The Cardiff Times

A man jumped off a train and sprang into a hack. What hotel do you wish to goto ? asked the driver. "I am an Irishman and have.just arrived in this country, and—" Abi ldsee cu want me to tfcke you to.,the polls. I

FACTS FOR FARMERS. Agricultural Depression in Wales. In the Estates Gazette of January 17th:the following appears :— Town properties in Cardiff and neighbourhood have been depressed in selling and letting values, but there has been for some months past a gradual improvement in both, and at present the de- mand for some kinds of property for exceeds the supply. Small agricultural properties are in demand and there is an improvement in the letting of farms, although farms have always been easy to let in this neighbourhool. The custom of the county of Glamorgan is con- sidered more favourable to the tenant than the Agricultural Holdings Act of 1883. As there has been no severe fall m the value of agricultural land in this neighbourhood, there is not the room for a rise in value as in localities where there has been general depression. Lucky indeed must have been the farmers in (' the neighbourhood of Cardiff if the agricultural distress of the past years, which was severely felt in every part of the country, if they were excepted from this visitation. But I suppose the meaning of the above paragraph is that there has been no severe fall in the letting value of agricultural land. In this respect the neighbourhood cf Cardiff is no exception to most neighbourhoods in South Wales. But this must by no means be regarded as indicating the absence of agricultural depression. Anyone unacquainted with the severe experience which Welsh farmers have had within the last 10 years might think, from the letting value of farms, that Wales was excepted from any such depression. That, however, was far from being the case, as every farmor can testify. There is a vast differ- ence between the letting value and the legitimate value of land in Wales, because tho demand for farms in the Principality is so much in excess of the supply that land- owners can fix their own price on the farms let. During the long period of depression none but Welshmen would have paid the rents of their hold- ings as they did with such scant practical sympathy from their landlords. It is true that except in solitary cases they managed by their thrift and great self-denial tr3 weather the storm, but at what cost none but themselves know. For this reason outsiders are under the very mistaken im- pression that the depression visited the Princi- pality more lightly than other parts of Britain. Dairying. In the course of his address on "Dairying" at Whitchurch, Salop, Mr Armytage said he doubted whether the British farmer realised the enormous amount of money that went into the pocket of the foreigner every year. About j695,000,000 worth of foreign produce came into England aunually, and the amount in- creased year after year. He thought that some of this money might well go into the pockets of the English farmer. They could, if they chose, produce a v^ry much larger quantity of articles of food for their own consumption. The imports of dairy produce during the year 1889, exclusive of what came from their own colonies, were JB 15,681,000, really an enormous sum of mmey and the largest portion of it was for butter. Nearly four millions of these imports were from Denmark, anj three millions from France. He took every opportunity of maintaining that the English farmer in everything he did asserted his superiority over the foreigner, and he was perfectly convinced that even now the best quality of cheese and butter was produced by English farmers. Unfortun- ately, all that was produced was not of the best. He was sorry to see in the market returns of the sale of Cheshire cheese prices were quoted as low as 36s" although some of high quality realised 80s. What was wanted was uniformity of method He referred to the systems in vogue in Brittany and Normandy, and pointed out that the butter was made without any grain in it whatever. He had often thought that if English farmers, instead of making butter and cheese in their own houses with inferi-r appliances, sent their milk to the factories, they would ne t luiv > the London mer- chants g'oing over to the foreigner for these articles as they did at the present day. He could not help thinking that the reduced consump- tion of cheese was due to the fact that the American cheese imported some years ago was a very imperfect article. He was afraid there was a tendency to-day amongst the English farmers, as amongst American farmers, to hurry their cheese upon the market. He had no hesitation in saying that this was detrimental to the producer, because if people found that cheese was not of a necessary quality they would give up eating it, as had been done already by a great many people. As a profitable source of return he recommended the making of cream cheese in addition to selling the cream. With regard to the quality of Gorg'on- zola cheese which found its way into the market, ho was not quite sure whether it would not be worth the while of English farmers to turn their attention to the manufacture of soft curd cheese. Since ho had been in Shropshire he had tested certain productions of butter, and he fcund that what was had was due to tho cream boing liept too long a period. The cream had been allowed to go sour, and in the butter tested by him he found a most decided taint. He had also tested Cheshire cheese, and makers of Cheshire cheese present would forgive him when he said he did not altogether like it. Some was of good quality, whilst some was bad. He had found cheese which would break very easily, and some which was exceedingly like putty. Crown Lands: What Became of Them P Mr Wm. Reynolds gives an account in a recent issue of Lartd and Labour of what became of soma of the Crown lands. He says :—I am indebted to the late Dr Parfitt, who was a diligent and constant attendant at the British Museum, for the following Premising that there is still seme portion of the Crown lands remaining national property, although so badly managed that the cost of government competes with the revenue derived frem it, the following are in- stances of how thrf greater put has been dealt with :—' In the time of James I. the Crown lands, according to Sir W. Wilson and Dr Davenant, exceeded three million acres, and after that one million more were added by confiscations, &c., and Queen Anne was persuaded to give up the Crown lands, and to take £700,000 per year in lieu thereof. The lands were to be placed in the hands of commissioners of known integrity, who were to pay the receipts into the Treasury, in order to lessen the burden of national taxation a very proper arrangement, as the nation was to find the stipulated £700,000. What became of this land, or of the income de- rived from it ? One M.P. took an estate worth £5,000 on lease he was to pay JB10 per annum but he purchased it shortly after from the Crown for J6500. An estate comprising the whole of what we call Piccadilly, from Park-lane to Swallow-street, together with all the back lanes, was sold to the Pulteney family for JS500. Six years before it had boon let to that family at a rental of j312 6s lOd per annum the property was then admittedly worth £80,000, and its value has since increased very largely. The celebrated park and estate at Bowood, in Wiltshire, valued at jB25,000, was sold for J3468 10s. The manor of Spalding, in Lincolnshire, of the annual value of £4,000, was leased to the Duke of Buccleuch at £5 per year, and since th^n it has been entirely alienated from the public, without any purchase money having been paid. Xhe Earl of Mulgrave purchased the Seaton Estate, and another, together with the Alum W»rkS) for £27,000. Tho works were valued at £24.000, and the estate at £3.000 per annum, so that he only paid one year's rental for the two estates. An estate forfeited by the Earl of Derwentwater, valued at £9,000 per annum, was sold to two c?f the Commissioners of Woods and Forests for £ 1,000." Crop and Stock Prospects. The Times on Monday said .—Now that we have had a good spell of mild weather, the reports that are coming to hand give us an idea of the effect of the long and sevore frost on the winter sown plants, about which some anxiety was beginning to be felt. It is now apparent that the damage done has been generally slight, and that the young plants are already recovering thsmselves, and are not mere backward than usual. We shall have no winter-proud wheat this year, and but little has been destroyed. The great damage has been done to the roots which were intended for feeding, and that many of tb,§sQ,have g9ne.TotteP> Qt are beswHUDS' totgQ bad, is now well known. Professor W. J. Maiden, writing from the valley of the Christchurch Avon, sums up the situation as fellows. He says:— The frost has left its mark on the sheep-keep more thoroughly than for several years. The turnips, of which a great many are grown, are practically ruined, only those which can be consumed promptly being worth anything. There will be no top-growth, which is relied upon to a great extent to provide a green bite or lambs. Swedes have faced the frost better, but the dead tops on a great proportion of them indicate that they are rotting at the roots, which an inspection confirms. It is said that many mangolds are also rotting in the joits. Sprouting plants, such as kale and rape, are all right, but at present have very little top. Vetches, rye, early transplanted cabbages, and trifolium are particularly healthy. It thus appears that the worst pinch for keep will be in March and April, as May keep, if it can be spared, is likely to be plentiful. So far as lambing is concerned, the reports con- tinue satisfactory, and should the present weather continue we may expect to have to record a fairly good season. Farming the Land to Feed the Population Profitably. TO THE EDITOR. SIE,—The Times newspaper of 17th October, 1887, demonstrates how 15 per cent. per annum profit is made on farming capital by stock feed- ing for the butcher. The Agricultural Economist of the 1st November, 1890, gives a lucid descrip- tion of Sir J. Lawes' experimental wheat field, which has now grown the crop for 47 years in suc- cession, and shows the advantage of plot 8, manured with artificials only, and which plot yielded 55% bushels per acre; while plot 2, manured with yard dung alone, never yielded more than 50 bushels per acre. So, if the State would supply us with "artificials" on the principle of Mr Balfour's admirable Relief Act for Ireland, as far as feeding ourselves with bread goes, the problem would be solved, as sowing the same land in succession with wheat would be equivalent to trebling the area now grown, as there would be no call for growing roots or clover when good cake can be had at £4- 10s per ton, and grass land can be made to grow a double quantity of hay by manuring it with 3 cwt. of superphosphate and 2 cwt. of kainit per acre, as per Mr Sutton's (of Reading) experiments on grass land and as for lime, whenever it can be conveniently procured, use it as manure for wheat growing. A field in South Wales on the carboniferous lime- stone grew 60 bushels per acre with a dressing of 8% tons of lime only per acre. The crop was all threshed out by hand at 6d per bushel; but last season (1890) this same field grew but 40 bushels per acre after swedes eaten off by sheep, but possibly this was by reason of its having been sown in February, whereas the sowing with lime was in October. All the land grown in corn last season (1890) should be regrown in corn this season (1891) and dressed with George Ville's "complete" corn manure, explicit particulars of which are given in the Agricultural Economist paper of 1st December, 1890, and 1st January, 1891. Under existing circumstances, apparently, there will be a comparatively small area of wheat grown in 1891, and consequently the price of it should be higher. Last season (i890) the yield of wheat in the United Kingdom averaged 29 bushels per acre in India, 9 bushels; and in Russia and Turkey in Europe, (3 bushels. I grew in South Wales on the carbon- iferous limestone last season (1889) a 40-ton rick of hay off 23 acres of grass land, and this season (1890) 50 tons off the some piece of land the crop off thisneld never before exceeded 10 tons of hay, representing l-5th only of what it should have yielded under proper treatment. My after-grass off it was extra good, and one of the Guernsey cows on it with a handful of undecorticated cotton cake gave 18 quarts per day of milk. The field was dressed for both years' crop with phos- phate and kainit, and stable manure made with moss litter. The advantages of this litter con- sists in fixing all the ammonia and taking up and holding all the urine by capillary attraction, and costs 25s per ton f.o.r. The use of straw for litteris uneconomical; it should be used for feeding stock. The admiral of the fleet writes in Vanity Fair paper, 3rd January, 1891, that this country imports yearly 140 million sterling worth of food, and explains the impossibility, under existing circumstances, of convoying- it all during a mari- time war. The population increases at the rate of 1,000 per day.—lam, &c., C. BYNG MORRIS.. Danygraig, Bridgend. The Weather and the Crops. S sThe Mark-lane Express of Monday says :— February weather thus far has been seasonable, and the farmer has little cause for apprehension or complaint. The course of trade si^ce we left January behind us has been more satisfactory than it was during the first month of the year. English wheat has been held with increased firmness at such markets as Lincoln, Southampton, Norwich, Canterbury, Birmingham, Northamp- ton, and St. Ives. In Essex offering's hrfve been too liberal for trade to be even firm nevertheless, concessions have not been made. At Man- chester, and also in London, the competition of foreign wheat has not sufficed to reduce the value of home produce, the enquiry being sufficient to support both sorts. At Bristol and Wakefield 6d decline has been allowed, but the weak markets are outnumbered and outranked by those which show a better feeling in trade. Foreign wheat has been well supported, considering the good shipments of January. The spring corn trade shows 20 markets out of 33 firm or dearer for barley, 18 out of 20 firm for oats, 20 out of 21 firm for maize, and 23 out of 25 firm for pulse.

COAL DUST IN MINES. We learn on the highest authority that on the recommendation of the HOME SECRETARY the QUEEN has appointed a Royal Commission to investigate and inquire into the effect of coal dust in originating or extending fexplosions in coal mines. Mr CHAMBERLAIN is to be the chairman, and his brother commissioners are Lord lvAYi/EJGH, Sir WILLIAM THOMAS LEWIS, Professor DixoN, Mr EMERSON BAIN BRIDGE, and Mr FENWICK. A small committee of experts has, it appears, already made an investiga- tion into the subject. Too much import- ance cannot possibly be attached to the labours of this commission, for it has long been an "accepted fact" in the Welsh coalfield that many of the sad calami- ties which have given such tragic significance to its history were largely due to the inflam- mable character of the dust which lay scattered along the subterranean roadways. Indeed, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the present action on the part of the Home Office is merely the outcome of expert opinion in South Wales and Mon- mouthshire on the subject. Mr GALLOWAY, once a sub-inspector of mines for Glamor- ganshire, gave expression to his views on the subject many years ago. He was then viewed as the veriest Quixote amongst scientific theorists. But Mr GALLOWAY was content to wait, and in a very little while othercapableand practical miningauthorities veered round to his ideas, and now the Government has by its own slow initiative placed the official imprimatur upon them. The continent has for months declared itself convinced that Mr GALLOWAY was in the right in his experimental deduc- tions. France has been more ready than England to do justice to Mr GALLOWAY. Once more the thinker has triumphed, and both Mr GALLOWAY and the mining public can afford to wait very confidently for the results of the present investigation.

I WELSH GLEANINGS. I By Lioffwr. non-political questions in whicli Wales is to-day most interested none takes precedence of that of educational facilities beyond what is provided at Elementary Schools. It is only now that Wales is beginning to wake up to tho claims of girls to equal educational advantages with boys. This being so the following Gleanings from an able article on Technical Education for Girls will be interesting Throughout the discussions upon the subject of technical education with which the press has teemed during the last two or th"c.->' years, 'it is singular to note how little attention has been paid to the question of providing special training for girls. At the conferences held women have usually been unrepresented, and those who are generally considered to champion the interests of their sex have remained for the most part abso- lutely mute. In consequence of this supinecess. wule large sums have been voted for educational objects designed with entire re^wd to the requirements of boys, the industrial train- ing of girls has usually been disposed of by the institution of a. desultorv cookins- or dress- making class. It is true "that much of the instruction given is open to both sexes, but it is not m any way arranged with a view to the needs of girls, and in the absence of special technical classes it is difficult to attract them in any numbers to places of education which are practically monopolised by boys. To the Association of Head Mistresses of Girls' Second- ary Scho-jls, of which Miss Buss is president, belongs the credit of making the first organised attempt to obtain for girls a share of the advantages now open to both s>sxes. At a conference recently held in London it was re- solved to petition the London County Council, the Charity Commissioners and the Commissioners under the City Parochial Charities Act. "We believe," say the memo- rialists, that it is almost impossible to exag- gerate the social evils which arise from the de- plorable ignorance of women of hygiene, sanita- tion, and laundry work, cookery cuttin"- out and making up o)othing, nursing, and first aid to the injured. Ihose who are familiar with the homes of the working classes in the North of England will heartily echo the sentiment. As regards the necessity for action, the case is clearly put in a letter circulated by the Association among its members. "The conference," it is remarked, "was startled to find how entirely throughout the country the needs of girls are being ignored m the proposed grants of ?he couuty councils un- der the .Local Taxation Act of 1890 The mem- bers believe that this is not due to any inten- tional neglect on the part of county council authorities, but to the fact that the 'heads of girls schools have not been aware of the advan- tages offered. ihc urgency of the question arises from the tact that grants made this year will con- stitute a claim for coming years and if r-i claim is made now by existing institutions, t: county councils^ have power to establish new schools, which they will then be ph-dged to support." It cannot be too emphatically stated that the money now placed at the disposal of town and county councils is as much at the service, of one sex ns of the other, and that if* a due share of its benefits is not secured f. r gii's^t will simply be tv-r want of asking. Much an opportunity for making good the deficiency in the present system of girls' education ha* ;:ever. been presented, and, it is lest, there is no knowing when a similar chance, may recur. Two source.? of income arj £ W&bl& Tho corporation has adopted the Technical Instruc- tion Act, by which it is empowered to levy a penny rate, thus raising, a sum estimated at between eleven and twelve thousand pounds. The second source of income is the money accruing- under what is pcpularly known as thf Whisnv Act." Grants once devoted to edu- cational purposes could uot be readily with- drawn; whereas if used partly for reducing the rates, after the unfortunate example of the London County Council, the continuance of such :.m1 wonld be extremely doubtful. The requirement^ of girls with regard to techni- cal education may be roughly summarised thus. First, I)rel).tratioii for such branches of art and industry as women, in common with men, may be capable of pursuing secondly, training in the domestic arts, whether for purposes of <'a:!y use or as a means of earning a livelihood. The need for training in industrial work extends through- out nil ranks; it has reference equally to the daughter of the artizan and of the professional Ir' man. Causes beyond cur control are driving women of the educated classes daily more and w!re ^nto ranks of the industrial army. Whether we approve the change or no, it is clearly inevitable and the only right course is to provide the new candidates for trades and professions, of whatever rank. with the necessary preliminary training. At present almost the only profession available for educated women is that of teaching, and its over- crowded condition is notorious. The attendance ot young women at the classes held in the !'v!lcal School, for modelling, carving indus- trial design, typewriting, shorthand, and boek- keeping testifies to the existence of a demand for industrial trainingr of the most varied kind, i here are many branches of industrial art—such as ornamental designing for' stationery, or for needlework and fancy clothing, engraving, and the manipulation of the various reproductive processes now so generally used—which it can nardly be doubted that women might pursue with success were the difficulty of obtaining the requi- site training overcome. The question, however, becomes far more urgent when we turn to the pro- to^ions socially belonging to women and to the various branches of domestic education. In face of the outcry that is being raised about the scarcity ot properly qualified domestic servants, it can nardly be denied that there exists a de- mand for a much more thorough training in domestic work than has hitherto been provided. 1 his, as previously observed, is partly an industrial and partly a domestic question, and there is there- u J^e reason for the adoption of measures which may tend towards its satisfactory solution. It is, however, in connection with the well-being of the Working classes that the matter assumes its most serious aspect, a ad that the need for thorough and systematic domestic training becomes most pressing. We have been frequently reminded that the heavy death-rate of certain c.istricts is due in great part to the high mortality among infants and young children, and wo have it on high medical authority that a large proportion of these deaths takes place from digestive ailments caused by bad feeding. The ignorance of the women of the labouring class about hygiene is profound, and it is run hard by their ignorance of jxionomioal cooking and the making np of clothing. The wastefulness which prevails in this class consti- tutes a state of things which a progressive society cannot afford to ignore. Even among the higher rank of artisans the women cannot compare for a moment with those of Germany or Scandinavia in domestic skill. If we wish to grraPPle success- fully with our social and industrial deficiencies, we must not leave the special requirements of women out of consideraticn. T, deal satisfac- torily with the problem, a wide-reaching prevision of elementary domestic education is necessary, supplemented by a training in the more advanced branches which may be required rither for pur- poses of domestic comfort or for professions which there is every reason to think will be in increasing demand among educated women. With the large sums of money whicn are now available there is no reason why a considerable advance hould not be made in the direction ndica od. s

j PULLER BIRTILL AND COMPANY, CARRIAGE BUILDERS, CUSTOM HOUSE STREET, CARDIFF. INVITE INSPECTION OF THEIR LARGE AND VARIED COLLECTION OF CARRIAGES, LIGUT, STYLISH, AND DURABLE. A large number of good Second-hand Carriages Alway on Sale. lftpection m de and Estimates given for Repairs Free. CARRIAGES SOLD ON COMMISSION OR TAKEN IN EXCHANGE. 44044 TELEGRAMS: "CARRIAGES, CARDIFF." 4098

FTTCtXISH THROUGHOUT [Rim OETZMANN&C0.. 67, 6S. 71. 75, 75. 77. AND 79. HAMPSTEAD-ROAD, LONDON (Near Tottenham Court-road). BEDROOM FURNISHED COMPLETE for £5 51 Illustration and Full Particulars Post Free The "WALTHAM" ASH BEDROOM SUITE. £ 5 199 Illustration and Fuil Particulars Post Free. I BEDROOM FURNISHED COMPLETE for SS las 6D. Illustration and Full Particulars Post Free. The I.YNTON" DRAWING-ROOM SUITE (Settee and 2 Easy Chairs) for £5 15s 6D. ORDERS PER POST RECEIVE PROMPT AN1 CAREFUL ATTENTION. 410 ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE POST FREE. I

Welshmen at Oxford. THE DAVYDD AP GWILYM SOCIETY. [FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.] Since our last account cf the doings of this society two meetings have been held. The first of these was held on Jan. 31st, in the rooms of Mr Owen M. Edwards, M.A., Fellow of Lincoln College, when thsre was a large attendance of members. The President (Professor Rhys) pre- sided as usual, and began the meeting in the cus- tomary manner by reading a cywydd from the works of Davydd ap Gwilym. The Professor corrected some obvious errors in the text, and complained of the inaccuracy that characterised even the best editions of the work of this great bard but our readers will be glad to learn that Mr Gwenogfryn Evans, M.A., is with his accus. tomed perseverance and assiduity now devoting himself to the work of bringing out a complete edition of the works of Davydd ap Gwilym, and is diligently collecting manuscripts for that pur- pose. We have no doubt that Mr Evans will complete this task with that peculiar thorough- ness and accuracy which have so generally been acknowledged to mark his editions of the Red Book of JHergest.— The Secretary read the following letter which he had received from the Senior Proctor of the University, who at the last meeting was elected an honorary member of the society in acknow- ledgment of his interest in Welsh matters, and his proficiency in the Welsh language :— Corpus Christi College, Oxford, Jan. 31,1891. Dear Mr Roberts,—I am very grateful to the Davydd ap Gwilym Society for the honour they have done me in electing me an honorary member of their society, and to yourself for the kind terms in which you inform me of my election. I am sorry that a previous engage- ment prevents my attending the meeting to-night, but I shall hope before long toavail myself of my privileges. If the subjects for papers are not limited to strictly national subjects, I should be very happy to send a paper to the society some time or other. Please convey my best thanks to the members of the society, and accept the same yourself, and believe me, yours very.truly, C. PLUMMER. One of the members hereupon produced a copy of a recent January number ef the Saturday Review, wherein appeared a learned and scholarly review by Mr Plummer ef recent editions of Irish and Welsh texts, in which he referred in very complimentary terms to the Red Book" editions by Professor Rhys and Mr Gwenogfryn Evans. A very prominent member of the society again raised the question of the Welsh word for "honorary," and said that as anrhydeddu3 was already generally utilised for we ought not to abolish mygedol unless we had a better substitute for it; but other members believed that coined words of this eharacter-peiriannol, a.s Ceiriog would call them—ought unhesitatingly to be repudiated. One member here created considerable amuse- ment by remarking that in a Welsh translation of Hodge's "Theology" the word mt'qtdol was used for" ontological" or some such word, and Mr Gwenogfryn Evans was hereupon asked whether he was aware or not that he was an "ontological" member of that society as well as an "ontological" M.A. of the University cf Oxford? After many other words of this character had been brought forward and humorously dubbed as "ontological," Mr R. J. Rees, B.A.. of Mansfield College, read a very interesting paper on Twm o'r Nant," the in- comparable Welsh satirist, who flourished in the eighteenth century. Mr Rees traced the career of this remarkable genius, and gave several in- stances from his interludes of his biting satire. After a discussion on the character of Twm's works, as well as incidental discussions on many words which appeared in th3m, Mr A. E. Thomas, B.A., of Merton-who is a double first- class man, and a university exhibitioner—sang a song which excited the members to roars of laughter before they dispersed. The following meeting was held last Saturday evening, February 7th, in the rooms of Mr J. Young Evans, B.A., Corpus Christi, when the Senior Proctor made his first appearance in the capacity of honorary member of the society. After the host had read a cywydd from Dafydd ap Gwilym, the secretary (Mr Lewis J. Roberts, of Exeter College) read the minutes of the last meeting. This was followed by a reading from the "Dreflan (by Daniel Owen, the author of "Rhys Lewis"), given by Mr J. Rogers, an old Bala student, and a personal friend of the author. Mr Rogers selected the chapter on the would-be literary man, "John Aelod Jones," who, after] making some prodigious exertions, and burning the midnight oil for many a weary night, at last produced a contribution which would make him awake one morning to find himself famous. This unrivalled production was, however, crushed down by the unfeeling (and, of ccurse, stupid) editor intc a short paragraph consisting of three or four lines. But John Jones was not dis- couraged; he was now a fully-fledged literary man, and as such he thought it would be beneath his exalted position to be known as plain John Jones. Thenceforth, following the almost invari- able example of eminent Welsh preachers, he would haveadistinctivemiddlename, and would beknown as John Aelod Jones. Mr Rogers's admirable reading kept the members in roars of laughter, and induced some of them to relate their experi- ence of "gysfonu i'r wasg," but few had been so unfortunate in their experience as John Aelod Jones. Mr Samuel Young intimated that a friend of his, Mr J. P. Howell, solicitor, Car- digan, wished tc have the opinion of the society on seme intricate question of philology. But the members stated that they did not arrogate to themsslvcs the functions of a French Academy for Wales, and would require mature and grave deliberation before expressing a judgment on a question of such momentous importance as Mr Young had intrcduced tc their notice. Mr Benjamin Jones then read his paper on "Bardd Du Mon," in which a very glowing account was given of the life and works of Robert Williamson (1807-1852), a bard who is perhaps not suiiiciently estimated by Welshmen at the present day, but whose composition was adjudged equal to Nicandor's and Emrys's at the famous Aber- ffran Eisteddvod of 1849. Bardd Du Mon's life was an'ther instance of the hardy sons of Wales who had beccme eminent through their burninp' love of knowledge and their indefatig- able exertions. Mr Jones pointed out how Bardd DI1 Mon, though he had newr had the advan- tages of a day's schooling, had attained pro- ficiency in Welsh, English, and French, and had become a very efficient schoolmaster as well as a prcminent bard. Incidentally the reader, who by tho way is a strong and mthusiast.c Churchman, referred to the invaluable service which the promct",rs :f National and voluntary schools had done to Wales, and vehemently inveighed against those people who are so ready to provide educatv n nowadays with other people's monoy. After enumerating and criticising the published works of the 'ard, including his awdlau n Adgpjodiad y Grcadigacth, &c., as well as Instructors in Welsh, English, and French, Mr Jones ended by citing the following cnglynion, composed by Eben Fardd, rn Bardd Du Mai's dcatn:— Fe roddwyd ym medd Fardd Du Llawn o bethau ceinion Mae'n enw a saif mewn ir.wn son Tra Menai, tua'r minion. Nid careg fawr, nid careg fedd—namyn c&n Yw maen c6f ei fawredd Dywed Awen hyd y diwedd Ei fod, a I lun, a'i feddwl wedd. A brief discussion then took place, in which Mr Edward Anwyl, B.A., (Oriel College), Mr D. T. Griffiths (Jesusj, Mr E. O. Davies, B.Sc., and others participated and, after the host had recited some humorous verses in the Pembroke- shire (Welsh) dialect, the meeting terminated. It was announced that the next meeting will be held in the rooms of the secretary in Exeter College, when a. paper will be read by Mr Owen M. Edwards.

LOOKS LIKE RAIN. Jim B;¡,gg, an elderly farmer and widower living on the edge of Beaver Dam, Wis., was driving home a brmdle cow one evening last fall when be was met near the pasture by the widow Boggs with a milk bucket on her arm. "Looks like ram, Mandy." "Eh?" "Looks like rain I say.» "Well, what on it?" "Nuthin, only—-—» Yaas, thar IS, you » "Waal, fine steck needs shelter nights like these," suggested Maggs. "Yaas, fine stock suffers heap stormy weather," answered the widow. 'Ticlar if they ar fine human's like yourself, Mandy ?" "Give 'em roughness they'll make it," promptly answered the widow, j Hamt had much else but roughness since rhe died," replied Haggs\„reffrring to the solitariness af his life, if only 11 "Now, Jim Haggs> y°u just dry up. You ar' the darndest old tool J ever see to take a hint. Idriv' that old Minne- soty red bull o' mine along this 'ere lane agin and agin since your wife been dead. I did it ter give yer a hint that li*, ^arry yer. To kind a help things along too, 1d whistle hymns once in a whde. Meetin' house songs, liko I'd need thee every hour," or Stay thou near by." And, Jim Haggs, if I'd bin a dri^n an old milkless steer yer couldn't hev treated me cooler. No, you dumed old fool, yer can t make me believe yer want ter marry me now. JNot much. No, no, Jim Haggs. A man o your scriptural raisin', that can stand and see a poor lone widdy drive a Minnesoty bull along a -aJ1G three weeks ha.nd runnin', an' not catch on to th fact that that widdy wants ter vtamatoW fooL"

:= Diamond Cut Diamond. MRS HOLYORE (tfrho has not)- ask6d;him,- artd does not want him): "I'm sorry you can't stay to tea with us. > CAPTAIN WHIFFET (equal to the occasion)*; I'jaAWfulIv glad thftt l'm'BOPQr-Fve got to-go^'

MUSIC IN WALES. I BY DR JOSEPH PARRY, University College, Cardiff. THE CARDIFF ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY. This active, pioneering, and art-spreading society last Wednesday week brought the concert to a triumphal issue. This season alone we have had Patti, Nordica, Valleira, Messrs Edward Lloyd, and our national tenor, B. Davies—Ben I shall not call him any more, as it is not good enough for his present high position. Let me deal with him here. He sang and received such a reception that did honour to himself, our society, and our country, and his Ivanhoe triumphs are gratifying to the highest and fullest degree. Da, gyfaill, da a fyddlon, dos i fewn i eisteddle urddasolaf deml y gan. Madame Valleria, another Yankee, did also well, though she, unfortunately for herself, had to cope with her superior, Mr Davies. It is admitted by all that the orchestra never did better. Mr Davies, like all other artistes who came here, expressed his surprise at the band's excellence. The recently,departed Danish com- poser, Gade, headed the programme with a truly beautiful overture on "OssÏan." The initia- tive and concluding melody were as Welshy hymn tunes as ever penned by a Welshman, and the whole movement, its melodic materials of first and second subjects, working out and re- capitulative third part, its orchestral scoring with its harp obligato part, truly of Mendelssohnic beauty, of whom he was the pupil and friend, like my own dear master, Sir W. S. Bennett. As these were Mendelssohn's sons, I am proud to be one of his grandsons. The orchestra here did well. Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody N0. 4- in D minor was a repetition of last season's first and only performance in Wales. This highly nationalistic orchestral piece is noted for its Wielancholic sadness; also for its frantically wild music, in which the band has to be here, there, and everywhere, owing to the rapidity of its movement. Presto, prestissimo, vivace, vivacis- simo, furioso, furiosissimo, forte: fortissimo. Da mhlant i, chwi a wnaethoch yn dda rhagorol. Schubert's song, The Young Nun," scored by Liszt, was wonderful and beautiful to the highest heights—so weird, so mysterious, and so soul devotional. Here th:- composer Schubert, the orchestrator Liszt, and the interpretor, Madame Valleria were each at the best. Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 next was presented to the vast audience, and when he, our art god, speaks, all must be mute with adoration and wonderment. For truly his slow movement in A major was to me like a tonal psalm. So god- like, so holy and mspirational, that one dared not murmur. Its harmonies, its marvellous crescendo to his novel climaxes, the simplicity of this soul message nigh awed one. Though this is but his No. 2, yet the Beethoven has sufficiently developed so as to foreshadow the colossal Beethoven that was to be of the future. And his finale is also of colossal structure, and elaborately worked out in his usual masterly manner. Mr Davies's smg then brought Part 1 to an applausive close, so warmed were the audience roused by his singing. PART II. consisted of Mozart's classical overture to his opera, The Magic Flute, and the next instrumental item was Saint Saen's pianoforte concerto, very ably played by our Cardiffian pianist, Mrs Angfh. This concerto is as Frenchy as it is difficult. Its difficulties Wcro well con- quered by Mrs Angle the band did well, and the 3m.ny beautiful orchestra! pcints were carefully brought out by the orchestra, so:tbat the pianist met with a hearty recall. Mozart's delicate Romance, two other songs, and the Mignon selection brought this, perhaps the most success- ful concert, to a happy close, though the audience had been somewhat disturbed by the sad and sudden termination of Lord Bute's dinLaer. Out' next concert comes on Ea.ster Monday, when the vocal giantess. Madame Albani, will be the star, accompanied by the violinist, Miss Carpenter baritono, Mr Black aud the finest flautist, Mr W. L. Barrett. a Cymrawd from Welshpool and the Orchestral Society. The programme is to be a most inviting one.

Musical and Eisteddvod Notes, -+- BY MAELGWYN. THE RECEKT EISTFDDVOD AT NEATH. I have received a copy of the adjudicators' ) award in the brass band competition at the recent eisteddvod at Neat!:—an award for which, as was stated in this column a few weeks since, every bandsman had asked. The document reads a bandsman had asked. The document reads a follows ;— No. 1 Band (Cymmer Colliery). The band was not in good tune, the basses being sharp, and the II cornets at times flat in the maestoso the tuttis were again much out of tune. In the larghetto, the euphonium was flat, and played wrong notes in the cadenza. The allegro was fair in this movement, the solo cornet played fairly well. In the moderato, the band p1:tyed in ra.ti¡e1: better style, I the chief fault being bad intonation. In the andante (repeat movement) the s.-cond cornets played several wrong notes, a.nd in the 1 following andante solo by the horn was very taine and poor in tone, and the basses in accompani- ment much too loud. In the finale the band played very unevenly, the fortes in some places being much over-blown. Nc. 2 Band (Ferndale).—In tho opening there were one or two wrong notes played in the unison passage, but in other respects the band showed better style than the previous band. In the maestoso several wrong notes were played by the euphonium, and in the larghetto following the euphonium played very badly indeed, his attempt at the cadenza being quite a failure, the solo cornet taking the cadenza up in order to (ret tho band together. The allegro was well played, both for smartness and precision, but in the moderato the band was not in tune; the solo cornet played very well in this move- ment, having nice tone and good style. In the andante the solo by the herns was fair, but the accompaniments were not nicely played. The finale was a very spirited performance all through. Some parts of the selection were well played by the band, and some very badly, making it a most uneven performance. No. 3 Band (Morriston).—The opening was good, the attack was firm. and the band played in good tune, the only drawback being the rather coarse tone of the band. The sopranos came out clear and bright in the tuttis. The maestoso was nicely played, the marks of expression being good. In the larghetto the euphonium played very fairly, the accompani- ments being nicely played, but the cadonza by the euphonium was only poor. The allegro was a spirited performance, but the solo cornet hurried the cadenza too much and thereby spoiled the effect of it. In the moderate the solo cornet was fair, and the accempanimentsVere only fair, not being subdued sufficiently in the next movement the solo cornet missed a note or two, but in the andante the solo by the horn and the accompani- ment were very nice indeed. In the finale the band played in very good style throughout the movement, nice quality of tone, good tune, and firm and precise attack being the prominent features. No. 4 Band (Maesteg).—This band was so much I' out of tune in every movement, and the tone was so poor, that they had no possible chance. By their attempts we should imagine it was a young band recently formed if so, our advice to them is to work hard during the present year, and next contest may find them in the prizes. No. 5 Band (LlanJly Town).—In the opening the tone of the band was rather rough, and the crescendo was overdone. Iu the maestoso the solo cornet played in a tame manner, and showed want of style. In the larghetto the euphonium solo was very fair, but the cadenza was only poor; the soprano in the ac- companiments being also much out of tune. The allegro movement was a eapital performance, the band being in better tune and well together. The next tw; movements were again spoiled by the band not playing in time. In the andante, the solo by the horn was only poor, the accompaniments were also poor. In the final movement, the band played really well, the general attack being good, and the band being alsn better balanced, the inner parts being better fiUedt-W>->bv, the second and-t hird corn«t* Aom A- and baritones—all seeming to do their best for a I good finish. No. 6 Band (Neath Borough.)—Wrong notes were played by the basses in the opening, and the tone of the basses W38 rather coarse the fortes also by the full band were rather over-blown. In the maestosT- the solo cornet played very nicely, and the accompani- ments were well played. In the larghetto the euphonium played very fairly, rather wanting in expression, but the accompaniments were not in good tune. The andante was rather wanting in expression, and in the next movement (allegro, three-four) the basses were again much too pro- minent. In the andante the solo by the horn was much too laboured and not w»ll accompanied. In the final movement the attack was smart, but the I chief fault was over-blowing, thus spoiling the general balance and effect. Th? prize was awarded ¡ tc the third—Morriston—band. TIIK MODERN PHCENJX. Once more, the Dowlais Harmonic Society has, like the Phoenix of old, risen from the ashes of its former existence. In a few weeks hence, the eisteddvodwyr of South Wales have demonstra- tive proof diat the choir is once again much alive. What a pity it is that so fine a body of singers can- Kot be kept together as a firmly established society. Its existence from the very first—from its inception in thj winter of 1881—has been a most fitful one. In less than 10 years, it has won eisteddvodic prizes to the value of over £1,000, yet it has never been firmly established. And the worst of it is, that the singers themselves appear to be the most apathetic. When a big prize is to be competed for, the rehearsals are always well attended, but the minute the excitement has worn off the interest in the choir seems to die away, and too often the enthusiasm of to-day is succeeded by the squabbles of to-morrow. This, of course, is a most lamentable state cf affairs, but it seems to be pretty general among other competitive choirs. The Harmonic Society will nA take to oratorio performances because they cannot make them pay. The hall at Dowlais is not so large as the Albert-hall; the platform is too small to seat the choir; solo artistes won't sing unless the guineas run into double figures. When all these expenses have been paid there is little or nothing left, and the choir being composed simply of the working classes cannot afford to give up their time and energy to unprofit- able work. Merthyr, too, has on more than one occasion shown a want of sympathy with the choir—the concerts held there having been as a rule disastrous financial failures. These facts, and som* others, weigh heavily against the keeping up of the society upon a firm basis. WHAT DOWLAIS WILL DO. The Harmonic Society having been reausci- tated under the leadership of Mr Dan Davies the question naturally arises, Will the two choirs be at eaoh ether's throats as usual ?" As far as possible there will, I believ*, be no further rivalry of the kind wit- nessed at Brecon, Llanelly, and Bridg- end. The Harmonic Society will com- pete at the Easter Monday eioteddvod at Neath. What will happen later I do not knew, but the chcirwili not compete at the National Eisteddvod at Swansea. If the truth must be owned, the people of Dowlais have sinwn no pronounced dis- position to take part in the 8wansea competition. But the Dowlais Choral Society (Mr Hughes's Choir), having declared their intention of being present, will be left in undisputed possession of the field as far as Dowlais is concerned. There are, however, not a few people who believe that the ilG:w;:¡rks town will Le altogether unrepre- sented at Swansea. N&w a w rd about the local eisteddvodau. Nothing has yet been settled in the matter, but the Choral Society may compete for the chief prize at Abergavenny on Easter Mon- day. On Whit-Monday two important eistedd- vodau are announced to be held at Caerphilly and Aberdare respectively. The chief prize at each pkyea will be £100. At Caei'phiilj' the test pieces are -ttenoplssofui's "lIe watching over Israel, and Mr D. •!cckittV "Impetuous Tor- rents." The first-named piecc, together with a great double chorus, "'The people shall hear and be afraid," form the tests at Abordure. The Choral Society will co-operate at Aberdare —that much, :0 lease, h:F been set- tIed, Tho Harmonic Society may or may not compete at Caerphilly, the choir's plans have not, I believe. been made out definitely. So many important events w111 take place on Faster and Whit Monday, that nobody here h*s yet thought of the Bridgend Eisteddvod, to he held in the summer. THE RROKTJDA CHOIKS. The Perth and Cymmer Choir appear to be «* vigorous as ever. They have sketched out; their programme for the summer. They will compete at Caerphilly on Whit Monday, but will not, I believe, be present at Bridgend. Of course they will compete at Swansea. The Rhonddu Philharmonic Society, whose hie, like that of the Dowlais Havmoi.ie Society, appears to bo full of vicissitudes, will be present r-.t Swansea, but whether Mr Prosser will take them to any of the local eisteddvodau, I am unable to say. There seems to be a strong desire that a great choir should be formed at Treorky, and that Mr Wm. Thomas should lead it. Little diflieuly would be met in the carrying out of this desire, since Mr Thomas has already the male-voice choir ready to hand. If the choir be formed, it will compete at Swansea. BOYCOTTING THE CONTRALTOS. I have received a espy of the preliminary programme of the great musical eisteddvod to be held at Abergavenny next Monday. Of the pieces selected, I shell have some- thing to say later on. At present I must protest 3gainst the boycotting of contralto ccmpetitcrs at the eisteddvod. It is not the first time that Aber- gavenny has distinguished itself in this way, but I hope it will be the last. There are solo com- petitions for sopranos, tenons, and basses, but none for ccntraltos? Why is this? If the eisteddvod promoters forgot the item there is yet time to include it. If it has been wilfully with- held they ought to be ashamed of themselves. North Monmouthshire seems to be unusually de- ficient of good contralto singers— one of the reasons being that girls there, as in other places, imagine there is some- thing undignified in singing seoonds," and so endeavour to pose as sopranos. The evil will never be remedied so long M eisteddvod promoters delibcrat Jy tncouraere it. Contralto voices are as essential as sopranos, or tenors, or basses, and they ought to be encouraged. But how can they be encouraged when the eisteddvod ignores and boycotts them? Aber- gavenny is not the only eisteddvod of respectable dimensions that has in the past boycotted the contraltos, but it is the last that lias stuck te the evil habit. The promoters of the eisteddvod will do well to include the competition in their pro- gramme. THE ART JOURNAL." The two first (January and February) numbers cf the new volume of the "Art J oumal contain some deeply interesting articles on a great variety of subjects. Among the more noteworthy features are the papers on Lord Tennyson's Childhood," "The Longford Pictures at the National Gallery," Art in Silks and Satins," The Institute at Frankfort," Recent Photo- graphy," and "From Winchester to Canter- bury. All the above are magnificently illus- trated. The frontispiece to the January number is an etching of G. A. Bough ton's Winter in Brabant, while the February part is adorned with a photo-engraving of Henry Wood's Venetian picture, La Prornessa Spoea." A considerable number of interesting papers dealing with land- scape, architecture, and art manufacture are announced to appear in an early number.

SAGACITY OF A GULL.—A curious incident oc- curred recently on one of the bridges crossing the I river Litnat, which flows through the city of Zurich, illustrating the sagacity of the gulls fre- quenting the Swiss lakes. A gentleman who was in the habit of feeding the birds with refuse I meat, which they like very much, had his hat knocked off into the rapid current below by one of the more eager of the terns. The on-lookers laughed at the mishap, and a boat was about to be put out into the stream to secure the trophy, when, to the surprise of every one, a gull was noticed to dart upon the floating hat, and, after several ineffectual attempts, succeeded at last in rising with it in his beak and flying toward the bridge, where he dropped the well-soaked ha.t, and the by-standers secured it for its owner. "Now that you are ruined, Henry, I will dis- close my secret. For years I have been saving up, and now—pouring a shining heap of gold into his hat-this may tide you over." "Oil. my darling wife exclaimed the husband, "how did you manage to do it?" "Easy enough. Every time you said aniifecn»thing to mcvI put 7ten cents iato a J,

[ALL RIGHTS RESEBVED.] SMALL CULTURE. No. 5.DUCKS AND GEESE. By W. J. Riley (Hon. Sec. of the Waterfowl Club). The web-footed section of the poultry yard deserves more attention than it has hitherto received from the stock keeper, for under proper conditions it will yield a more certain and more profitable return than any other. No particular skill is required in mating- birds for breeding the j diseases which are continually afiiicting the ordinary poultry seem to affect then: little or not j at all their requirements are few, and the I rapidity of their growth places the breeder in a position to furnish almost continuous supplies to the market. There are eertain district- in which the breed- ing of ducks and geese for the market is under- I taken in a systematic manner year by year, until their names are associated with the birds, as Aylesbury ducks," Norfolk geese, &c. Why this cultivation should not be universal is to up a mystery. Let us look into the subject fairly i and see how ducks and geese can be made profit- I able. DUCKS. Now anyone can hatch and rear ducks for the market, however small may be his holding. What has been and is being done in aifc around the town of Aylesbury can be done in other parts of the country. Fully £22, ;:00 was paid in 1890 to the county of Buckinghamshire alone for its dneklinars—these being- cniefly supplied to the London market. ast quantities of ducklings are hatched and reared, not only by the farmers but by cottagers. Their methods of preparing the birds will be a guide to anyone taking up this industry. The majority of these duck breeders do net keep breeding pens of ducks—they simply buy the eg £ s, set them and hatch out the ducklings. They commence operations as early as eggs are procur- able, early in February, and, sf course, have then a fair price to pay for them. As quickly as breody hens are found, they are set upon eggs. As the ducklings arc hatched, they are drafted into batches of three jr four dozens, with one clucker to look after them. The clear unfertile eggs are removed at an early stage, and these are used as food fer the ducklings foi the first few days. The eggs are boiled, chopped into small pieces, and mixed with crumb" cf bread. Rice boiled in skim milk is then given to them, and as they grow older, rice and barley meal with a little animal fat, brewer's grains, &c. ESSENTIALS TO SUCCESS. Warmth and cleanliness are great essentials, and great care is taken in this direction. The I ducklings are kept in outhouses, and supplied with fresh "traw daily. They never or rarely are let out, nor are they allowed to go upon water. The only water they can get is that in their drinking trough. The birds are forced on, not with a view 10 stamina, but quick preparation for the table. At the a>>e of eight weeks usually (although when the demand is unusually im- I perative six weeks must suffice), the ducklings are considered ready, and the average weight at this ago is eight t: nine pounds per couple. Prices rule high during the height of the London season, and birds are frequently sold at 20s per couple. REARING DUCKLINGS. The work of hatching and rearing is continued until June, one batch after another being drafted off to the market. When priccs drop to six shilling; the season is considered at an e nd. Mady 'tons are despatched weekly, and the de- mand still continues. Why should not this in- dustry ha cultivated generally ? Good market ducklinp- cannot ba produced from the common farmyard duck >f the uo-bre«3.in-particular variety. The white ducks which have made the name uf Aylesbury famous have never been sur- passed. The yellow-plumbed Pekin is very useful for ordinary purposes, and grows very quickly, but ha: not so good an appearance upon thetable as th > Ayle ,O;Irv. The Rouen, a brown penciled duck, is excellent, but grows more slowly, so is net fitted for quick market work. The dusky legs of the black Cayuga duck are entirely against it, although the flesh is excel- lent and size is rapidly attained. It is little I gocd putting dark or yell:w-legged poultry upon the mrrkot. l A general im^.res^i >n prevails that a sheet of i water J* e-^ential to the rraring of market ducklings. The difficulty his doubtless been con, sidered by those who would like to rearthem, but it is a11 imaginary one, for we have seen that thousands are reared without getting tite oppor- tunity of a swim upon water. In addition to the foregoing, one or two hints mny prove serviceable. Caiv must be taken to give ducklings plenty of sbad. in summer. Greon food, grass or vegetables, must always be obtainable. Keep them warm and dry until they are furnished with feathers. Young duck- lings are liable to chills, and we have lenown great numbers die from the effects of a thuaider- shower in July. I Water rrourht must be so constructed that the ducklings 'n drink without danger of drowning themselves, or extting themselves wet. Strange as it may appear, we have often seen ducklings drowned iu water less than tw:, inches in depth. If the troughs have bars placed across them at intervals, the ducklings can drink without actually getting into the water. The casual stock-keeper may consider -the trouble too great. Certainly it would scarcely be profitable to(> take so mud: pain," over b.ds at five shillings a couple, but nowadays a man need not confine himself to home requirements, and the most enterprising gvt the trade. Think what a difference there is between the method of rearing table ducklings and that of rearing table fowls. Pounds can be made in the .former to shilling in the lattör, and the space may be, comparatively speaking, a few square yards. BREEDING. With regard to breeding, a breeding pen should consist of four ducks to a drake. The birds must have unlimited range and free access to water to ensure healthy fertile eggs. Never keep two drakes in one breeding pen. Instead of getting good eggs, you may get none good, as the birds are pulling- each other about continually. Pekins, without doubt, lay the largest number of eggs in a season. Cayugas are also good layers. Much depends upon the strain (not the breed) for laying. There are the good and bad in one breed of ducks, as in other classes of stock. Correct feeding plays an important part in.egg-produc- tion. It seems to be universally accepted that ducks may be treated anyway with regard to feeding and housing them. Folks who tell you laying ducks require no attention in these matter, probably think pigs are the healthiest that are the most dirty, and that dirt is essential to their well-being. The man who can get his ducks to lay early can make them profitable. The old saying of the early bird getting the worm applies with some force here. Left to their own devices ducks will generally eommence laying towards the end of February—often much later—dependent upon cir- cumstances. To induce early laying, give the birds comfortable houses and fresh bedding every week. Moss litter is preferable to straw, owing to its absorbent nature. In order to prevent the habit of laying cgf*s in the wa.ter, do not let them out too early. FEEDING. Feed upon meals scalded, and given in a. crumbly state. Ducks may appear to enjoy dab- bling amongst cold, si ppy food, but it is not good for them. W-, never give exhibition ducks sloppy food, it is always dry and crumbly. Grain of some kind should be given, preferably tailings of wheat or barley, and a little maize, or Indian corn as it is often called. The latter, however, should be always used sparingly. As a carbonaceous, cr warmth-giving food, it fulfils its aim, but it tends to the accumulation of internal fat, and, more- over, contains nothing that will make eggs. It is in reality an expensive form of food for ducks in- tended for laying. A low-priced food does not always pay the best in stock-rearing. Meat should be supplied in some form or other—offal of any kind, boiled and shred into small fragments. They will not require this during the warmer weather, as worms and slugs will be plentiful." When grain forms the staple food, grit must be j gsveu to the birds to enable them to digest it :1. crizzard will si;ffar -MlH cause disorders throughout the system, and a great part of the nutriment of the grain pass away as waste material. Fowls and ducks swallow all their food, the gizzard drawing its supply from the crop. Sharp pieces of grit in the gizzard materially assist in the disintegration of the grain, and sa ve the lining of the gizzard an amount of extra work. Manj- fowls suffer from indiges- tion, caused by a worn out- gizzard. The duck breeders of Aylesbury are fery particular about the grit. We should never aJIuw s. duck to incubate her own eggs. Ducks do not make good mothers, and hens are preferable. Take care in the housing and feeding, and ducks will then yield a good return in the shape of eggs fer the time and troroble expended upon them. GEESE. The two varieties of pure-bred geese commonly met with in England are the Toulouse and the Embden. The former is grey and white in colour, the latter a pure white. The weights attained by individual specimens of these breeds are enor. mous, and from twenty to twenty-five pounds ia quite an ordinary weignt amongst them. It seems a pity that the culture of these breeds is not more extensive. Farmers appear to be con- tent with producing geese one-third the weight, and yet these pure-bred geese eat no more. The goose trade is extensively cultivated in certain districts, for instance, Norfolk. Here dealers divide the trade into green geese and Michaelnaa £ :eese. They go round the district buying the goslings when they are five or six weeks old, and ai ter feeding and fattening them up for a few weeks, the birds are ready for the market. In August the Michaelmas geese begin their fatten- ing process. Some of these are brc v in the district, but tons of them are imported from Holland, and they are Sent, too, from Ireland. The birds are usually in wretched condition, and are often driven many miles along the roads hence the mortality amongst them is great. They; are gradually fed up, and in a few weeks are con- sidered ready for- the Michaelmas market. After all, these geese are miserable things to what geese ouf dit to be. The average English farmer, if h'< cultivated geese in his fields— breeds like the heavy weight Toulouse and Embden—would find them a very important item -f profit fiuring a season. It is done by an enterprising few, and they say there is more profit in it than breeding sheep for the prices the latter havii brought lately. In brrse ding Teulouse and Embdens, do not choose tc/o heavy a gander, noi mate him to more than two geese. They must have plenty of liberty for gra1 ring, although they require very little water. A large tub sunk level with the ground and fifJed with water, will be sufficient for their needs. Unless troubled with depredators, the birds. DEled not be housed, or they might be con- fined to the straw yard during the night. :3 )me breeders never house their breeding geese—winter1 or summer. An excellent substitute for grass di iring hard weather will be found in turnips. It is better to slice them in halves, and the birds will t'llen pick them quite clean, leaving nothing but tlhe outer skin. They should always have one good feed of grain during the day, and the best way is to place it in a long iron trough, from which the birds will pick it quite easily. Geese live to a great age, and one breeding pen can be kept on for a number of years tc breed the market birds from. They begin to lay early in March, or towards the end of February. After laying into the teens of eggs the goose generally shows an inclination to sit. These eggs, however, must be set under hens. The goose w.Il then go on laying again, and, after laying a seccnd lot of eggs, she may be allowed to hatch these herself. If allowed te sit upon the first lot, she would probably producc one batch only for that season. The hens used for goo;« eggs mt1"t be large and heavy, and it will then be tound that they can not cover more than three or four. The time occupied for incubation will be about thirty days. When the goslings are out they must be fed i upon the same foods that we have described for d ucklings, but grass is really essential for them, ai id they must be cooped out upon the grass, cu nfining the hen in a barred coop, so that she cannot trail them too far away. jThey must be sheltered from heavy rains until full y fledged. Th^.v will not trouble the hen long, as ti'ley grow very quickly and are soon able tc look after themselves. WIS en fully feathered they must be kept in large flocks, and turned out to graze, bringing them into the straw yard at night. The Embden will be found adaptable for the green a cd Michaelmas markets. The Toulouse will not fill out properly until Christmas. The fattening process can be proceeded with as with du ?ks, using barley moal a.s the staple diet. If the birds are confined to attain excessive weight fo r any particular purpose, they should be provided >vith a tuft of grass or hay, at which they can rubble. Feathers and down from the breast will form a considerable item of profit. Keep them clean and free from dust. There is a great deal to be done with goose breeding. The flesh of these heavy-weight Toulouse and Embdens is excellent, and much more tender eating than the present market goose. Heavy birds are eagerly sought after, for, as a friend of onrs remarked the other day, It is nice to steady the dining-table occasionally with a twenty-five or thirty-pound goose."

AN OLD CALIFORNIA HERO. Twenty-five years ago, when the Josephine quicksilver mine in San Obispo was being worked, the owners hired Mexicans mostly, and they were a set of cut-throats, who would kill a person for sixpence. An old fellow named Hum- phreys moved into the district and opened a saloon about a mile from the mine in a gulch near the main road. He kept money on hand more or less, and the Mexicans determined to rob him. One night, when he was sitting alone in hie saloon, five of them entered and called for drinks. They paid the money and stood at the bar. Humphreys was seated near the stove. One of the men locked the door and all five surrounded him. The luader drew a knife and told him to give up quietlv and he would not be hurt. Humphrey, rising t-> the occasion, seized this leader and threw him out of the closed door into the gulch. The door was an ordinary one of white pine, half-inch panels set in inch frames. Humphrey at once seized the next Mexican by the head and threw him against two of the other. flooring them; he then began throwing the men out of the broken door, and in a few minutes the last of his assailants lay bruised a.nd defeated in the gulcla below. For weeks the front door of the saloo» remained a. mere frame with a hole in its middle three feet across, and the Mexican miners as they passed would cross themselves and pray to be delivered from that "diablo Don Mieruel Hum- phrey." I was interested in the story, and a few years later picked up what I could about the hero of this frontier episcode. He was a Tennessean, bom in 1798, and was therefore 67 years old when he whipped the Mexicans. But he took no pride in the affair, for it was infinitely less than some of his earlier feats. He had been a "fighter an' rastler all his days, and no one had ever mas- tered him either in strength or skill. Rude, un- educated fellow though he was, the old man was always "square on the deal." One cannot but think that tnis fighting man of the backv. jods was worthy of a larger field. In him one waa instantly impressed by a total difference to all standards except his OVli. He was like a Cali- fornia grizzly—he would not go an inch cut of his way to start a fight. He used tersely to re- mark, Never dared a man in 6IDY life; never failed ter whip what dared me."

As a lawyer, Abraham Lincoln treed to say that the best way to gain a just case was to free it from legal technicalities and get it properly swung to the jury." In his Life of Lincoln, Mr Hern don tells a story to illustrate what his former law-partner meant by that peculiar phrase. A certain pension-agent had recovered for the widow of a revolutionary soldier the sum of four hundred dollars due and unpaid to her husband at his death, and had retained one-half of the amount for his fee. The claimant, a crippled old woman, hobbled into the mce and told her stery. It stirred Lincoln up, he brought It suit against the agent, and 0: the day cf the trial he said: I am going to skin Wrigbt, and get that money back." He did so. When the case came uP. Lincoln put the white-haired claimant on th. stand, and she told her story to the jury. When it was ended, Lincoln drew a picture of the ha.rd- ships of Valley Forge, describing the soldiers as creeping barefooted over the ice, and marking their tracks with their bleeding feet. Then he con- trasted the hardships endured fcr their country with the hardened action of the agent in fleecing the old woman of one-half her pension. He was merciless the members of the jury were in tears, and the agent writhed in his seat under the casti- gatiou of Lincoln's denunciation. The jury re- turned a verdict for the full amount, typd jjyaoola oude oo .obftrge In iug