The Cardiff Times

THE TRADES UNION CONGRESS AT CARDIFF. the Reason why the Cambrian Associa- tion of Miners were not Represented. BY MABON. Among the real friends of Labour there are .lery few who do not regret that the purging Process of the new standing orders adopted at 1 Cardiff Congress had the effect of making kWh men as Broadhurst, Burns, Shipton, and others ineligible for membership of the congress. 1.)0 the other hand, they will feel gratified in Coding that the reason why the famous Socialistic tesolUbion of previous congresses, that demanded Ul8 nationalisation of the means of production Ad transit, was not rescinded-nob because there **s an insufficient majority to so, buo simply ^oause the chairman ruled that the form in Jthioh it was proposed to do so was not in 6Ider. The effect of this has been that the socialistic minority cannot longer speak in the and with the authority of the Trades Union Congress, which was formerly supposed to lepreaeDII the Trades Unionists of the country, M which now does so in reality. In all other respects the proceedings at the Cardiff Trades Union Congress were substantially same as those of its predecessors. The Parliamentary Committee's report was read, fuacoased, and adopted. A series of resolutions on the interests of Labour was proposed, aiscossed, and carried, the more important of tbeae being in favour of Trades Unions support- liar the co-operative movement, amending the Ja- of conspiracy and the Poor Laws, an autumn -ion of Parliament to consider the unemployed Question, the extending the application of some If the provisions of Mr Asquith's Factory Acts, payment of members of Parliament, the fixing of toyalties and wayleaves, and also the taxation of ftud rents. Mo.II of the resolutions appertaining to the '•going subjects will be fonnd among -hardy Canals of preceding congresses. In the lasli- tJae one dealing with royalty rents, wayleaves, ground brents—is resumed the practical and «portant work the congress had in hand some ago. This fact resulted in dissuading ding associations and men, other than those of Northumberland and Durham, from attending the ftngrr-as for the time being. This idea of fixing reasonable royalties and IJtaYleava charges, &c., is now an old one. This though in other words, was adopted by the South Wales miners nearly ten years ago. In the Trades Union Congress held in Glasgow in the tear 1892 Mr P. Walls (Workington) moved That pending the nationalisation of the land and minerals, a Bill be prepared by the Congress ■Parliamentary Committee, the object of which .thall be the establishment of a court similar to 4b6 Irish Land Court, to fix reasonable royalty feats, wayleave charges, &c., eo that relief may Z* given to our declining mineral industries. loto which I proposed that the following words "fcould be inserted And where desired by the %4fte, to have power to extend the period which ke lease was granted." And at great pains I ^Plained to the congress that under the existing there ia no power to compel any landlord to 2ftew or extend the terms of the lease under 3thicb any colliery proprietor worked his colliery oollieries. Here, "injthe first instance, he was Empowered to grant a lease which drew together Capital by the millions and labour by the hundreds Of thousands. Still when the terms of the first tease ended .there was no legal power in this feooatry by which that landlord could be Compelled to grant the renewal of the lease under terms whatever, although in consequence thereof the whole capital and labour, to whatever extent it may be, should be driven completely DUll of the district; and though apparently this statement with the address of the mover and seconder of the original motion made a great impression on the congress, Mr E. McHugh, Of Liverpool, proposed that the following words be added to the resolution—" And that to secare this and the royalty rents, wayleave charges, shall be paid into the exchequer of the eolDmtalÙtly instead of pockets of private persons." ADd notwithstanding it was pqinted out to majority of those present and urged 4PM them that accepting the addendums •ould place it beyond the bounds of Possibility for the present generation to teceive *«y benefit whatever from the resolution, and »at without the addendum the proposition as Amended by my suggestion was within the scope Of Practical legislation, Mr McHugh's proposal "M adopted by 188 to 47 moreover Mr Rudge (London) moved, as a further amendment -That a Biil be prepared by the Trades Union Parliamentary Oommitlltee with the j of nationalising the royalty rents, way- &c., so that relief may be given to our mineral industries." This amendment also adopted by 123 votes against 25. Beroyon have an instance of propositions being Ilade-by gentlemen who were not miners nor representatives, who understoo nothing *bout mining nor the effect of their propositions untimely immovable (for the time being) ""Pediments of practical legislation on the questiou. *hegentlemen,that thus carried the congress away **°m its coarse of practical work looked askance &I the vanquished "old school," beamed with Apparent satisfaction and with an air of such 14PUiarisy that made them look like men that wit they had achieved a great victory, and that ■•^been sent with a mission and power to put •he industrial and social systems aright before ^Bother congress came around. Most of the representatives"met that same afternoon «0><ttaaider the position; and withdrawal from e congress and congresses under the then 'aBonnmtances was seriously talked of. No definite ofttlmiod im came to then, and the matter was to drop, in the hope that better counsel would prevail in future congresses. the disagreement respecting Mr (who then was the secretary to Trades Union Congress Parliamentary Com- •ttee), action with regard to the Miners' Eight ■•ours Bill, which bad immediately preceded the debae on royalties, wayleaves, &c., made it difficult for the two sections of miners' "Ilruentatives to agree upon anything. This teJainds me of some criticisms that have been J*88*! with regard to our absence from the *-ardiff Congress, and our interest in this matter as » reason why we should have been there, and will give the recapitulation of certain rodents with regard to this question at former •°08ee8ses. 4t 1he Liverpool Congress in 1890 a resolution Passed instructing the Parliamentary Com- "™^ee to use all legitimate means in its power to the passage of the Miners' Eight Hours U1 by the House of Cemmons. Three or four j*ys afterwards the same congress elected Mr C. sawiok, M.P., to the secretaryship of that same I ^'amentary Committee, and Mr J. Wilson, M.P. -Durham, a member of that committee, two opponents of the Eight Hours Bill. The 'owing year, 1891, I had the Bill in hand, and °ae two had not the opportunity to show their •Ppesition to the samo. When the congress met b in 1892, the Bill had been before the of Commons, and immediately after thjf Parliamentary Committee's report h congress, the Miners' Federation of Great instructed Mr Sam Woods to move the owing resolution: That this congress desires j its disapproval of the conduct of the j^ary of the Parliamentary Committee in U a*'hg and voting against the Miners' Eight •ond'8 °D March, 1892, as such net was inconsistent with the decisions of the S»resB." Along and animated debate followed on fr|ISProP°Bition, in which it was urged thai; as secretary, and Mr Wilson, as a t^6 oomnQi*ee» aud who, in fact, was .A a'rnaan **>ereof during that year, were in £ »y at the ooogregs, bad bid for and accepted their positions, and yeb would nob obey the behests of the congress, I also contended that the secretary, though an M.P., had accepted the position,andknowing the resolution that had been passed by the congress, ought to know whether or not he would be able to carry out the dictates of the congress, that the congress would be com- pelled to do something to extricate itself from the ridiculous position it was in at the time. and in which it appeared before the world. It had initiated laws and appointed men to carry them out • but for some reason or other the committee had'done nothing to help Parliament to carry the Eight Hours Bill into force that they had failed to secure a single man that would for them propose that Bill in the House, and that fL the simple reason that it was known that the „r,nosition to it would come from some XTSmE one of the most important and serious Abates that the congress ever had the resolution lost bv 121 289-a majority against it of S-S MOW the ok*, ot U,a. ew« Mr irnnwick »u f0' »l» »b',d '™e »PP°ln,ed ,be "„tarvsliip of tho Parli»memary Comimltee, his opi-io^^ »««»■» the Miners' Bight Hours Bill. The Rhondda miners have not been repre- o-. the Trades Union Congress since T 1 Prior •» (to, h»»ev.r, they. *'S tb. Bristol Consw. No^ober, iasa. represented aQuiuJIy, ™ thft exception, if my memory serves me r.ght, of the exceP d occasionally by as many as th. time. I think that I ajn £ right when saying that they are the only body of men that up till then at least were in the hrtft of contributing towards the expenses of the Parliamentary Committee, excepting the congress f:: ToZ ^tes that casually attended the asaan T„ fact, the Cambrian Miners Association was for some years the only body of workmen in Wales that were connecte^ w.th tl e Trades Union Congress. Moreover, they held that position-attended congresses, fees thereto, and their donations towards .he committee's expenses-while their own funds for Ivears were collected under the same system exactly as they are now. So that the friends that have been observing and commenting upon their hesence from the Cardiff congress will see plainly ST..T. no. the m*. «« sented there-no. not even in the balcony.

The Commonwealth in Breconshire. (Continued.) 1649 February 10.-William Saunders, Brecon. Information that he was captain bj from the late King, and raised and tramed iOO men, assented to the subscription for advanM of arms to Brecon garrison, and went with others to Abergavenny to oppose Sir William Waller. 1651 May 14.—Information to like effectaddmg that for his notorious delinquency hewasexcepted from the Act of 23 February, 1649, for the com- oosition of South Wales, and that be gave £ 300 for cloth to clothe 2,000 foot soldiers under General Gerard and Colonel Price in arms -»<riinst Parliament. He escaped unpunished by ^^hefarmerCoa-rit^O^ Saunders was Alderman of Brecknock 1643, 1658, and 1664, and Bailiff 1657 and 1663. Saunders Saunders, of Brecon, High Sheriff of the County in 1686, and Bailiff of Brecon m 1697, was no doubt his son.) 1649, Jane 19.—James Thomas Morgan, Ltan. geney John Morgan, Llangeney; John Morgan, Crickhowell Edward Rumsey, Criokhowell; and John Watkins, all county of Brecon; and Edward Rumsey, Uske. county of Monmouth. Information that they have received out of the estates of delinquents, as the Earl of Worcester, Sir George Vanghan, John Herbert, and Matthew Herbert, clerk, money amounting to £5,000, which is concealed from the State. Request that they may be called to account, and that the County Commissioners for Brecon may examine witnesses and certify thereon. The arrears of rent received in 1645 and 1646 were £3,000, and they took and converted to their own use the personal estate of the said delinquents worth £2,000 more, beside £ 1,000 which E. Ramsey received in 1647, when he entered the sequestered premises and took the rents. July 11.-011 information that the rents and profits of the estates of the Earl of Worcester, Sir George Vaughan, John Herbert, and Mat. Herbert, clerk, delinquents in co. Brecon, amounting to £ 1,000 a year, were in and after 1645 received by Edw. Rumsey of Crickhowel. and converted by him to his own use, order that the Commrs. for the co. Brecon send for Rum ey, require htm to give an account of the premises, take examinations, and state the whole patter. Edward Rumsey, of Crickhowell, died m 1683 and there is a tablet to his memory in Crickhowell Church. Edward Rumsey, of Usk and Llanover, was the only son ot Chief Justice Walter Rumsey. ef the Brecknock Circuit. He was an a orney, and married Janet, younger daughter of Morgan lubrey, of Yniscedwyn, and was therefore brother-in-law to the previously mentioned Morgan Aubrey of that plaoe. • Matthew Herbert was the third son o war Herbert, of Cwrt y Carw, in Crickhowell, and was rector of Llangattock 1621-1661, ^icl. be was presented by his relative, the Earl of Worcester, and was also rector of Cefnllye, Radnorshire, and prebendary of Christ's College, Brecknock, at his death in 16W or 1662. He was a devoted son of th and a loyal servant of the King, and su ere imprisonment and loss during tbe Civil War. From 1632 to 1638 his young relative, Henry Vaughan, tho Silurist, remained under his care in order to be prepared for the University, and in his poems in after life the biluris bore testimony to the careful classioal tuition he received from the gentle rector of Llangattoc 1651, May 14.-Hoo Games, Newton, county of Brecon. Information by Colonel John k<!b«rne, in behalf of his brother, Colonel Roberti L 1- burne, that in 1648 Games was m the South Wales insurrection, and said he had a commission Zm Colonels Powell and Pover, by virtue of which be raised men and arms in the county and acted against Parliament, Th*b sponded with the said colonels by letter messages. That he was excepted from ^ne bv the Act for the composition of South as a desperate delinquent and capital offender. That within the last year he drank to the of wiles as Charles II., King of England, and also to the confusion of Parliament an '"june 18.—He pleads that being sequestered by the late county commissioners for delinquency, aDoealed to the Barons of Exohequer, • full hearing', fouud ne cause of delinquency^ bim, and ordered the sequestration to charged. The charge is all old which he was formerly acquitted. He bees that he may be no more troubled June 18.—Case referred to Reading (one o clerks of the Sequestration Commissioners London) to compare the two charges, an see if there be any new matter. Hoo or Howe Games, of Newton, was the son of John Games, of that place, by Catherine, dau. of Richard Hoo or Howe, of Skermng, Wor and married Blanche, niece of Sir Nicholas Kemeys, Bart., of Cefn Mabbly, Gtemorgan. ile died during his year of office as High b^r' Breconshire in 1657. From the Calendar 9* btate Papers it appears that on 17 Oct., 1634« Bethune, Physician in Ordinary to Charles I" asked the wardship of this Hoo Games against Catherine, the widow of John Games, Sir Walter Vaughan, or Ie* stone, Wilts, and George Vaughan. widow, who had spent her whole portion in relieving her husband in his imprisonment, was content to make over her right to the Doctor, in consideration of his promise to satisfy her, an the petition seems to have been granted; By an arrangement with Catherine Games the wardship had been granted to Dr. Thomas Gwyn, who nractised before the Court of High Commission, and was then Chancellor of Llandaff. but was now transferred to Dr. Bethune. Robert Lilburne was elected one of the four members for the North Riding of Yorkshire, 20 Aug., 1656, to the Crom- wellian Assembly which sat till January, 1658, and Thomas Lilburne, of Ufferton, co. Durham, was elected for that county at the same date. They were soldiers of fortune. u 1651. June 6.—George Stevens, Mayhan (Machen), Glamorgan. Information that he was in arms for the late King in cos. Glamorgan, Monmouth, and Brecon in 1646. till be wae takeo prisoner tntheCetd.

WELSH GLEANINGS. The Bishop of Lincoln and Canon Awdry have appointed their co-trustee, the Rev. W. H. Cleaver, formerly well-known as an occasional preacher at Roath, to the vicarage of Christ Church, St. Leonard's-on-Sea. A servioe conducted in the Welsh language in the chapel of the Cathedral, Newcastle, has been held once a month during the last three years, and has been greatly appreciated by a large and increasing number of Welsh people 011 Tynesido. A marriage has been arranged, and will take place in October, between Sir William M. Curtis, Bart, of Caynham-court, Ludlow, and Georgina Mary, widow of the late Captain Arthur Bennet Mesham, of the Royal Dragoons, and of Pont- ryffydd, Flintshire. Gurnos begs for the revival of an ancient privilege enjoyed by the bards. He resides upon land given by Iolo Tir Iarll in former times to the minstrels, where they might reside rent free. Being obliged to pay rent, he questions whether be is a bard. We extend him our sympathy. The first Welsh University week will come off the first days of October. The Senate opens on the Monday, the Guild of Guardians on Wednesday, and the annual collegiate meeting will be held on Friday. October 4th. The local college graduates are likely to give the Guild visitors a reception of memorable cordiality. Mr David Jenkins, Mus. Bac., in this month's Cerddor, relates an interesting incident in conueotion with the male voice contest at Llanelly. It appears that each of the three adjudicators, when under the spell of the Treorky rendering, wrote the word wonderful" as describing the effect the singing had upon them. The recent National Eisteddfod receives in this month's English musical magazines copious notices of high appreciation. The Musical Review in an editorial thus speaks of the chief choral contest:—" Those who want a great emotional experience should listen as we did the other day to the chief choral competition at the National Eisteddfod." Mr Wm. Davies, chairman of the Blaenau Festiniog magistrates, gives a depressing account of the lack of respect for Jaw and order amongst some of the young men of that industrial centre. They appear, he says, to have qualified in rowdyism in the South Wales coalfields," and by their misconduct they are making Festuniog a by- word in the country. He and his fellow-magis. trates are determined to put down this state of things with a high hand. The first canal in the Aberdare Valley was constructed by Edward Thomas Edwards, of Pantyflash, who was a Welsh poet, and the boat on it was made by William Rees, father of Phillip Rees, of the Welsh Harp, Aberdare, and grandfather of Mrs Griffiths, the Poplars, Aber- dare. One of his sons, Edward, who then lived at the Gnoll, on the Aberdare mountain, went to Merthyr to see a bull fight—a very short time before such contests were declared iUegal-and the bull getting lose gored him to death. Dr. Rees said that one of the founders of Welsh Nonconformity was Robert Powell, the son of a gentleman of Shropshire. He was born in the year 1599, and was educated at Hart Hall, Oxford. The date of his matriculation is October 25th, 1616. He became vioar of Cadoxton, near Neath, about 1622 or soon after. It is said that he was an intimate friend of the celebrated Rees Pritohard, vicar of Llandovery, and that he deter- minedly opposed, the reading of the Book of Sports." John Reca (Shon Llwynmtch), and Thomas, his brother, both of whom lived at Aberdare, were the first to teach music by note in Glamorgan. They travelled far and wide through Glamorgan and Brecon, and even to Carmarthen- shire and Monmouth, to hold singing schools. Shon died suddenly on his way home from a meeting at the Hendycwsdel, Aberdare, where he was a leader of the singing, to his house at Pontflasb, in 1832. One of his pupils was a brother of Caradog, the leader of the South Wales Choir at the Crystal Palace. Welsh visitors to Llandrindod will be inolined to think, after recent experience, that another beautiful place of resort in rural Wales is about to be spoilt. There was a big excursion in from Birmingham. The excursionists perambulated the streets in strong deuachments, evidently anxiously seeking for something but finding it not. At length a party marched into the Emporium, and addressing the manager, asked, I say. master, whereabouts be the publics here1 We can't find a blooming one 5"—and there isn't It is seldom that Welsh eisteddfodau are financially successful, notwithstanding the strong bent of popular feeling in their favour. The latest case of financial loss is that of the Gwynedd Chair Eisteddfod, held last week at Pwllheli. The returns show a dead loss, and the members ot the committee, in addition to giving their time and services gratuitously, have been mulcted in a substantial sum to pay off the deficit. It is hoped (says the Manchester Guardian) that in future yeais, with a commodious and extensive public hall in which the meetings may be held, the committee will find their balance on the right side. Bishop Mostyn, tbe- new Vicar-Apostolic of Wales, has aristocratic associations. His father was Sir Piers Mostyn, and his mother was a daughter of Baron Lovat. One of his sisters is the Viscountess Southwell, and another is well- known in Lancashire as Mrs De Trafford. The Bishop is singularly proud of his descent. He declares that he is lineally descended from three Catholics whose memory the Anglo-Catholic Church reverences as that of martyrs—Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel, who died in the Tower in 1595, Viscount Strafford, who died on Tower Hill in 1690. and Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, who died in the Tower in 1541. London says Alderman Rees has no business to say that municipal lodging-houses have proved a failure. They have only been erected in a few— not in numerous-large towns, and in every case they have been successful. In Glasgow, where these municipal institutions were started, they led to a vast improvement in the character of all dwellings of the kind, and have paid the Corpora- tion 4 per cent, as an investment. The County Council lodging-house in London had a similar good effect, and is now on a profitable financial basis. The Croydon municipal lodging house has been equally successful. Indeed, every enter- prise of the kind has succeeded, and Cardiff need have no hesitation in following the good example set by other towns. The Senior Secretary of the Welsh Congrega- tional Union, whose Executive Committee met at Llandrindod on Tuesday and Wednesday, is the Rev. J. Towyn Jones, of Garoant. Though a comparatively young man, Mr Towyn Jones is one of the most popular men in his denomination, and is as much honoured at home as he is in distant parts of Wales. His church at Garnant numbers 700 communicants. Though he declined to stand for the Parish Council, no sooner was that body formed than he was unanimously invited to become its first chairman. He is also chairman of the Llandilo School Board, a member of the Intermediate Governing Body, and secretary of the Easb Carmarthen Liberal Associ- tion. "I believe much of the quiet, dignified, con- servative character of Philadelphia is due to the good old blood of her first Welsh settlers," declares Dr. James J. Levick, who has been making an exhaustive historical research into the settlement of Welsh emigrants in Pennsylvania. The emigrants were cadets of ancient bouses. More than one had been an Oxford. It is an interesting fact that for 25 years the only physicians in Philadelphia and its vicinity were Welshmen. Curiously enough, Dr. John Jones, the physician of George Washington, was the great-grandson of Dr. Thomas Wynne, the physician of William Penn, who came over in the good ship Welcome. Thus the founder of the State and the 'father of his country' owed their lives, humanly speaking, to tha QMK and akill of Wotoh pbysciao8*"

In Hard Luck, Prodigal Son I come to you, father, with a heavy heart. Prodigal's Father And a light pocKtbook, I know all about that. How much J you need now! A-

Song Writer I think this song is a perfect gem.—Publish^ i* taut- vera, pnttr nmtwc-

GOSSIPS' CORNER. There is a church at Moscow that cost £ 800,000. Of that sum £200,000 was for gold used in plating the dome. An ingenious Australian has invented and in. troduced a mica cartridge for sporting and mili. tary guns. One of the biggest bells in the world is to be found in a Moscow Church. It cost JB60,000, and weighs 13 tons. There is a rumour in Roman Catholic circlet that the Queen will be the guest of the Duke <4 Norfolk next spring. Musicians will learn with interest that the Guildhall School of Music pays its way. Last year there was a surplus of £ 1,400. Among the first pupils at the spinning olasa started by the Princess of Wales in connection with her technical schools will be the Dachess of York. Every maid of honour to the Queen receives the title of honourable when appointed. A gift of £ 1,000 is generally given to a maid of hooour upon her marriage. A perfect vacuum is a perfect insulator. It is possible to exhaust a tube so perfectly that no electric machine can send a spark through the vacuum space, even when the space is only one centimetre. The log cabin in which Lincoln was born was torn down years ago, and the logs used in building another half a mile away. They are now to be replaced as nearly as possible in theic original position. The aged Queen of Hanover has. forgiven her daughter, Princess Frederica, for her marriage with Baron Pawel von Rammingen, a love match actively favoured by our own Queen. The Princess is now with her mother, who is suffering from cataract. The flowers preserved in a block of ice, sent from Sydney for the Queen, have not yet been presented to her Majesty, They are blue Austra- lian water-lilies—the blue a beautiful ultramarine -and in their unusual setting they make a boa< quet of more than a quarter of a ton in weight; The latest dictate of fashion, says a writer in the Daily Graphic, is that all skirts should hang with unbroken lines from the waist to the feet. No flounces, no crossing folds, no rows of braid are to be permitted to recall the hoops on a barrel, but everything must be straight with an outward flow. A granddaughter of Jenny Lind is said to possess a wonderful voice and unusual musical ability. This descendant of one of the greatest vocalists was heard recently by Madame Mareliesi, the famous teacher, who predicts that with judicious cultivation .the young lady will become a vocalist of the first rank. The Princa of Wales has been learning the art of wheeling at Hombure. Sir Benjamin W^.d Richardson strongly recommends the exorcise for middle-aged men and women, c.3 an antidote against an undue accumulation of flesh and other ailments that attack persons in middle life who do not secure enough fresh air and change of scene. Some colonial girls are good at invention. South Africa mentions a young lady living at Port Elizabeth who invented the Mary Anderson curling-iron, and also a hairpin with an ingenious but simple grip arrangement, by which it is prevented trom falling out. This has enjoyed royalties for some years, reaohioy recently to over J3100 per annum. Hardly any one wears a waistband now unle-q it be of the samp material and colour as the bodice, but this is only in order to avoid the idea of any further division of the clothing than just into skirt and corsage. With light bodioea, however, it is very usual to wear a smart white silk bow in front where the clasp of the waist* a band would be seen if one were worn. J Should there be more than the usual grain 01 truth in the reports of the engagement of Princess Maud of Wales to Prince Christian of Denmark, the not unusual union of a very tall husband and a very short wife will be seen in the distinguished couple. The young Prince is 6ft. 2in. in height; Princess Maud is very little over 5ft. The Prince is 25 years of age Princes* Maud, 26. Ribbons never were so wonderful as now. The majority are of the chine order, and match the popular silks which suggest mixed flounce borden on black grounds. Multi coloured sweet peas and carnations and roses prevail, all of them rather small, and in ribbons they are sometimes bordered with black braid and white satin Btripea, and sometimes left in all their native baldness, at if they were just narrow silks. The genial Mark Twain has been interviewed. in bed, where, with what the report calls the charming manner that has always marked his actions," he had his feet where his head ought to have been. It is perhaps a little difficult for the English reader to see just where the clarni of this eccentricity comes in, but if Mark Twain fedi more comfortable that way everyone will be glad that be adopts it. The history of the silk aails of the American yacht, the Defender, appears in the Draperf World. The material was grown in India. treated in England, and conveyed to Ireland, where it was spun. From Ireland the material was sent to Scotland, and sold to an American agent, who forwarded it to Massachusetts, where it underwent the process of weaving. Then it was conveyed to Rhode Island, where the sails were cut. Alderman Hughes, of Oxford, whose death is recorded, was one of the best types of self-made men. Beginning life as a poor and friendless lad in a grocery establishment in the city, he even- tually became the most active partner in the firm of Grimbly, Hughes, and Dew, of Cornmarket- street. Although many years ago the under- graduates dubbed his residence Fig Tree Villa"—with polite reference to the grocery business—this was only one evidence to his popu- larity. Writing on the change in the post of Com- mander-in-Chief, Mr Stead in the new numbel of the Review of Reviews says :—tf anyone can give us 20s for £1 in the shape of efficient 801. diers, Lord Wolseley is that man. The change has not been made a moment too soon. I hope that the year will pass without any outbreak of war, but the barometer seems to be falling rapidly, and in the time of storm audstlreu Britain does well to have her most capable cap. lain in the saddle. There is a feel of oannoft thunder in the air. A Wesleyan minister in Victoria, himself as old football player, has been preaching in favour of football. Football, he said, was a noble game. improving the physical and mental powers. It cultivated the faculty of decision, and enabled a man to take in at a glance a critical situation and. act upon it. The football field was an excellent school for the temper. The man who lost hie temper in the field made an ass of himself, and was soon made to feel and know it. Giving up tc a better man than ourselves the gratification of kicking a goal cultivated the trait of unselfishness*

A SATURDAY SERMON. Revealed religion is not of the nature of a pro" gressive science. All Divine truth is, according to the doctrine of the Protestant Churchea, recorded in certain books. It is equally open tft all who, in any age, can read those books not can all the discoveries of all the philosophers lit the world add a single verse to any of those books. It is plain, therefore, that in divinity there can. not be a progress analogous to that which is COge stantly taking place in pharmacy, geology, and navigation. A Christian of the fifth century with a Bible is neither better nor worse situated than a Christian of the nineteenth century with r Bible, candour and natural accuteness being, 01 course, supposed equal. It matters not at all that the compMs, printing, gunpowder, steam, gas, vaccination, and a thousand other discoveries 1 and inventions which were unknown in the fifth J century are familiar to the nineteenth. None <4 these discoveries and inventions haB the stnallekk I I bearing on religious questions. A LOBD MAOAOUI, JL- •• ("Oriucil ^nd Historical 1

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I THE HOUSEHOLD. J HE indefatig- able art needle worker who is for ever seeking something fresh to adorn with coloured silk or odds and end. naturally often finds her energies brought to a standstill. She tires of the beaten track of cushions, sachets and curtains, the chair back has been taken away from her, and she finds a sideboard cloth wearying in its monotony of length. I have great sympathy with this craving for pas- tures fresh, take what form it will, and was quite delighted the other day to come across a hand- kerchief aase which had a sentimental side as well as one decorated with exquisite stitchery, for when the lid is uplifted the piece of cardboard falls down and reveals a frame containing a photograph, all of which is completely covered with soft silk brocade. When the photograph disappears it folds beneath this sham lid, on which is embroidered a lovely spray of pink poppies against an amber lattice work in one corner, and single blossoms scatter over the back- ground of cream satin. This is all mounted on to quite an ordinary box, its plainness being hidden I I A PRETTY CADEAU. I by irridiscent metallic paint and carefully gilded edges; inside, the handkerchiefs rest in a satin quilted and scented nest. Should this be intended as a bridal gift of course the box should be painted white with silver edges, and all the flowers kept white ss^ve for their green foliage. The fact that we most of us are going away from home at this period of the year, makes us dwell particularly on the best way of packing and carrying all sorts of toilet impedimenta. I came across a very nice brush and comb bag the other day, which seemed to me to be a little more original than such recep- tacles usually are, so here is the sketch for I FOR BRUSH AND COMB. your benefit. It was of pate pink linen, prettily embroidered in a paler shade of flax thread, the brush and comb were quite marvellous in their realism, the former being worked with a kind of ivory flax thread in, close stitches, the bristles being of that peculiar washed-out tan that they always possess, but the comb was a real piece of art, and the shades of tortoiseshell were wonder. fully reproduced. There were two inside pockets along the square-shaped top, and the whole was lined with flannel to prevent the ivory and tortoise. shell scratching. Everyone is trying to make their dinner tables look as cool as possible at the present moment, and the old-fashioned lakes of looking glass are appearing amongst usonce more, these with masses of green without any blossoms perhaps produce the coolest effect, and for this purpose the dried wired ferns, which are now being preserved in such perfection, wired so as to bend exactly as one pleases, and which really cannot be told from the freshly picked ferns, are largely being used. Borders of licapodium, with these ferns, amongst which are maiden-hair, asparagus, and many other light varieties, bending over the glass, so as to be reflected, and on which swans are placed at intervals, each holding an electric light or night- light in pretty shades have a marvellously pretty effect, and is by no means as expensive to produce as it sounds. Talking of greenery for dinner- tables reminds me that one of the prettiest sets of d'oyleys I have seen of late had the appearance of being large single leaves laid in each dessert plate. They were made of leaf-green linen, button.holed round the edge, and most delicately veined in slightly shaded silk. The one I re- produce as a pattern is a maple leaf, but they are made in all kinds of varieties, and the effect is charming; they can of course be made of white in the same way, but I fancy they would lose much. I TABLE DECORATION, of their artistic qualities with their colour. The dinner table always leads one to think of the cook, and as I feel that I have been neglecting the kitchen somewhat of late—perhaps owing to the hot weather-and having a fellow feeling for those of my readers who must have encountered this ending to innumerable otherwise complete re- ceipts-" The whole being sent to table with a good brown sauce," and, being ignorant of what a good brown sauce should consist, naturally feel exasperated with receipts in general. The following is one of the best brown sauces that can be made, and is quite worthy of following out accurately, with the result that it will be all that is desired. Butter slightly a gallon saucepan, put a layer of sliced onions at the bottom, over this, 2lbl. of lean veal, lib. of beef, and %lb. of ham, all cub in small pieces, add half a pint of gravy stock. Put the saucepan on the fire, stirring the contents frequently. When the meat is v>,well coloured, add one carrot out in small pieces, one bay leaf, same parsley, thyme and marjoram, one or two cloves, a little white pepper to tasta then put in as much more stock as will cover the contents of the saucepan. Boil gently for three hours, andstr-un the liquor through a tammy. Pub into a saucepan *Ib. of butter and got of flour, stir on the fire till the two are well mixed and are of a light-brown colour; then gradually. add the strained liquor boiling hot. Gently simmer for 1% hours, carefully skimming the contents from time to time. Lastly, turn out the sauce into a basin, and, if not wanted immediately, let it be sfrffrefl-pyegy fiye or ten I I- -ia ?s Cheese, Butter, and Milk. WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE PRODUCTION IN BRITAIN OF THE BEST CONTINENTAL CHEESES. By JAM ES LONG. V.—Other Varieties of Fancy Cheese adapted for Manufacture in England. The term fancy cheese f has usually been applied to varieties which are small in size by comparison with the large cheeses of all countries and which are unpressed, or only partially pressed, in the course of manufacture. But the Americans, who are cheese producers upon an enormous scale, have applied the term to a vanetyof other cheeses which are pressed and which really have no claim to it in any sense of the word. Sometimes private maker, who has a considerable reputation as a prize-taker, and who is in oonsequence enabled to obtain high prices for bis goods, is termed a maker of fancy cheese for the simple reason that bis producb is exceptionally excellent and that it is obtainable only by those who are willing-to pay a higher price. If the practice of such men were generally adopted it would be the duty of every maker to endeavour to produce fancy cheese, and there would be no fear of the article being placed before the public in too large a quantity, as there is always a small percentage of makers who excel, sometimes to a very large degree, the great majority of those who compete in the same markets. Fancy cheese has not been produced in this country to any considerable extent. We have already named a few varieties there are one or two others which are worthy of the consideration of the manufacturer. On the Continent of Europe, and more particularly in France and Italy, there are numbers of small cheeses of various types produced in different localities, each of which has its admirers who consume it in large quantities, and who pay the producer an infinitely larger sum per pound or per gallon as the case may be, than is obtained by the makers of the huge pressed cheese of Great Britain, America, and the Australian Colonies. Let us refer to a few of these varieties. We have already men- tioned the famous Gruyere of Switzerland, the Parmesan of Italy, both of which are pressed cheeses of considerable size: we have also referred to the blue cheese made in our own country, to the Gorgonzola of Italy, and the Roquefort of France, as well as to the two leading soft cheeses made by two different sections of the French people, the Brie and the Camembert. But these varieties may be supplemented by the Port du Salut of France, the Pont l'Eveque, the Neuf- chatol, the Gervais, Conlommiers, and Bondon. PORT Du SALUT. The Port du Salut has long been one of the most delicate and popular varieties made upon the Continent, but although there are numerous makers, those who produce the perfect article are extremely few in number. The system of manufacture has until recently been supposed to be the secret of the Trappiet monks, a colony of whom are located at the Monas- tery of Bricquebec, in the Department of Manche. A few years ago I bad the advantage and the pleasure of accompanying to the North of France a party of our own countrymen who desired to see something of the system of manu- facture pursued by aifme of the most successful among the French peojde. We were enabled to see a great deal in (^sequence of the kindness and liberality of several of the farmers and others with whom I was previously acquainted. But my application to the Monastery, although backed by an introduction from one of the highest officials in the French Agricultural Department, was met by the response that no outsider was ever allowed to see the process of manufacture pursued that, in a word, the monks could not trust their own friends, who, under the guise of curiosity, had apparently in previous years taken advantage of the privilege extended to them to describe something of the system pursued, and thus to place other people in possession of a secret which- is so jealousy guarded. Seorets of this kind, however, are not long-lived, and it is impossible to prevent those who are acquainted with the principles of cheesemaking from pro- ducing a variety of this character if they care to taka the trouble to make a few thoughtful and well-arranged experiments for themselves. The Port du Salut cheese is not unlike a variety made in this country,and known as the Caerphilly; it is circular in form, fiat, about an inch in thickness, and partially pressed. The pate, or flesh of the cheese is extremely mellow or creamy, and yet homogeneous and firm in consistence, although there are a large number of holes throughout, which are a speciality of the variety which give it character, and which, in proportion to their size and number, are concurrent with its flavour. The milk is brought to a temperature of 86 deg. F., and sufficient rennet is added to bring the curd in 30 minutes. The temperature is slightly varied with the season, as with almost every other variety of cheese, while the rennet used is in pro- portion to the quality of the milk. The curd, which is primarily deprived of a portion of its whey by gravitation, is subsequently enclosed in a mould which is lined with a strainer-cloth, and subjected to slight pressure. The press generally used is of a very simple character a number of screws are placed side by side on the same beam, several cheeses being pressed at the same time. The screws are really turned by hand, so that it will be seen in A moment how slight and simple the process is. Port du Salut, having been deprived of its superfluous moisture, is ripened at a tempera- ture of 54 deg. Fah. The object is to prevent it becoming dry, and to ensure that slow process of change which is brought about by the bacteiia of the cheese, so that it will be soft, mellow, nutty, and yet mild in flavour. This variety is already sold in England, acd it is appreciated in the West End, where it is growing m favour. It is one of the most delicious cheeses, and its character is such that if it became well known to the English peopleit would be certain to be highly appreciated, and to obtain a very considerable sale. I know of no variety which is more worthy of production, and those who take it in hand will not only find that it is easily made, but that it will return them a profit far in excess of anything which can be obtained by the manufacture of the great pressed cheeses which are made in such large quantities. Pont L'Eveque. Pont l'Eveque cheese is a variety with a great local reputation in the North of one of the most important dairy departments of France. It takes its name from a village not far from Havre and Lisieux, and is sold inconsiderable quantities in the fashionable watenng-places of Trouville and Deauville. I was enabled to seethesystempursued by the most famous maker, a highly intelligent fanner, upon his own farm in Pont l'Eveque. This cheese, although unpressed, is firmer in texture than either the Brie or the Camembert; it is de- prived of its whey with much greater rapidity, while its crust is comparatively tough, and it may be kept for a considerable time with safety. This cheese is either square or oblong, slightly less than an inch m thickness, and weighing from 14 to 16 or 17 ounces, but the size is not uniform. Practi- cally speaking, a gallon of milk will produce a good cheese, but as milk varies enormously in quality, it follows that very rich milk would pro- duce a much larger cheese than poor milk. The milk is set at a temperature of 88 deg. F., with sufficient rennet to bring the curd in 15 minutes. A large rush or rye-straw mat is laid upon the draining table. This mat may measure a yard in length by 26 to 30 inches in width, in accordance with the quantity of curd handled, When the curd is finn enough to remove, it is gently out in cubes of large size, and with equal gentleness removed with a speoial metal dish on to the mat, where it immediatelycommenoes to part with its whey. As the whey. runs off the curd toughens, the ends of the mat are drawn together, and the shght pressure involved causes a still further loss of whey, and so this goes on until the curd can be handled with the fingers and placed in the metal moulds, which are made in accordance with the size the cheeses are intended to be. The moulded cheese is placed upon a small mall, and on the evening of the first day turned on to another ijiat. The result is that both sides of the cheese are free from fractures, the curd being homo- geneous, and both are marked with the straws. It need hardly be added that where a large number of cheeses are made the mats are numerous and large, and provision is made for the moulds to stand side by side in order that space may be economised. Turning goes on from day to day uotal-tbe mould is removed. A fungus then gradually appears on the outside of the cheese until it 18 ultimately covered with blue. This growth depends upon the temperature adopted in the urtt stage of manufacture the temperature of the dairy is 63; when the cheese is removed into the firab ripening apartment it is kept at 58, and when it is taken to the cave for slow ripening, it iskept at 56. Here, again, the apartment should be slightly humid as well as cool, the reason bemg that it is essential to maintain the moist character of the cheese, and to prevent that evaporation which, if allowed to continue, will ensure its being dry, unpalatable and unsaleable. GERVAIS. The Gervais cheese is a very delicate little luxury which is produced upon an enormous scale by several makers in France, two of whom are pre- eminent. U. Gervais and M. Pommel, both of Qonaawy 1: Tbww awfcow pro&we tttilliona in the course of a year. M. Gervais supplies Paris, send- ing up fabulous numbers every day; M. Pommel, I believe by private arrangement with his neigh- bour, supplies'other markets. including that of London. I have paid a visit to both establish- ments, and was able to see a great deal that was interesting and instructive in the factory of M. Pommel. Gervais is a mixture of cream and milk: it is unnecessary to suggest what propor- tion should be used, inasmuch as every maker has his own idea, but one-third of average cream mixed with two-thirds of milk will produce a most palatable and luxurious cheese. The essence of this system is the low temperature at which the mixture is set, 65 deg. F. The rennet added is so tiny in quantity—it is also mixed with water- that coagulation ¡s not complete for from eight to twelve hours; indeed, one maker made a practice of delaying coagulation until 24 hours. The object after the removal of the curd is to extract the whey, and of the simplest plans is to suspend it in a cloth or bag until it is sufficiently firm to be removed to a press of curious form. The somewhat firm curd is laid in a cloth. which is placed within a wooden frame from six to nine inches in length, and a heavy wooden block is then placed upon it examination take place from time to time until the curd is perfect in texture. It is then placed in batteries of little monlds which have been already lined with a peculiar kind of unglazed paper, on the outside of which the maker stamps his name and address. These cheeses are extremely profitable, and, partaking so much of the character of cream (with which the flavour of cheese is combined), they are readily saleable at remunerative prices. BONDON. Bondon cheese is largely made in the country districts around Rouen. It is produced entirely from milk, and is an important industry among the very small farmers and cottagers of that part of France. Once, upon a visit to a large farm of the district, I was taken to see a number of the smaller occupiers, whose wives my con- ductor systematically but fraternally kissed, and who were really the makers. Bondon, like Gervais, is extremely small, and from seven to nine cheeses are made from one gallon of average milk. The milk issetat a low temperature, and the curd take. a long time in coagulation. It is removed when fib to a strainer-cloth which has been stretched by the four corners over a vessel somewhat resembling an ordinary washing tub. Here it gradually parts with its whey, being occasionally and gently moved, where the curd forms a coat preventing the passage of the whey through it. At a certain stage it is removed into a clean cloth, which is covered with a board and gently pressed. The right consistence having baen obtained, the little cheeses are moulded by hand in a most expert manner, the mould, which is a slight cyliiidersome three inches in length by an inch and a half or thereabout in diameter, being of copper. I am bound to say that the process is difficult for an inex- perienced maker, but, like every other difficulty, it can be overcome by patience and practioe. The cheeses are subsequently salted and either sold at the end of a week in their fresh and white form, or kept until they have been covered with mould in a cave, when their flavour is enhanced and their value increased. They are sent in trays to the markets, the smaller makers sending weekly or fortnightly and the larger makers nearly every day. In the manufacture of the Neufchatel, which resembles the Bondon in form, care is taken to prevent the curd being too close and homogeneous; the curd is drained without pressure, and in consequence therefore of the lighter texture of the curd when moulded, the spores of the common blue fungus, PcniciUiur,t fflaucum, are enabled to develop during the ripening process, so that the interior of the cheese is blue as a Stilton and is prized in consequence, realising a higher figure in the market. For some years several of thelse varieties have been sold in the London and other markets in considerable quantities, but these quantities do not represent what would be considered an extensive industry were they produced m this country. They come from abroad and realise prices which, in consequence of the cost of carriage, are, perhaps, a little more considerable than they need be. If, however, we remember that a cheese which can be made at the rate of seven or eight to the gallon of rich milk, as is the case with the Neufchitel, realises 3d, it follows that the remuneration which the farmer obtains by pro- ducing a cheese of this character is very consider- able as compared with the small prices which milk now obtains in the open market. Lastly, a few words about the Coulommiers, which is made in the Brie district. I believe this to be one of the most important and most delicious cheeses of the Continent, and it was the first which I introduced into our country. The first lessons which I received in the principles of its production WA9 given me by a very famous maker, Madame Decauville, of Coulommiers, who produces an articles of the very first water. It resembles the Camembert in form, but is slightly smaller m diameter and thicker. It is made upon the Brie principle, and may be sold new at the end of a week with very great advantage, for in this state it is much appreciated by the people of England but ripened, and sold at the end of six or seven weeks it is infinitely more delicious, and will return from lid to Is per gallon for all the milk utilised in its production. NEXT ARTICLE THE MILK INDUSTBT.

Songs for the People. Andrew Fletcher, ot Salteun, in a letter to the Marquis of Montrose, wrote :—" I know a very wise man that believed that if a man were permitted to make all the ballads he need not care who should malie the laws of the nation." BEAUTIFUL, THINGS. Beautiful faces are those that wear- I!; matters little if dfirk or fair- Whole-souled honesty printed there. Beautiful eyes are those that show, Like crystal panes where heart fires glow, Beautiful toughts that burn below. Beautiful lips are those whose words Leap from the heart like songs of birds. Yet whose utterance prudence girds. Beautiful bauds are those that do Work that is earnest and brave and true, Moment by moment, the long day through. Beautiful feet are those that go On kindly ministries to and fro- Down loneliest ways, if God wills it so. Beautiful shoulders are those that bear Ceaseless burdens of homely care With patient grace and daily prayer. Beautiful lives are those that bless- Silent rivers of happiness Whose hidden fountains few may guess. Beautiful twilight at set of sun, Beautiful goal, with race well won, Beautiful rest with work well done. THE RUDDER. Of what are you thinking, my little lad, with the honest eyes of blue, As you watch the vessels that slowly glide o'er the level ocean floor Beautiful, graceful, silent as dreams, they pass away from our view, And down the slope of the world they go, to seek some far-off shore. They seem to be scattered abroad by obance, to move at the breeze's will, Aimlessly wandering hither and yoo, and melting in distance gray; But each one moves to a purpose firm, and the winds their sails to fill, Like faithful servants speed them all on their appointed way. For each one has a rudder, my dear little lad, with a staunch man at the wheel, And the rudder is never left to itself, but the will of the man is there There is never a moment, day or night, that the vessel does not feel The force of the purpose that shapes her course and the helmsman's watchful oare. Some day you will launch your ship, my bey, on life's wide, treacheous seas- Be sure your rudder is wrought of strength, to sband the stress of the gale, And your hand on the wheel, don't lell it flinch whatever the tumult be, For the will of man, with the help of God, shall conquer and prevail. It Tea or ooffee with your ohop. sir ?" Well, if that was tea you gave me yesterday, bring coffee if it was coffee bring me tea, and if it was a mixture of to, try *=It*!

Our Country Column. Dorking Cresses. The combination of the Dorking and the Game blood produces abundant meat, which is very white, tender, and of rich flavour; and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to produce poultry from any cross, or from any pure bird, which would excel that bred from the crosses in ques- tion. The Dorking, however, may be mated with almost as great advantage with the Scotch Grey, a bird which may not be inappropriately termed the Dorking of Scotland, and which is smaller than the coloured Dorking of England, but of similar shape. It will be observed that the largest variety of Dorking is the brown, or as it is termed the coloured Dorking, which is distinct from the silver, the white, and the cuckoo, which are less perfect in form and of smaller size. Another cross with the Dorking is also valuable, that of the Lang- shan, a bird which at one time closely resembled the Cochins, with which it was generally classed but the efforts of its admirers, contrary to those generally connected with poultry fancying, have resulted in the production of a large, hardy, useful bird, producing excellent meat and plenty of flesh. There is one- objection, although it is perhaps from an artistic point of view, to crosses between the Dorking and the Scotch Grey or the Langshan it is that the birds produced, admir- able as they are for the spit, are uuattractive in appearance, while poultry-keepers as a body (we speak with special reference to those who take pleasure in the occupation) have venerally an eye for appearance, and take a greater pride in their stock than is the case with the majority of stock- breeders of other classes. Our illustration repre- sents a pair of white Dorkings, handsome fowls, and admirably suited for crossing purposes. Salsafy. Although an old and well-known vegetable in this country, salsafy does not appear to make much headway as regards kitchen use. It is a plant that has been neglected, — why, it is difficult to say, for given well grown roots and proper cooking it is delicious. It is a valuable substitute for the potato, and carefully at- tended to will produce a heavy crop in almost any kind of soil, and a quantity of good whole- some food may be obtained from a few rows in a spare corner. To grow this vegetable to perfection requires a rich, deep, and well broken soil that has been well manured the previous soa son. During the autumn or early winter trench theground, turning itup roughly to enable the frost to sweeten and pulverise it. At the end of March or April prepare the ground for the crop. Draw the drills about 12 inches apart and sow the seed thinly. When the young 'plants appear above ground, thin them in the rows to about 10 or 12 inches apart, keeping the ground well surface- stirred throughout the summer. By so doing the grower will have a crop of clean-shaped, good- sized roots. On rich, well-prepared land, should large roots be required, it will be necessary to sow thinly, to allow a greater space in the rows between plants, and to use plenty of manure. By burying the manure deep, and so causing the tap-rot to run straight down, the roots (may be obtained as large as p good-sized parsnip. If, on the other hand, manure is only mixed shallow with the soil trf ferldhg or digging, there will scarcely be a good shapfed root—noshing but rough, ill-shaped bunch^,> « Pslyanthus ff&rotesus in Pots. This is an easy plant fjjf pot culture. It may be forced into flower at Ctjrtatinas others in the ordinary greenhouse temperature will bloom in January and without artificial heat they flower in March. They succeed best when planted in two parts loam, mixed with one part each ot leaf mould and sharp sand. Into a five-inch pot place three large-sized, six medium, or 12 smalt bulbs they may also be grown singly in 48 sizea5 pots, but for effect 'hey are best when three bulbs aie grown in the 32-size. Each bulb should be buried so that the apex just protrudes, and the soil should be firmly pressed down into the pot*. After potting place them close together in a c5td* frame. Should a frame not be available, stand I WJMBS POLYANTHOS NAKCISSTTS. them at the foot of a wall, and cover to a depth of six or eight inches with cocoa-nut fibre or ashes. Do not give water at the time of potting. The pots should remain covered about four or five weeks, when the covering may be removed and the plants examined. Those that have growth, and whose shoots are showing, remove to the light, while the rest should be covered for a few weeks longer. Plants for flowering at Christmas should be removed to the greenhouse directly growth starts. Place the rest in a cold frame until the shoots are two or three inches long. When removed from their covering of ashes or fire water rather sparingly. For flowering at Christmas bulbs should be potted at once, and placed in a heat of 65deg. to 75deg. by the middle of November. For flowering in an ordinary green- house pot in September, for unheated houses in October. After growth has started keep the plants near the glass to prevent the foliage becoming weak and drawn. Feeding Fowls, It is commonly believed; that poultry which have their liberty get nearly all their own living, and consequensly cost much less to keep than fowls which are confined. This is the case on arable farms at certain times of the year, but fowls which range over an ordinary grass field can obtain nothing butgrass, worms, slugs, and insects, and these they nearly exterminate, ranging over the same ground year after year. Then, a hen taking an immense amount of exercise, hunting from morning to night, often in rain and cold weather, requires much more food to restore the daily waste and keep berself in good condition than a hen which keeps dry and warm, and only takes enough exercise to keep her in health the former cannot spare so much of her food to go to the formation of an egg, any more than an ox can spare food to lay on flesh under similar conditions. If all the food a hen in confinement requires is bought it need not cost more than l%d a week, while fowls having their liberty in grass fields will certainly lay few eggs, and those only in spring and summer, unless they are given at least a Id worth of food per week. But when from four to 10 hens are kept, according to the size of the family, the unavoidable waste from the kitchen and garden will almost entirely feed them the year round, and the eggs which they produce are nearly a clear profit-a. turning of worthless material into valuable food. It will be necessary to buy some bran, or sharps, to mix with the scraps, which by themselves may be too fattening, and some wheat should be in store, which should be given in small quantities every evening, and in larger quantities if scraps are scarce. Success will depend on careful and judicious feeding, as if hens are overfed or given too much rich food they fatten internally and cease to lay. They shouli be fed at least three times a day. but only when they run uagerly to their food, and it should be taken away directly they are satisfied. It is best to feed in a trough outside a run in which there are bars for hens to put their heads through. They will eat potato and turnip peelings boiled until they are soft and mixed with bran or meal soaked crusts and the scrapings of the saucepans, plates, and dishes offer them a dainty meal. Every bone should be given them, which they will pick perfectly clean, and a small quantity of meal is necessary to keep them in laying condition. Fowl" are very fond of rice, which is wholesome and not fattening. Either crushed bones, oyster shells, or egg shells are necessary to enable them to form their own egg shells, and they will not eat their eggs if thuy get plenty of these materials. Abundance of green food, such as cabbage leaves, should be thrown to them, and this is particularly necessary with the Cochin breed. These fowls are gentle and contented in confinement, and are good layers, but are liable to fatten internally unless fed sparingly and on simple food. Indian corn shonld only be given occasionally in cold weather, but when potatoes are dug all the little ones should be saved, and when boiled and mixed with bran will always give a wholesome meal. Answers to Correspondents. Miss Chard (Leamington) asks what is the insect she describes on her bees ?-It is a bee parasite called Braula eacca-tile blind louse. It is of foreign origin and is harmful, though not so much so here as in hotter climates. Fumigating is dangerous unless you employ au expert, as you may overdo it and kill the bees. Saxifrage "—Yes, the Loudon Pride is a saxifrage. There is a trailing variety which is called panictdata. TilQ invest SBQWW-fot .the xookOTUflnllaMk

Welsh Tit-Bits. Nan Wreichion Oddiar yr Eingion. (BY CADRAWD.) John Gewer, the Poet. Mr Edward Jones, in his chronology of the ancient Welsh bards, notices Gower as follows :— Sir John Gower, a native of Gwyr. or Gower. land, in (rlamorganshire, the first English poet and laureat to Richard the Second, to whom he dedicated his works about the year 1380." On another page of Mr Jones's "Relicks" he mentions him "As my countryman, Sir John Gower." Mr Jones doubtless bad some authority for this notice of Gower as a Welshman, though he does not give it, which is much to be regretted. The Laureatship could not have been of much consequence, as Richard II. came to the throne in 1377. "The British Biography" says that be was born in Yorkshire in or about the year 1325, and first became eminent as a professor ef law 10 the Inner Temple, and is supposed to have been Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. He was a liberal benefactor to the Church of St. Saviour, Southwark, where his monument still remains. He died in 1402. Dr. Johnson, in his "Lives of the Poets," states that he was the father of English poetry. The first," he says, of our authors who can properly be said to have written English poetry was Sir John Gower, who in bis Confessions of a Lover," calls Chancer his disciple. Chaucer calls him the moral Gower." It is also said in history that his introduction to the king happened in this way—Richard, who meeting our poet rowing on the Thames, near London one day, invited him into the Royal barge, and, after much conversation, requested him to book some new things," which resulted in the appearance of Confessio Amantis from the Caxton press, and printed for ehe first time in 1483, the work having been dedicated to King Richard II. over a hundred yaars before. It would be very satisfactory, were it possible, to determine the birthplace of Gower. Some are of opinion that his original surname was Gwyr. Further, there are some very trustworthy writers who suggests that he was related to Dr. Henry Gower, Bishop of St. David's, who seems to have been his senior. Williams, in the Eminent Welshmen," says that no other place can show so good a title as Wales to be his birthplace, and, further, it is expressly stated on the title page of the" Con. fessio Amantis," printed in 1532, that he was a Welshman. The Rev. David Jones, of Llangan. The Rev. D. Jones, of Llangan, as he was called by his contemporaries, was born in 1735, and was the youngest of three children born to a small farmer living at Abercolig, in Car- marthenshire, who was in due time sent to the Carmarthen Grammar School, where he remained until his ordination. Jones was a man of very fine presence, with a marvellously retentive memory, and endowed with considerable oratorical and dramatic power, and the possessor of a well-trained voice—the silver and gold of eloquence which is in mosc esteem with the Cymry. At the time of his entering upon the ministry a complete wave of religious enthusiasm had passed over the land, and was hastening on to its Cood the sober teaching of the two generations which bad followed the Cromwellian era. and its puritanical bharacteristic, had been pushed aside, and a new religious er had been inaugerated. Jones felt the influence of the movement, and adopted the strong Calvinistic views which had then taken bold of the minds of the Welsh people, and at this time by his preaching and teaching had attracted the attention of the Countess of Hintingdon This lady, as is well known, had formed a Church or Connexion. The precise relation in which she stood to the religious body now known as the Calvinistic j Methodists has not been: stated by any writer that I know of; but if she was not the founder of that body. she was its patroness, and fostered its growth. Professedly a Church woman, she had a college at Trefecca for training young men for the ministry of her "connexion," and at the same time her chaplains were ordained ministers of the Established Church, and Jones, of Llangan, had the honour of being appointed one of them. One of the first steps taken by the Conntesa after this "appointment was to procure for her new chaplain, then but a curate, a fairly good living in the Church. The Rectory of Llangan became vacant. Lady Charlotte Edwin, who bad the bestowal of it, was a friend of the Countess, aud Jones became rector. As Chaplain Jones must have itinerated South Wales as a preacher, and soon obtained com- manding influence in the connexion. Llangan now beoameone oftbeeentresof his labours. Thechurch at Llangan was thronged once a month with Calvimsts from far and near, who came for the double purpose of bearing the great preacher and receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. On these occasions it was the rule that no sermons should be preached in any of the meeting places of. the connexion within. the district, so thatalltheduly recognised members might proceed to Dangan Church. Such a service was indeed a function large and grand, and raised all who assisted at it into no mean importance in the locality. At other times Jones would be away far out of his parish, in Carmarthen, Pembroke- shire, Cardigan, or even North Wales. He spent for years the chief part of the month of May in London, but all the time earnestly preaching In early morn, at noontide, or at night as the occasion served. To make up for his absence he was oblignd to keep a curate. But what we had intended to write of this week was the remarkable letter which Mr Jones addressed at one time to her Ladyship the Countess of Huntingdon. It appears that her Ladyship suffered muoh for the sake of religion, and was often scoffed at by people of her own rank, and much distressed, and in all probability these were the enemies alluded to in the following letter. It appears also that she had communicated her feelings in a letter to the rev. gentleman at Llangan, and here is his reply, which is most characteristic of the enthusiasm of the eloquent writer :— My dear and truly honoured Lady,Thanks to your Ladyship for your kind favour which I received by yesterday's post. Don't be cast down. The Ark you are embarked in will never give up to the waves. Ride on, therefore, without fear. Though the billows may rage and foam you will not be disembarked till you are brought safe to your desired port. IE you think in earnest you will sink, I had rather go to the bottom with you than to survive with your enemies. This is the very truth. But if we must sink, Heaven shall hear our Hosannas, and perhaps our Hallelujahs too; from the bottom of the mountains, and out of the belly of hell, Salvation shall be our song, and Heaven shall be our rest for ever.—D. Jones." This letter appeared in the Evangelical Magazine for December, 1810, and Iolo Morganwg versified the letter in both English and Welsh. Our space will only permit us to give the Welsh version this week, the English to follow :— Y CYMEITHIAD Alt Ft-SPR CERDD. F' Arglwyddes garedig, derbyniais dy rodd, Dawn mawr dy hynawsder, yn beth wrth fy tnodd Tostiawn gan fy nghalon yw clywed dy gwyn, Ond rho' di'th boll gred yn yr aroh sv'n dy ddwyn. Hi saif. ar y don, dan y gwyntoedd yn syth, Ar graig yn doredig ni welir hi byth Boed uohel ystormydd cynddeiriog y don, Bydd diogel er hyny pob ena.id yn hon. Nid ofuaf i't soddi—boed hyn iti'n wir. ¡ Trwy'r moroedd tymhestlog ai'n gadarn i dir Ai trwy'r boll beryglon a'tb gychant mor faith I bortbladd y Gwynfyd yn Hawen dy daitb. Ond os rhaid i't soddi, a*myned i lawr, Ar ol dy fawrhvdi ni 'rosaf un awr Cael than yn dy dynged, gwell genyf fit cfyw, Na cbyda'th elynion cael aros i fyw. Bath bynag dy ran, boed i minan'r un hawl, Wyf gyda thi'n foddlawn i fvned i Ddiawl; Clyw'r net ein trorfoledd. Hosanna n ddifraw A bloedd Haleliwia bydd fallai'n ddidaw, Dan waelod y mynydd, yn eigion y tan, Yu mherfedd pwtl offern derchefwn y gin; Ac yna'n ddibaid Ieohydwriaeth ein lief, A'.u r T-obwys gwynfydig dros fyth yn y n&t.