The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard

Poultry. PLYMOUTH ROCKS. One Oi the largest and most striking birds in the whole poultry kingdom is the Rock. No natter which colour, the size and shape appeals to everyone, aud the veriest novice knows when lie sees a barred Plymouth Rock. This fowl is the most general of the lot, and the grey colouring looks very fine when out of a fresh grass run. No one should keep the Rock for intensive work, because it will not stand con- finement like some of the others, but, its place is on the farm with an extensive range, or in spacious runs which is almost Lke freedom. It has been, and can be, kept on small spaces, but that does not. alter the fact that it does best with plenty of room. Among the whole range theie is nothing more handsome, and when bred tone to colour they look smart and useful when on a fresh field. The Barred or Grey is the more general and can be seen on most farms, and it is a breed which will answer well on almost any soil. Heavy loam for light dtay will do better than sand, and the leg colour is brighter and more lasting from the heavy soil. There should be a fair amount of grass, so that the early dew will wash the legs, and this will keep away all scaly leg and leave the legs bright and fresh. When being kept just-:for utility there is no reason why the colour shou4d not be kept good, but select for breeding stock one with a neat head, clean face, and not too high on leg. The ideal show bird stands rather tall, which with a food length of back shpws it off to perfection, oine birds have a tendency to stand with their legs close together. This is wrong, they should be well set apart, firm and without any sign of weakness. Those who are on heavy soil can keep the Rock with advantage, for it is very hardy and will stand almost any conditions. The bird wants a long back and deep breast, and these can be nad tfith a short- leg, do not select the tallest for breeding. As the body assumes big weight, it is necessary to see that the legs and borie are firm, otherwise you may produce chickens which will be weak on leg; and it should be remembered that all- long-legged birds of any breed have a tendency to weakness. In the treatment they can be managed like any other fowl, but, having a big frame they naturally consume a good deal of food ,but this will be repaid if you are want- ing to fatten some. The Rock is not the ideal fowl if you want to kill early, but when left till six or seven months old, and liberally fed, they look like a young turkey and make a fine joint for home use. All Rocks have a yellow leg and skin, and this is a drawback for ordinary market, but when a private trade has been cultivated and cus- tomers know the quality of the Rock, they will not think anything about the colour of the leg or skin. Though not great summer layers, they produce a goodly supply of eggs all winter and the colour is about the richest of any. It is usually a Rock's eggir which win the brown classes, because they are the largest, and though occasionally a pullet will lay a small egg at the start, it will improve with time and produce her best eggs in. the second season. There are various colottts, but as already said, the Grey or Barred is the most general. But in addition', there are the Buffs, Whites, Blacks, Blues, and Golden. The' Buff has often done well in the laying competitions and have kept pace with some of the more popular breeds. In colour they should be a rich Buff, sound and even all through, with a buff tail and wings. They come more often than not with a lighter golden neck and saddle, and sometimes show white in the wing. The white is easily under- stood, though not so easy to get pure because of the yellow skin, hence the natural pigment in the feather is to come cream. Blacks should be a rich beetle green in colour, which with the yellow leg looks well, but the Blues have dropped down a bit lately. The is a bird barred like the Grey, but of a rich buff or golden colouring. At present the males come best, the females being too pale and wasty in

Cycling and Motoring Notes CYCLING. The Enterprising German-—The Irish Cycl- ist has added t> thega.,of nations by un- earthing a. German prê cycle trade from which 1 quote the following charming spcoimsn of English-a.s-she-is-spoke according to Germany: "How very often can you observe that the agent does not konw himself what the customer wants from h in, and as he likes not to show himself inexperienced, lie states prices which, to his disappointment, can- not be maintained without a loss. How funny also is the situation of a cycler who cannot discover the article which twinkled him from the machine of a tourist crossed on the road or whom you offer fifty different patterns. In order to make disappear such a d lemma I now create a comparative general price list." The object is that we should "twinkle" into the arms of a German trader instead of the good British one, but before that succeeds Ger- many will have learnt a great deal about the British character as well as its language. The Tandem for Weak Riders.—In cases where cycling is almost impossible owing to weakness a tandem comes as a great help. Given a strong ridar on the front seat, the rider at the back can be practically a pass- enger. Of course it is not ideal cycling, but the strong rider has the satisfaction of know- ing that he LS giving health and an amount of beneficial exercise to a weaker member in a way which cannot be otherwise equalled. For even if the weak rider does a little pedalling, the mere fact of following the pedals round provides a certain amount of exercise, while the fresh air and the movement wll do "infinite good. Roads should be clvoseh with as few hills as possible, because if not there will be a temptation to the weak rider to do his or her share of the work and thereby serious strain caused. MOTOR CYCLING. Motor Cyclists Wanted.—The British Ambu- lance Committee is badly in need of motor- cyckts to drive motor-cycle ambulances in France. At the request of the French Army the committee is extending the sidecar ambu- lance in the Vosges mountains-, and is urgently in need of another twenty motor cyclists. Men over the age of forty-one or who are Grade 2, over thirty-five are required. A knowledge of French us of assistance,, but not absolutely necessary. The pay is £2 a week, while uni- form, travelling expenses, and rations are pro- vided. Applications should be made to Mr B. Poyrnan at 23a, Bruton-street, London W.I. who will gladly furnish any further particulars that are wanted. If The Brakes Go. Wrong.—A very large proportion of the most serious motor-cycling acaidents have been direotly ca,used owing to the brakes being out of order. It is merely asking for trouble to ride a machine with only one brake in proper order, for then if anything goes wrong with it a very nasty accident is likely to happen. In a case like this however, it is possible to make use of what may be termed a third brake. This is by using the compression of the engine. The thing to do is to raise the valves, thus converting the engine into an air pump. On the down stroke of the piston no return of energy is passed to the flywheel, and, moreover energy is used up in pumping the air in and out of the cylinders. In addition to this friction of the engine acts as a brake. MOTORING. The Prince of Wales as Motorist.—-The Prince of Wales has been enjoying a well-earned rest from his arduous military duties, and the fact that he was in mufti the whole time doubt- less added considerably to his enjoyment Ac- cording to the "Evening Standard" of September 3rd, he spent hip holiday "motoring, cycling, and driving". As everyone knows the Prince is a very keen motorist, invariably driving himself—the true way to enjoy the best of a,11 pastimes I believe that not only is he a good driver, but he thoroughly understands all the "innards" of a car, and is able to do a good many minor repairs. A New Steam Car.—Reports have come to hand that a Danish engineer has recently introduced a new type of steam car, which embodies a gocd many novel features. From the somewhat meagre particulars which have been published, however, it seems unlikely that the car will achieve much success. Several extravagant claims are, however made for it. The statement that the consumption of water is no greater than that ff the ordinary petrol engine seems difficult to bclievL If th's be true an entirely new system of generating and con- densing must have been invented. It is also stated that crude>>il may be usod. as fuel, a.nd that even leaves and wood shavings answer Che purpose. If is further stated that sufficient steam to start the car can be generated in a, ,1.- v.L.a.. -I1A. "'0"

HINTS FOR ALLOTMENT HOLDERS. By SPADE-WORKER. DON'T WAIT ON THE WEATHER. We have had so much rain during the past few weeks that most allotment land is in a very wet condition, and many plot- holders are inclined to take to heart the oft-given advice that more harm than good is done by attempting to dig when the tsoil is in that state. I am not at all sure that that is very sound advice. I believe the all- important thing at this time of year is t. get the soil thrown up roughly so that as great a surface as possible shall be exposed to the frosts that are certain to come before the winter is over-we may (expect them soon after Christmas. The task of digging wet land is undobutedly a heavy and laborious one, but at this season it is better I to do it than to allow the soil to remain undug throughout the winter. Last year I took over an additional plot of five or six rods, and I was able to turn over only a small portion of it before spring. Now when sowing and planting time came the few square yards that bad been dug roughly broke down to a fine tilth beautifully when forked over in March, but the rest of the plot remained sodden for weeks and even months afterwards. I am sure it pays to get the land dug now, even if it is wet and works heavily. My advice applies particu- larly to digging at this season while thg severe weather is st¡:¡ in front of us. A GOOD WORD FOR RHUBARB. It is not likely that.there will be ruch a scarcity of fruit next year, as we experienced during the past season, but one never knows. Therefore it is as well to be pre- pared, and a simple and excellent way to prepare for such an eventuality is to grow as much rhubarb as possible. The super- gardeners tell you on no account to pull rhubarb the first season following planting, and that is no doubt good advice, especially when you have a few dozen other well estab- lished rhubarb plants. But such advice makes no appeal to me. I can spare only a few square yards for rhubarb, and I want the produce as soon as ever I can get it, namely, in the summer following planting. It is quite possible to obtain it, providing you set about the work thoroughly. The thing to do is to dig the site now or as soon as possible. Take out a trench one "spit" deep, and dig over the bottom of the trench, mixing in a good supply of yard or stable manure, or if neither of these is obtainable, use vegetable refuse, soot, pieces of turf, etc. Turn over the next portion of soil, thus opening another trench, and treat this in the same way. If all the plot is deeply- dug in this fashion it will grow first-clasg rhubarb. I find that it is better to plant, in March, but you- must prepare the ground now. You will be able to pull quite a num- ber of "sticks" in August without doing harm to the plants, and it is then that the best rhubarb jam is made. PRIZEWINNING HINTS. The prize this week—a copy of "Garden Work for Every Day"—is awarded to Mr. John Platt for his note and sketches show- ing how to make a garden sieve or riddle, an article that is indispensable. Cut four pieces of wood 18in. long, 2 £ in. wide, £ in. thick, and nail them together. Making a Sieve or Riddle. I I Obtain half a yard of wire-netting lin. wide, and uail it to the bottom. Then fasten two pieces of wire, crosswise, at the bottom, r.s shown. You then have a cheap and very serviceable sieve, which is bound to prove useful. I PLANTING SHALLOTS. We all know the old advice to plant shallots on the shortest day and take them up on the longest day, but there is no need to take it too literally. If you have a plot of ground that is in "good heart," deeply dug and fairly rich, there is every reason why you should get in the shallots without delay. In any case they ought to be planted between now and the end of February if you wish to get really good results. The bulbs are already advertised for sale, and if you do not plant them immediately it is just as well to obtain them, for they are not likely 10 get any cheaper aS the planting season draws to a-close. The giant or Russian shallot is larger and finer than the ordinary kird, and I always find it worth while paying a little more to get that sort. I PLANTING POTATO ONIONS. I In many respects the potato onion is like the shallot, and it needs similar treatment. The bulbs may be planted now or in early spring; everything depends upon the present state of your soil. If that is satisfactory then the sooner the bulbs arc put in the better. I have had great success with this vegetable, and I intend to include it in my collection for next year. It is undoubtedly a good crop for the allotment. But you can get the best results only by planting 011 deeply-dug and enriched ground. PRIZE COMPETITION FOR ALLOT- MENT HOLDERS. Every week two prizes are offered for the best allotment hint or recipe. The prizes consist of useful gardening books. All. tries for this competition must be addressed "Spadeworker." care of Editor of this I piij-er. "Spadeworker" is open to give practical advice, free of charge, to readers of this t paper. Replies will be sent by post if a stamped addressed envelope is enclosed. Address vour inquiries to "Spadeworker," care of Editor.

OIVP The Black Enamel which gives to Domestic IronworkBicycles, Grates, Sewing Machines, et,c.-the right kind of lustre. Of all Stores and Ironmongers. jAMiES RUDMAN.

Dysynni Drainage. INTERVIEW WITH MR. R. P. MORGAN. The drainage of the Towyn and Llanegryn marshes being a. matter of so much importance to the health and prosperity of Towyn and its neighbourhood, our correspondent sought an interview with Mr. R. P. Morgan, who is not only surveyor to the Urban Council but has the welfare of his neighbours sincerely at heart. In order properly to understand the subject Mr. Morgan explained that the area affected is from 2,000 to 3,000 acres from the sea the Bird Rock. Up to the sixties this area was practically a swamp and a. kind of malarial iever frequently occurred in the inhabitants. Between £50,000 and £ 60,000 was then spent with the object of draining the land and enab- ling it to he converted into pastures and arable. The scheme was undoubtedly well con- ceived. It consisted in conveying into the, Dysynni streams coming down from the high lands on either side of the valley. This was called the upper level system. Unfortunately, several small streams were not directed into the Dysynni which in times of flood helped to overburden the lower level system. In completing the higher level system the Engineer constructed miles of embankments, not cnly to conduct the mountain streams into the Dysynni, but to confine' the Dysynni itself to its bed. The higher level scheme proved suc- cessful, but its success has for a consider- able time been interfered with by the action of the sea in shifting the estuary some hundreds of yards further north where the bed is at a higher level and is composed of hard material. Consequently the discharge of water is retarded and there is considerable siltage higher up the river. The Dysynni Drainage Board a. few years ago spent some hundreds of pounds in dredging away the obstruction and it seemed as if the improvement was going to be permanent. Last year, however, the floods proved to be disastrous forflood water remained on the land from August to Christ- mas. These unforeseen conditions were such that no fault could be found with the original scheme, but as they have occurred it is a ques- tion whether some protective work should not be undertaken, as there is now nothing to pre- vent all the dredging work which has cost close on £1,000 being obliterated in one night by the action of the sea. The second portion of the original scheme- called the lower level system because it is some c at three to fivefeet below the higher level system —consisted in making a main cut or drain from twelve to sixteen- feet wide on the south side of the Dysynni and runnirg parallel to it for about five miles up the vai. This cut passes under the Cambrian Rai way through a pipe and discharges into the sea. Towards its upper end the cut passes under the Dysynni in two two places for the purpose of draining the Llanegryn marshes north of the river. Almost at right angles to the main cut are miles of lateral drains, dividing the marshes into sec- tions, which sections in turn have been surface drained. After the scheme had been carried out a large area of valuable land was reclaimed. Those who remember the conditions before and after the carrying out of the scheme state that the effect was to transform what had been a swamp into rich pastures and cultivatable land. But one difficulty became apparent as time went on. It was evident that in order to meet conditions which did not appear when the original scheme was formulated it was neces- sary to enlarge the outlet into the sea. It is on record that a few-years after completion of the scheme the Drainage Board contem- plated enlarging the outlet. Why the enlarge- ment was not effected is not known. Those who have carefully observed the discharge of the main cut water have come to the conclusion that provision should be made to deal with contingencies which have jarisen since the scheme was carried out. The Engineer un- doubtedly proved remarkably correct in calcu- lating normal conditions and assuming that the low-level system had to flea with low-level waters only. Fifty years working, however, has revealed many tilings. The eccentric behaviour of the Dysynni especially during the past twenty years, has more or less interfered with the proper working of the low level system, for the high-level system has not discharged the functions the Engineer intended, with the result that it has annually dumped millions of gallons into the lower system, causing a periodical flooding of the Towyn and Llanegryn marshes. The Drainage Board has tried to restore the Dysynni to its original level which, if success- ful, would have relieved the difficulty. But it has not been successful and the difficulty has been increased by the breaking of the river embankment at certain places. An improvement of the high level system probably would not altogether prevent floods, but it would liave the effect of carrying off the flood water at a more rapid rate and prevent it lying on the land for months each year, waterlogging the land, decreasing its produce, and inflict- ing serious losses on the rccupiers. Th° Dysynni also has a habit of bursting through and overflowing its banks. Last September it cut a way through and emptied its contents into the lower level system, the water covering to a depth of from one to six feet some 2,000 acres, the water reaching up to Towyn, extin- guishing the fires at the Gas Works, ruining the dairy pastures, and rotting the root crops. That water had only just cleared from the Towyn marshes—not from the Llanegryn marshes-when another burst of the Dysynni has occurred, and it is feared the flood will be even higher than in Srrt mber. The conditions became ?o serious last spring and the demand for increased producc <="> sistent that the Government sent an engineer down to Towyn to investigate matters. ° He prepared a schme which was sent to Merioneth War Agricultural Committee. It was estimated that the carrying out of the scheme would cost between £10,000 and £ 11,000, of which the Drainage Board and the adioining owners were asked to contribute £2,500, the Government providing the remainder. The scheme came before the Dysynni Drainage Board and owners, but for some unexplained reason was not accepted and subsequently the Government withdrew its offer. The scheme included the enlargement of the lower-level outlet and the clearing of siltage as well as the lateral drains relieving the surface drains which are now practically. useless. The remedies in my opinion are—(1), To re- store the higher-level system by clearing the silt-ige and repairing breakages in the river banks, making the system perform its work as originally intended and (2), to considerably enlarge the main cut outlet, enabling it to deal w,fch fiords that fail to find an outH bv the higher-level system, and to remove all lltage.

"A MAN IS AS OLD AS HIS ARTERIES. Flush the mineral impurities out through the kidneys before H'gh Blood Pressure, Bright's Disease, Gall Stones, Dropsy "r Diabet force you to, says medical mail. If the constantly forming mmevni impurities such a:s uric acid, urate of soda, etc., iirg per- mitted to remain in the blood they are Sure to deposit on walh of the arteries, which then lote their elasticity and can no longer regu- late the blood pressure by expanding and con- tracting. Any shock, excitement, or quick exertion may easily affect the heart so as to prove fatrvl. Before it is too late, drink occa- sionally a tumbler of water in which you dissolved a level teaspoonful of an inex- pensive compound known by the registered name alkta. saltrates (powder form). This alkaline medicinal water will soon neutralise and wash out the acidulous impurities and flush the kidneys. Then notice how much you feel. Satisfaction is guaraneed or money back. immediately and without a word. Try it before you decide to incur the expense of visiting some fa.mous hot mineral spring to drink medicinal water similar both in compo- sition and effects. a487.

e r I You simply add water I i I sVWm

OTHER MEN'S MINDS. 1 am consumed with admiration of the British soldier.—Marshal Foch. t' MORE WAR-WINNERS. i Great Britain has not realised how muck > she owes. to the market-gardeners. efforte during the past four years.—Mr. Joynsou Sicks. A IvIlGHT-IIAVE- BEEN. There was a time in the early stages of the last campaign when another hundred thousand Australians might have secured art earlier triumph.—Premier W. M. Hughes. THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SPIRIT. The best way we can foster the public sohool spirit is by inducing public school; men to go among the humbler classes and teach them what a public school education- can do,-Mr. H. A. L. Fisher. BORN AGAIN. Looking back on this war, we shall see ia, it the rebirth of a nation.—Mr. A. Chamber- lain. lain, NO MILITARISM. The nation will not have militarism in the matter of public health any more than in other matters.—Major Astor. AMERICA TURNS THE SCALE. In the opinion of everybody in this coun- try it was the United States Navy and Army ) that turned the scale.—Lord Jellicoe. IF THEX OlfLY WOULB. It is wonderful what a lot of disputes in the world would be stopped if people would I only count five-andt wonty.-Sir John Simon. ONE MAN, ONE ACRE. > It is possible for a man to live on the pro-, duce of an acre of ground if he is not very particular as to what he eats and will live on exactly what he can get.—Sir Henry Rew. THE FLEET AND THE LEAGUE. A League of Nations is no substitute for the supremacy of the British Fleet.-Mr. Churchill. NOT SUCH A GIANT.. Examination of German prisoners has shown that the German is not the huge fellow he has been supposed to be.-Pro- fessor Parsons. A TOUGH PROPOSITION. Any Government attempting to dictate to the working classes when, what, and how much beer they shall drink is up against a tough proposition.—Mr. T. Murray. A BIG BILL. We have to raise two millions a day for the next century to pay our war debts.— Mr. Ernest Benn. A MINISTRY OF WATER. Why not have a Ministry of Water to deal not only with and river fisheries. I but with the water power of the country?- Mr. Prothero. "PEDIGREE COD. I look forward to the time when we shall feed up and fatten fish as we used to fatten cattle. Let us have prize turbot and pedigree cod.—Sir James Crichton-Browne. "GET ON WITH THE PEACE." Some of us have been in the habit of say- It ing "Let lis get on with the war." That chapter is now closed. Let us get on with the peace.—Sir Gordon Hewart. WELL-BALANCED. We pride ourselves on being a well- babuced nation, but to my mind the typical John Bull is one who keeps his equilibrium by rolling heavily from one side to the other.—Dean Inge. THE NINEPENNY LOAF. The outstanding success in connection with control has been the control of bread, the loaf being reduced from a shilling to ninepence. It is admitted, however, that a subsidy of sixty millions has Ibeen paid for that purpose, and when the full story cf the cost can be told we shall see that the cost of the loaf has been increased from a shilling to ts. 6d. We have paid 9d. and have sent a bill for 9d. to our great-great- grand-children.—Mr. Ernest Benn. AMERICAN WOMEN'S ADVANTAGES. The two things which have helped the American woman to obtain greater freedom are puritanism and the absence of an aris- tocracy, which means that there is not much convention to which people have to onfcrm. —Professor Gilbert Murray. THE GOOD TIME COMING. We shall be able to travel by aerial taxi- cab. We shall be able to start out for Rome, to feed the pigeons of St. Mark's if we feel in need of a change, to fly off to Norway to see the Midnight Sun, or to speud the week- end in Cairo.—Mr. J. A. Whitehead. SAVED BY THE NAVY. B.ut for our sea-power Germany would overrun the wor!d, and ia three or four months would, have obtained her desires.— Sir Eric Geddes. -> UNKNOWN HEROES. In spite of the long lists of meu decorated that are published there are innumerable others who have done magnificently brave things in the war whom we do not know, although we know their work has been done. ft may be thirty or forty years before we ooar of some of the best of the men, aud in tiie final appraisement men unknown at pre- sent., will come out and stand very high.- Hon. John Fortesette. "i' FOR THE COUNTRY'S GOOD. ,.t.(.j. My chief concern 1 remaining in public life-the liollowncss, bitterness, and insin- cerity of which makes me wish sometimes I was out of it-is to make this country v, better country for returned service men td live in.—Mr. G. N. Barnes. NO MONOPOLY. Winning the war has not been thfi monopoly of any set of men. It has been the united duty, and the united privilege, of the vhole nation and of the whole Empire. Mr. ilsquith.

CURE RHEUMATISM, GOUT, LUrn!IAGID, 5CI r ¡A. S.re and 100 years, rgputation Var to(}y 1. VI