Denbighshire Free Press

RURAL LIFE. BY A SON OF THE SOIL. THB DOG'S ACCOMMODATION. .Why is it that those of us whose privilege ft is to give advice to the reading public are to often asked about dog ailments? It ia partly because of wrong and over-feeding, partly through lack of exercise, but chiefly had and insanitary accommodation. Yet dogs are much better housed on the whole than they were a few years ago, and considering what little trouble and expense is necessary to give them quite satisfactory quarters, thera is no reason at all why any dog-owner should be open to criticism on this account. A dog that is chained up most of the day, and is compelled to retire to its kennel for shelter and shade, cannot remain in good health, and if the kennel is rarely cleaned out and becomes filthy and fcetid, as well as alive with parasites, it is wonderful that the dog aurvives at all. In providing a kennel, the aim should be to have one that can be per- fectly cleaned, and if it is so constructed that SANITARY IDOO KENNEL. parte of it are out of reach or are always in darkness, be sure that it will not long re- main wholesome. The sketch shows a kennel the lid or roof of which readily lifts off, making it easily possible to wash over the whole of the inside with disinfectant after cleaning it and exposing it to sunshine. The kennel should be bedded with straw which is often changed, but a fair substitute is a piece of old carpet, which can often be .washed in disinfectant and thoroughly dried. It adds considerably to the comfort of the dog if there is a small raised platform on which he can lie down in the open, yet off the damp ground, when he wants to. An outdoor kennel is undoubtedly best for all healthy, vigorous dogs; coddling is always bad for them,and generally shortens their lives. When a dog has to be kept under restraint, it is kindest if possible to give him the run of an enclosure, but if this is not possible, a fair tabstitute is to fix up a long wire from one building to another, attaching to it by a ring & chain with a swivel, so that the dog can at least have a good long run. EDIBLE FLOWERS. Our range of vegetables includes every part ti plants, from the root to the flower, but few people can believe it possible that the im- mense flower buds of the Globe Artichoke are fcaten by anybody. Yet on parts of the Con- tinent it is a favourite vegetable. The plant is one that needs a good deal of space, but its culture is not at all difficult. A deep, rich sandy loam suits it best; plantations are usually made in April and May, and if the eoil is well prepared beforehand, will last for several years. A good plan is to put in three plants together in rows 3ft. 6in. apart, with 4ft. between the plants. If set out singly, a 2ft. space between each plant would suffice. The plants begin to bear in June or July, tinless forwarded by being protected with frame-work in the spring. The plants are not quite hardy, and in late autumn, or after the last of the flower heads have been re- tnov'jthe old flowering stems and decayed leaves should be cut away, and when the GLOBE ARTICHOKE. ground has been forked over a covering of lit- ter or a mound of sifted coal-ashes should be placed around each clump Heads are usually cut as required for use, but they can be pre- served by planting the entire stems in moist eand in a cellar, and cutting off small sections from the bottoms of the stems once or twice a week. The heads should never be left on the plants too long, or they become hard, but ehould be cut as soon as fully developed yet whilst young and tender. The plants are eometimes raised from seed, but a much easier method of propagation is by taking off euckers when about nine inches high. They ehould have each a bit of root attached, and it is these from which plantations are usually formed. Sometimes the summer suckers of the Globe Artichoke are blanched, and these are known as chards. Usually the plants are allowed to produce a crop of heads until July, when they are cut down to within a few inches of the ground. The soil should then fee stirred, mulched, and copiously watered, when numerous shoots will be thrown up. The weaker ones are promptly removed, and the others left till the end of September, when on a fine day they are drawn together and tied with raffia, and then wrapped round from the base upwards with hay or straw bands, afterwards earthing up. Five weeks later they will be bleached and fit for use, and may be lifted and packed in sand. THE LARGEST DOMESTICATBD GOOSE. It is a remarkable fact that although geese have been kept in this country for many cen- turies, we have not a truly native breed. Only two types of geese are commonly bred for profit in Britain, and these are the Toulouse, a name which suggests a French origin, and Embden, a name which implies that the breed is derived from Germany. Yet TOULOUSE GOOSE. I a hundred years or so ago, before the com. mons began to be enclosed so much, there was hardly a district without its flock or flocks of geese. I have been told that in the days when quill pens were in general use, many owners of geese made more from the sale of quills than from the carcases of the birds. Probably the depreciation in the value of the quills has had as much as the enclosure of commons to do with the fact that so few flocks of geese pro seen nowadays as one passes through the joufltry, Tne xouioase is essentially tnt goose ior the Christmas market; by that time it has matured and has reached a weight of any- thing over twenty pounds. For the Michael- mas trade it does not put on flesh to be in a II fit killing condition so well as Embdens. It is a very massive bird, with a long, deep body. The breast is carried well forward and low, so that the line of the body is almost level with the ground, and the paunch is very low. The bird is broad across t[:e shoulders and back, and the head and neck are thick and very strong. The bill is rather short but strong, and is oranso in colour. There is a dewlap on the throat in most birds. The legs are short and heavy in bone. With the ex- ception of the stern, paunch, and tail, which are white except for a band of grey across the tail, the body colour is grey, and. the back, wings, and thighs are laced with light grey. The goose is a good layer, averaging about forty eggs in a seaton. These are white- sheiled as a rule, and are exceedingly large. Although such a big bird, she seems to be lest disposed to become broody than other geese, and consequently is not to be trusted as a mother, but the goslings, when once hatched, are remarkably hardy, and if any bird can b$ said to rear itself, it applies to them. It is fortunate that with so few breeds of geese the two principal types are so different, as a cross between them is all the more valu- able, for it gets rapidity of growth from the Embden and big frame from the Toulouse, and the product of Toulouse ganders and Embden geese is, on the whole, the beet utility goose available. KILLING NETTLES BY SPRAYING. In some grounds nettles are one of the most persistent. weeds, and it cannot pos- sibly be claimed that they are in any way orna.ment.al; while a-s their presence almost invariably indicates good soil they are best got rid of. On an experimental field mlUlCh trouble waey caused by their profuse growth, which withstood the efforts made to get rid of the weeds by frequent mowing and stubbing. It then occurred to the controller of the experimental station that spraying them with chemicals—a process which was so successful with charlock—might have the desired effect. Accordingly, four infested plots were selected in the spring, and sprayed respectively withl sulphate of copper, sulphate of iron, kainit, and 40 per cent. of potash manure salts. All the different chemicals proved effective; the leaves of the plants became black, and feU off. That was in spring; during the summaer the plants threw out fresh shoots, so in autumn the process was repeated, with the result that the entire plants were killed. The trial having been so successful, a larger surface was treated the following spring with a 15 per cent. kainit solution. The young nettle plants appearing above the gra.5S were well sprayed. They died off, so that the grass got the upper hand. and at harvest time the field appeared quite free from nettles. The process is so simple that it seems worth a trial. )

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Miss Sparkes, 1 Sale. Bronchitis robbed this little girl of sleep. Veno's cured her. It gives me real pleasure to recommend Veno's Lightning Cough Cure, particularly to mothers. I first used it for my little J Edith, when she had bronchitis and a I severe cough. It was a fearful cough, hard and racking, that shook the poor littledear frightfully. She could1 not sleep for cough- ing\ and her general health became affected. I could hardly get her to eat anytning. Nothing did her any good until I got Veno's Lightning Cough Cure; then, actually by the time she had finished one bottle she was cured." -Ilrs. Sparkes, 1, Birch-avenue, Marslam's- road, Sale, Cheshire." Awarded Grand Prix and Gold Medal, International Health Exhibition, Paris, 1910. el J POP Coughs and Coldo, 7?D Bronchitis, Asthma, Influenza, Catarrh, and all Chest and Lung Per Bottle. Troubles In old or young, Larger Sizes The surest and speediest reinedu 1/1 i & 2/9 known. j VENO'S v™'«r«5 COUCH CUBE

Trouble Ahead. The difficulties and problems which con- front us daily in commercial, political, socinl, and religious life &re all digua of the tiuioo .o which we live. Every day brings fresh developments, and we are living at such a high pressure that it aeems as though nothing would be a surprica to us any morning i "The Day of Vengeance" is the title of one of the very helpful handbooks issued by the Bible and Tract Society, Lancaster Gate, London, W., which indicates that the unrest and commotion we &ee on every ha,wi is clearly predicted in the Prophecies of tho Bible, and only from that standpoint can the general situation be properly understood. It calls attention to the fact that unque., tionably there is a great crisis just ahead of us; and while not predicting the wrcck of matter and the crash of worlds, it shows « very reasonable manner the fulfilment o. Prophecy in our day and also helps to dispel much of the unc rtainty and darkness, v itb light from the only real source of light. The volume is upright 8vtr., 6o0 pages nicely bound in stiff cloth boards, lettered and can be had poet free for lie. 6d. only. Addresa aa above. 4

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EARTH TO BECOME J\fAN'S PARADISE. HOW THIS WILL BE DONE IS THE GOSPEIJ MESSAGE. March 15th.—Pastor Russell to-day graphi- cally depicted the beauties of Paradiso, his text being: I will make the place of My feet glorious" (Isa. lx. 13). He said: Paradise is another name for Eden, the abode of bliss. It was lost through the sin of our first parents, but the gracious promise of our great Creator is that this condition of earthly bliss shall be re-established, and tliL the whole earth shall become the Paradise of God. Heaven is God's Throne, the earth is His footstool; and He assures us, "I will make the place of My feet glorious," in due time." How this will be don« is the Gospel message. The Divine promise to Abraham, that all the families of the earth should be blessed through his Seed, includes the thought of man's full restoration to Divine favour—as before he sinned and came under the curse, or sentence, of death. The Jews hoped that Messiah would come and constitute their nation the earthly kingdom of God, and re- establish Paradise with Palestine as its centre. They expected that under his wise ministration, using their nation as his instru- ments, the Divine Law would extend tu all, and, by bringing all people into harmony With God, would gradually bring back all mankind to the Paradise state. THE GARDEN OF THE LORD. It was in full harmony with this that the dying thief asked the Lord to remember him when he should come into his Kingdom—the Kingdom whose dominion would establish righteousness in the earth, and thus convert the world, under Divine favour, into the Paradise of God. Our Lord's answer was that verily, truly, him request should be granted. Paradise has not yet been estab- lished for God's kingdom has not yet come to earth, but delays until a. certain work for the Church shall be accomplished. It is not the Divine purpose to make of the nation of Israel God's Kingdom in the highest sense, though it will be actively iden- tified with the Heavenly Kingdom as its earthly representative. God is selecting during this Gospel Age a. new nation, Spiritual Israel, from every nation, people, kindred, tongue. At our Lord's first Advent, and subsequently, he gathered from Israel Euchas were saintly and rea-dy for the King- dom; since then he has been taking o' t from- other nations' enough to compile the foreordained number of the elect Church These will constitute the Kingdom per and it cannot be established in power until this election, or selection, shall have been completed and the Elect "changed," or glorified on the spiritual plane, by the power of the First Resurrection (I. Cor. xv. 51-54). Paradise, or the Garden of the Lord, not only represented that earthly condition which will be restored for the benefit and blessing of the natural man, a.s the reward for his obedience to the rules of Immanuel's Kingdom during the Millennial Age, but it also applies to the glorious Heavenly posi- tion which God hais in reservation for the Church. Thus we read in the Book of Re- velation that God has promised to the over- comers of the Church that To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tr?° of Life, which is in the midst of the Paiadise of God" (Rev. ii. 7). THE WORLD'S REGENERATION. This is a grandly beautiful symbolic message j ,and promise, assuring us of the Heavenly bliss in eternal life conditions of all who are faithful followers of Christ in the present age —walking in Jeusu' footsteps in the narrow way. The Book of Revelation pictures the history of this Gospel Age down into the Messianic Age, and shows us Paradise re- established, with the Heavenly City. the glorified Church, as its centre, or capital. The future state will all be Paradise. The completeness of blessedness will first be mani- fested in the Church on the spiritual plane; and secondly, it will be manifested in the Ancient Worthies on the earthly plane- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the holy Prophets perfected, the earthly representa- tives of the Heavenly Kingdom. Gradually the Paradisaic condition shall fill the whole earth. The wilderness shall blossom as tiie rose, the solitary places shall be glad, and streams shall break forth in the deserts, as wt read in Isa. xxxv. The morally lame shall learn to walk in the paths of righteousness. Yea, they Shill leap for joy as they come to a knowledge of the grace and goodness of God. The world's eye; of understanding shall be opened and theii deaf ears shall be unstopped, that they may see and hear the Goodness, the Mercy, the Justice, and the Love of our God. The willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land," but the evil doers shall be cut off in the Second Death. Gradually the bound- aries will be spread abroad until they shall in- clude the whole earth. Gradually the num- bers enjoying Paradise will increase until, in the end of the Millennium, the entire race of Adam shall experience the privilege of God's I Love and Mercy through Christ. THE STORY OF THE CROSS. God's provision for man's recovery from the 1- sentence of death is the story of the Cross of Christ." Because a man had sinned, the Redeemer must be a man. Because the penalty was human death, a perfect man must die for the sinner's release from the death sentence. Because the race of Adam inherited naturally his mental, moral, and physical de- fects, therefore nou'o of his posterity wa worthy of eternal life. But in the Divine arrangement, as Adarn involved all of his children and their Paradise home tn the wreck of sin a.: i death, .so a redemption has been effected through Christ. The great work of Me-ssiah will, Ihereforo, be the restoration of the workl to all that was lost in Eden and redeemed at Calvary. The work of Restitution, St. I' ".or tells r.s, has been spoken :;f "by the month of all God's holy Prophch irice the world began," and will be accomplished by Messiah at his Second Coming (Acts iii. 21). But the Divine plan changes not. Sin is kitill abhorrent to God, and will always be so, and the Divine sentence is that no sinner shall have eternal life. n et, this offer of Divine grace us rriorioly to .all who may ha-ve Di.viue assist- ance. fiMurrwiioi!, re^oi'ai'Oi!, lipjMP sq out ance. fiMurrwiioi!, re^oi'ai'Oi!, lipjMP sq out of sin and death conditions to perfect con- ditions. The?o things will be accomplished only in those who are willing and obedient. Only such "shall eat the good of the land" —the fruits of Paradise (Isa. i. 18 20; Acts iii. 23). Furthermore, it is the Divine arrangement for mankind, and a just one, that any good and noble deed in the present life works a measure of character-development which will be assistful in the future life, enabling the faithful the sooner to mount up to full per- fection of earthly life. Correspondingly, every wilful sin, every violation of conscience and principle, works a defilement and im- pairment of manhood, which likewise will have its effect in the future life in the diffi- culty of rising out of degradation to the heights of human perfection, Divine ap- proval and everlasting life. If all mankind could appreciate these facts, what an influ- ence it would have in the restraining and governing of self, in dvlopinl Mlf-contra) and true manhood 1 -41