age. They kept company together until About the middle of July, 19C3, and the first ¡ act of intimacy wa.s alleged to have taken place on Easter Sunday in that year after I they had been to chapel. In her evidence complainant said that when defendant first took her home he and another young man "tossed up a penny" to I see which should have the privilege of doing so. (Laughter.) She had previously walked out with the young man. The Clerk: Supposing the other young man had WOD the toss, ,ould you have gone home with him? Complainant: No. (Laughter.) In the course of further evidence it was stated that after complainant had spoken to defendant about her condition she received a letter from a solicitor threatening to take legal proceedings against her. Mr. Goodfellow, solicitor, Caerphilly, appeared for defendant, and subjected her to a close cross-examination with regard to dates, &c. Evidence having been called in support ot complainant's statement, the defendant entered the box and gave an absolute denial to the allegations. He was afterwards severely cross-examined by Mr. Harold Lloyd, and admitted having been seen in the com- plainant's company on variou» oœa.sione, but denied the alleged intima.cy. asserting that on Eaeter Sunday in laet ytear he was at a chapel anniversary at Sumney, and did not see the complainant that evening. He also alleged that he worked for his sister, and earned only 10s. a week. In the result the Bench adjudged the defen- dant to be the father of the child, and made an order for the payment of 3s. 6d. a week for the usual period, with £1 solicitor's and two guineas doctor's fees. Defendant's solicitor intimated that an appeal would probably be made.

RAILWAY SERVANTS. MR. RICHARD BELL AT CARMAR- THEN. On Sunday afternoon at the Carmarthen Assembly-rooms there was a large gathering of railway employes to hear an address by Mr. R. Bell, M.P., the general secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. The Rev. A. Fuller Mills, English Baptist minister, who presided, said he read his New Testament as much as anybody, and con- tended that the Gospel of Christ wa.s the gospel of Trades Unionism, and that the gospel of Trades Unionism was the Gospel of Christ, and that to do work on a Sunday by way of saving his neighbour's ass from the pit was a Christian and religious act. ("Hear, hear," and applause.) Mr. J. Davies, Carmarthen, moved a resolu- tion in support of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. Mr. Thomas Williams, Whitland, seconded. Mr. R. Bell, M.P., in supporting, stated that the changes now taking place in the manage- ment and conduct of the railways were such as he had not experienced during his life- time or read of since the early days of the locomotive. The new large type of locomotive now being constructed, the conversion of steam to electrio traction, and the adoption of electric and pneumatic systems of, signalling were all having an adverse effect upon the conditions of those employed in the service. The position he took up was that 't was neither his duty nor that of the society to oppose the introduction of any of those new methods of working. He had, in fact, always opposed opposition to the introduction of machinery, and held that his duty and that of the society came in when those changes were taking place, their work being to see that the conditions of the employee at the machinery were equitably changed as circumstances warranted. ("Hear, hear," and applause.) The resolution was carried. MR. BELL AT WRITLAND. Mr. Bell addressed a public meeting at the New Public-hall. Whitland, on Saturday night, which was presided over by Mr. D. Evans, C.C., Manordaf. Whitland. Mr. T. Williams, secre- tary of the Whitland Branch of the Amal- gamated Society of Railway Servants, moved a resolution deprecating the re-actionary policy of the Government. Mr. Harry Grey, engine-driver, stationed at j Whitland, seconded. Mr. Richard Bell, M.P., in supporting the resolution, urged the claims of Trades Unionism on all labourers. The Amalgatmated Society of Railway Servants, he said, had not only assisted them in getting shorter hours and higher wages, but also in cases of: accident or injury. He gave a scathing criti- cism of the Government policy on the educa- j tion question, the Licensing Bill, the fiscal policy, the question of conscription and its result on the labouring classes, and Chinese labour in South Africa.

SCENE AT CARD IFF G.W.R. STATION A row at Cardiff Grsat Western Railway Station on Thursday made the 6.5 p.m. train ti Swansea several minutes late. Two men, James Rowlands, 36, and Archibald Lyneh, .54, who were drunk, were being turned off the premises by two porters, Harris and Work. man. When they got to the steps leading from No. 3 Platform into the subway Lynch, who was behind, pulled Harris down by the collar, and Rowlands struck Workman. Two men pulled Lynch from Harris, and James Davey, a platform policeman, who was going to No. 5 to start the 6.5 train, came to Work- man's assistance. He and Rowlands closed, and the two rolled down the steps together, and at the bottom Rowlands struck the officer in the eye. The borough polioe were called. Police-conatable Carter was talcing Bowlands from the station when he was strnok by his prisoner nnder the jaw. At Cardiff Police- court on Friday Rowlands, for obstructing the railway officials and assaulting the police, was fined in all jE-3 and costs, or two months, and Lynch for obstruction was fined 20s. and cost9.-Both prisoners went below.—-Mr. Lean- ing appeared for the company.

BABIES CAUSE A ROW AT RISCA., Aocording to the evidence of William Clarko, a resident of Risca, be was attacked by his next-door neighbour, Frank Hemmings, be- j cause their babies had had a squabble. Clarke told the Newport County magistrates on Saturday that Hemmings came to the door of his bouse, ttaed bad language, threatened to do three months for him. and sbrutk him on the mouth. Witness did nothing beyond trying to persuade defendant to go away quietly, aa he did not care to be mixed up in Quarrels. Defendant, however, entered hia house and seized a chair, with which he aimed a. blow at witness, who grasped the chaåT. They struggled together, and the chair was broken, as also were an armchair and some ornaments, damage being done to the amount of 30s.—Mr. Harold Lloyd (Cardiff) appeared for defendant, who asserted that he only defended himeelf after going to the complainant's house to inquire about the children's squabbles.—Defendant, who had been previously before the court, was fined £2 for the assault and JEl for damages to com- plainant's goods.

BREACH OF THE COMPANIES' ACTS. Mr. T. N. T. Strick, Swansea, appeared at Bridgend on Saturday to prosecute the Esplanade Hotel Company (Limited), Porth- cawl, for neg-teating during the years 1902 and 1903 to provide to the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies returns showing the affairs of the company, also lists of members and directors. —Alderman Hughes pleaded guilty on behalf of the company, and pleaded, in mitigation, iUhealth on the part of Mr. Brogden, who was practically managing director of the com- pany, which was a family concern.—The Chairman (Mr. R. W. Llewellyn) said the bench were of the opinion that there was a great deal of blame attached to the Inland Revenue, as the returns for 1902 should have been pressed for. There was also slackness on the part of the company. Under the circumstances the company would be fined £1 in each case, and £5 costs—in all £7.

RURAL POSTMAN IN TROUBLE. At Llanelly Police-court on Saturday a rural poetman, tra<m#d Trehame, was charged with stealing a registered letter containing £7 1\Is. 6d., cn April 22, at Idanncn, the pro- perty of the Poetmaeter-Gwneral.—Bvidenoc was giwn showing that the accused was employed in the district from lAannon to Voel Castell, Llaoa-rthney. On the day named a registered 1etter was handed him by Thomas Evans, Cross Bands. Accused gave a receipt for it, but no further record of the letter could be found. When charged TYe- harne replied, "The truth is I had the letter. I have bought a new bicycle, and u«nad the money to pay tat it."—The case wat adjourned.

INGENIOUS FRAUDS. BLAENAVON MAN AND FICTITIOUS AGENTS. Thomas Stone, aged 50, a married man with four children, living at Blaenavon. waa charged on remand at Newport on Friday with obtaining by false pretences the sum of £35 12s. from the Universal Insurance Company (Limited), of Leeds, with intent to defraud. He pleaded guilty. Mr. Lyndon Moore, who appeared for 1 ha prosecution, said the case was a serious one. as it displayed the most ingonious frauds on the part of the accused—frauds so ingenious a" ho had never come across before. and of such a character as to show that he was a. man of more than ordinary intelligence. He was engraved last year as an agent for the company at a small salary and commission, and then, having shown some ability, he was promoted to be assistant superintendent at a fixed salary of 30s. per week. One of the things that he did as assistant superintendent wu tJ nominate agents. In consequence of hit nominations three men were appointed— one at 15s. per week and two each at £.1 per week. He drew the salaries and commissions for these three men for a considerable time before suspicion was aroused. Stone was tem- porarily removed to Swansea, and lettere which were sent to these men were returned, as thoy could not be found. Then the fraud was discovered, and the prisoner admitted that the agents were purely fictitious. Mr. William Harry, the inspector of the society from Port Talbot, spoke to the pri- sonoer's appointment and his methods of busi- ness. In his 21 yea-rs' experience of this class of work he had never known snch a fraud before. He eaw the prisoner on Thur» day. the 19t,ù of May, about the matter, and ho admitted that the agents were ficti- tious. The total amount that the prisoner had fraudulently received was £49 12s. lid., being JE:53 6s. 8d. for salaries and £16 6e. 3d. for commissions. Prisoner broke down when called upon to make his explanation of the offence. When he had recovered he elated that Mr. Harrr: had promised him the superintendent's posi- tion at Newport, but did not keep his promise. He had been put to a good deal of expense over ether agents and travelling, and 30s. per week was not sufficient pay to do the work upon. He got a little conunission from "ordi- nary" and "monthly" business, but it was very small. The Chairman of the Bench (Mr. C. IL Bailey) said he thought 30s. per week WM not sufficient for a responsible man. At the same time he ought to be honeet, and if he wished he could have left the employment. It was, however, he felt hardly creditable to insurance people that they paid such small salaries. (There were Bear, hears," from the back of the court, which were seon sup- pressed.) Mr. Moore said the mac entered the service of the company for the opportunity of promo- tion, and he could have made money in other ways. I Mr. Harry said other assistant superinten- dents who were appointed at the same time as the prisoner were making £2, £2 58., and £2 10e. per week. In the result the Bench eent the prisoner to gaol for three months. The Chairman told him that they had taken a. lenient view of the matter, and he could think himself very lucky tha.t he had got off with so light a t-MTC of imprisonment.

DAVID AND GOLIATH. COWARDLY PIT-SINKER SENT TO PRISON. A big. strong man. past middle age, named Daniel Harris, described as a pit sinker, from YnyBddu, got into serious trouble at Newport last Saturday night, all on account of m match. He was charged before the Newport magis- trates on Friday with oommitting an aggra- vated assault upon an old woman named Mary Barker, of 15, Emljrn-terrace, by striking her on the head with a poker. The woman who still had her head done up in bandages, stated that the man walked into her house at 7.30 on Saturday night, and asked her for a match. She told him that he had better go where he had been before as he appeared to have been drinking. He wouldn't go out, but went to the fire and lit a piece of paper to light his pipe. At the same time he picked up a poker from the grate IIIld hit her several blows on the head. Thomas Collins, a boy of fourteen, who lives next door to Mrs. Barker, said he heard screams from 15, Emlyn-terrace. "Oh sir. oh sir, I am killed!" shouted Mrs. Barker. The boy ran in, and said he saw the man strike Mrs. Barker three times on the head and once on the arm. He tried to take the poker from him, but the man tore his coat and said he would take it out of him as well. Mr. R. Wilkinson, J.P.: It was a case of DaTid and Goliath. Prisoner said he went Into the house to see if he could lodge there that night. He dropped off to sleep, and when he woke up he found that his hat was gone, as well as his handkerchief and other things. He was being bundled out of the house with the poker, and it was in the struggle that the woman waa struck on the head. The Bench sent him to prison for three months.

LEFT HIS CHILDREN STRANDED. The Newport magistrates had before them on Monday an adjourned summons ohargingj George Butcher, a ship's fireman, with neg- lecting his four children, all under the age of sixteen years, in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering and injury to health. Defendant did not appear. Mr. Lyndon Cooper, who appeared to profit cute on behalf of the Society for the Preven- tion of Cruelty to Children, said the case waa first before the court six weeks ago, when, aa the defendant had made absolutely no pro- vision for his children, they were removed to the Poor-law home. Defendant, however, then promised to take them out of that insti- tution and provide them with a home. He had done absolutely nothing, but had appeared. Inspector Sparkes said he had made inqui- ries, and had found that the defendant, having stayed about Newport for a few weeks after the first bearing of the summons, after- wards went to sea without having done any- thing for his children. The Bench ordered a warrant for his arrest. poooo-- 7

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