The Brecon County Times Neath Gazette and General Advertiser for the Counties of Brecon Carmarthen Radnor Monmouth Glamorgan Cardigan Montgomery Hereford

PROGRESS AT THE STRAITS. NEW LANDING EFFECTED. The Athens correspondent of the Daily Mail .Unofficial telegrams report the contbjfoed of the interior forts of the Dar- <*a"eile» by the Allied Fleets, and state that Ibali\ CJ the forts have been severely dam- £ eci. but JK> names of forts are specified. The progress continues successfully at all tl.n. and Tuiks are r< ported to have eaptuivd. It is also stated that a fredi ,ng has been successfully effected1 on the ^iatic* coast at Kerikli (TGheyikli, fourteen ?*ilet5 south of K'um Kale), and that this force 18 advancing rapidly.

FRENCH LONG RANGE ATTACK. THE BOMBARDMENT OF DUNKIRK The French official statement issued on Sllndav afternoon said that no change was re- ^i'tedi in the situation along the whole front. A deserter has reported that for nearly two Jont.},s engineers from the Krupp firm hav* engaged in the neighbourhood of I)iir iude, in the sector where there lias been no J^'ning for several m-onths, in superintending construction of emplacement works for ;v j^vai gun with very long range. It i^ thi»; pU which is believed to have bombarded /Tiiikirk from a distance of twenty-three and half mi lee. ?fine shells only having been fired in the T^cond and last bombardment, there is reason Jj» think either that the gun was damaged by •lie class of fire which even the most power- ful guns cannot long withstand, or that the eon tinned flight, of our airmen in that region Suited in stopping its fire. On our side we yesterday bombarded one j* the forts on the southern front of the forti- "^d camp at Metz.

GERMAN ATTACK STOPPED. POISON VAPOURS fuN GLASS TUBES. The evening despatch was as follows If) Belgium to the north of Ypres the Ger- "•I'ss attempted an attack on our right. They immediately stopped by our machine There is nothing new on the British front. At Maueourt, to the south of Chaulnes. an Ck by about eighty men was made against Otir lines. The assailants were armedi with iJre-eutters, grenades, Brown'ings, and knives. hey w<>re almost all brought down by our ■aiitry. Some of them were taken prisoners. the valley of the Aisne an<l in Cliam- the enemy employed in tlie course of day various appliances which had no effect jTj^imely, 'near Tracy le Mont, glass tubes on breaking diffused an odour of ether; n IMie i m s and the Argonne bombs with inflammable material, a Ilf] finally jp"- giving off a greenish smoke which hung )r the enemy's lines without reaching ours. METZ FORT SHELLED. A-t the Bois le Pretre the Germans essayed J counter-attack which was not, able to § ,">uc-h. We retain the whole of our gain of fday. We continued (hiring the day to ^bardi the front south of the entrenched "tttp of Metz. The effectiveness of our fire, observed on one of the forts as well as on barracks and the adjacent railway.

RMAN ADVANCE INTO RUSSIA Germam advance against the Baltic i ,r°vinoes has reached the region of Mitau, 00rdmg to the German Headquarters. The of Mitau is 100 miles from the frontier V** only twenty-eight miles from Riga. A semi-official communique regards this K Va-noe as a mere raid, of no strategic i-m- ^ajioe.

NIEMEN FIGHTING. GERMAN COMPANY SURRENDERS. despatch from the headquarters of the § "Unander-iu-Chief issued in Petrograd on U'1(^ay night says 'mv detachments are occupying the Gorman patrols appeared on FAlrdav iear Libau. The same day enemy tkdo craft visited the Gulf of Riga. t{ 0 the west of the Niemen fighting con- tiJ1'28- At the village of Tayenko, on the ba.ik of the River Netta, a whole com- r0, of a German regiment of the line sur- ged. Galieia during the night cf April 30th- 1st strong Austrian forces opened an ti^'sive in the region of Czenkuv, .oc. Our ifj forced the enemy to entrench 600 paoes I roiJt of our trenches. {jm Cnrpathians the same night w« re- t -^■tistro-Gcrman attacks near Golo- and Senetchouw.

SUEZ CANAL FIGHT. TTJFTKS RETIRE AFTER FEW &H0T8. it,/06 following statement was official!' \I dO' q at Cairo on Saturday: Apfil 28th a patrol of the Bikanir ,oi Corps, under Major Rawlins, enc-oun- ^-bout twelve miles east of the Canal f<!H. 300 of the enemy, who retired after a had been exchanged. On the nighit ^i;- 28th-'29th a small mixed force was freni lsmailia to endeavour to sur- Tli e €n^my's camp. tilt, enemy, however, had' moved during tov,-ds Fordan, but finding all our Hat. c,}} ^ie alert they retired to Bir Mafea- T'-uc l'ey were located again at dawn by and about midday our cavalry hi coming up with their rearguard, ^^on1118 lil°" retr&at and taking a Sejt

SUCCESS IN S.W. AFRICA. GERMAN OFFICERS AND MEN CAPTURED. General Sir Duncan McKenzie has accom- plished a brilliant feat in German Sooth- west Africa. He has occupiedl Gibeon, and captured seven German officers and about 200 men, two field guns, and several maxims. He has also taken a train, some transport waggons, and a great quantity of live stock, and has di-spersed the enemy's rearguard. Before the action at Gibeont, Sir Duncan seized the German garrison at Bersheba, numbering nearly thirty men. Gibeon lies on the Keetmanchoop-Wirt-Auk railway, one- third of the way to the capital. During the past fortnight the Union Flying Column, com- manded' by Sir Duncan McKenzie. has ad- vanced over 120 mile=; of difficult aria country where transport facilities arc few. At Gibeon a preliminary engagement which involved only one Union brigade went in favour of tihe enemy, who took seventy prisoners. In the main action all the seventy men were recovered.

HEROIC AIRMAN. LIFE GIVEN TO BRING HIS REPORT. Splendid work has been done d-uriiii-ilg.,9 past few days by our airmen, writes "Eye- witness." The raid on Courtrai unfortunately cost the nation a very gallant life. but it will live as one of the most heroic episodes of the war. The airman [no name is given] started on the enterprise alone in a biplane. On arrival at Courtrai he glided down to a height of 300ft. and dropped a large boml) on the rail- way junction. While he did this he was the target of hundreds of rifles, of machine-guns, and of anti-aircraft armament, and was severely wounded in the thigh. Though he might have saved his life by at once coming down in the enemy's lines, he decided to save hi machine at all costs, and made for the British lines. Descending to a height of only 100ft. in order to increase his speed he con- tinued to fly, and was again wounded, this time mortally. He still flew on, however, and without coming down at the nearest of our aerodromes went all the way back to his own base, where he executed a perfect landing and made his report. He died in hospital not long afterwards. MACHINE-GUNKER'S BRAVERY. The outstanding feature of the action of the past week has been the steadiness of our troops on the extreme left, in the district north of Ypres; but of the deeds of individual gallantrv and, devotion which have been per- formed it would be impossible to narrate one- hundredth part. At one place.a machine-gun wa-s stationed in the angle of a trcnch when the German rush took place. One man after another of the detachment was shot, but the gun still continued in action, though five bodies lay around it. When the sixth man took the place of his fallen comrades, of whom one was his brother, the Germans were etill pressing on. He waited until they were only a few yards away and then poured a stream of bullets on to the advancing ranks, which broke and fell back, leaving rows of dead. He was then wounded himself.

THE SHELLING OF DUNKIRK. "TERRIFYING AND DEVASTATING EFFECT." Pieces of the shells which exploded- in the town on Thursday have been collected and carefully examined' with a view to ascertain- ing the calibre of the weapons from which they were fired, writes the special correspondent of the Time* in Northern Fraince. The generaa opinion seems to be that they are 38-centi- metre howitzers. Some of the shells bear the name of Krupp; others the name of the Austrian Sko-da works. There a.re some who hold that they were fired from the powerful howitzers of Austrian design which reduced the forts of Liege, Antwerp, Maubeage, and Namur. These big howitzers can project a huge shell more than twenty miles; hut to get the full range out of them they have to be mounted on a solid concrete bed. to which they are firmly bolted. GREAT CRATERS IN ROADS. The great shells burst with terrifying and devastating effect. The noise resembled the exofcraion of a powder factory, and they shot into the air a huge column of black smoke, earth, and debris. On Thurs-dav and Friday wide and deep craters were ploughed in the roa.dis where they fell, several large buildings were wrecked in the centre of the iown, and small houses on the outskirt.5 were completely destroyed. A detailed and circumstantial account of the bombardment is difficult to oblain. The refugees cannot tell much because they saw eo little. During the bombardment they lay hidden in their cellars; when the danger was parsed they fled. It was, however, a very real danger. VICTIMS OF THE SHELLS. The solo victim of the first 6 ell was a young girl who was passing along the road at the moment. A 6hell splinter tooff off her head. Another shell feU in the Grande Place, kill- ing many civilians. The Hotel de Ville, the Mairie. the railway station, and the barracks were struck Unhappily, the military hospital was par- tially wrecked, and many of the wounded in it were killed. But the arsenal, which s-cems to have been the objective, was untouched. In the suburbs one shell swept away four small houses and all the inmates perished. In anotiter house, which wa<s reduced to ruins, the dead bodies of four young children and a woman were found buried in the debrie.

HEAVY OFFICER LOSSES. The distinguishing feature of the very heavy casualty lists published on Monday morning was the number of officers placed out of action. Over 180 offioers are killed, wounded, or missing, and of these 112 are Territorials. Among the killed are Brigadier-General J. New? reached Shrewsbury on Sunday Tii'^ht that Captgiii John Russell Pound, of the Shropshire Regiment—a former master of Sli!v\v--bury School—has been killed in action. In the ranks 676 men are mentioned in the lists. The Canadian casualties are aleo severe. They total 662.

FIVE 5!-JIPS TORPEDOED, STEAMER CAPTAIN SHOT. On Saturday afternoon the American oil- tank steamer Gulflight, of Port Arthur (Texas), was torpedoed fifteen miles north- west of the Scilly Islands. The crew were taken off by a. steam trawler. The captain had died from heart failure, one man was in- jured. and two h(l jumped overboard. The Edale (3,100 tons, of Middlesbrough) was also torpedoed a'bnufc fifty miles .^rth- west of the Scilly Islands on Saturday morn- ing without warning. The crew, some of them half dressed, launched their boats and got away. When the boats were clear of the ship the submarine fu-ed several shots and the vessel soon sank. The crew were picked up by a steam trawler and landed at Seilly. The French steamer Europe (3,000 tons), from Barry for St. Nazaire with a callgo of coals.- was torpedoed and sunk on' 'Saturday morning. The crow were landed at P-enzance bv a team drifter. The trawler Angle, which has arrived at Kilrush, reports that the steamer Fulgent (2.000 tons) was sunk by a .submarine forty- five miles N.W. of tlie Skelligs. The trawler picked up one boat containing nine survivors and the. body of the captain, who had been tiior. The second boat with the re-t of the crew could not be found. A Russian steamer, the Svorono, laden with 4.700 tons of coal and bouad from Port Tal- bot. South Wales, to Archangei, was sunk by submarine U 23 off the Kerry ooaat, fourteen miles off the Blasket Islands. The crew of fifteen barely had time to get into their boats before the steamer was torpedoed. They were picked utp Sy a patrol boat and landed at Gahirciveen, Kenrj.

A STRANGE EXPERIENCE. I had a strange experience Last week there, out <utt sea; And may I add the thing turned out Moat profitable to me. The strangest, weirdest thing, I think, That ever happened to me; And, bless yer heart, the be6t of it, We scored off Germany! It sounds just like a fairy tale. But aid that I can say Is that it really happened, and Not very far away. But there, I'd best just tell you all About it, and you'll say YOD. haven't heard a stranger yam For many a long, long day. I Away for a Cruise. It was & glorious afternoon. Th& very day," says I, To take a sail and, truth to tel, I saw no reason why I shouldn't have a little cruise Out in my motor-boat. No sooner said than done, and I Had got my Scout afloat. The sea. was calm a-s glass, the sky Was oloudle-as overhead, With not tin- slightest breath o' wind. An ideal dav," I said. ,.W,ho,d ever think we were at war," I thought as on I sped. When all around'a so peaceful, and Whatever's that -abea I I could see nothing. I put tht,-glasis up to my eye. Whatever it had been Was gone. I could ha.' sworn it was A German submarine. But CW I searched and searched agaia The sea. most carefully, No sign of anything afloat Around me could I see. I'd been out now about an hour, Perhaps a little more, 11,P And reckoned that I now would be 'Bout fifteen miles from shore. The sky was getting overcast, And so I thought I'd1 turn. And just was turning when I felt A something strike my stern! I Unterseeboote 9. And then my boat was lifted up Whatever could it mean ? I wasn't long in, doubt: I was Aboardj a submarine! 'T had come up underneath me, and I lay there high and dry, Flat on her d<eck. I wonder what Will happen next? says 1. And then from out the conning tower I I sees a headi appear. r My word! whene'er he clapped his eyes On me, he did look queer! "Throw up yotir hand's," I shoiits, to him, I Your game « UP! And keep that hatchway open, for I'm taking charge, ye see I Hands up! The man was so astounded that At first he couldn't speak. And even when he found his voice, It sounded thin and weak. "Vat do you vant aboard me in ship, Der Unterseehoote. 9? YOUR unterseeboote Bless yer heart, This sardine tin is MINE I kept himi in that open hatch Till a destroyer came And took me off, aii(I look them in To harbour. What- a game! It sounds just like a fairy taile; But fiction ain't my line. Ye don't believe it? Come and see Der Unterseeboote 9!

I DRESSMAKING AT HOME. By SYLVIA. A House-Gown for Spring Wear. Whatever else has gone up in price—and in necessities of life the rise is a serious materials have not done so, with only or two exceptions, and washing fabric.- ( :ap as ever. this i, the case there is 110 reason for appearing it. shabby ga.rb, especially when p>wn aiv so easy to make as is the i!w desisrn I have selected for the first 0;' this week's sketches, Xo. 1.881. This is cut Oil the latest lines, and showvt the new flare." or, rather, umbrella skirt, which 'iMTii- the most popular of the new full I Ti«e h, d it." i. cut with the yoke and 5j"Pyes ci i!>e I'isrouriir* Itaghni model, only the slope i" carried further down than of vore, instead of be ins: taken to just under the arm, as in fhe patiem from v-vieh it is copied. The skirr is 4 two-piece affair, and fastens in front. Striped crT'.ct^ bi-irg so much favoured where I PATTEFX NO. 1.881. spring fabrics are concerned, in two and more shades, this frock looks well carried out on these lines, as you see from the sketch, the collar being a neat one of hemstitched lawn. To Place and Cut Out. The centre front of both bodice and skirt muest be placed to the selvedges, due allow- ance being made for turnings, which, as the former are required for buttons and button- holes, shonkl be fairly wide. The question of whether the material should be doubled or not depends on the fabric itself. If it has no right or wrong, you may find it more economical to reverse them and cut one in with the other. If doubled, the bodice front might perhaps be got out of the corner pieces. Plaoe the sleeves so that the stripes came even with those of the front and back. When cut out. hem the fronts of the bodice, as it is usual to commence with this, and finish these off with the buttons and button- holes. Next tack the sleeves to the back and front, and fit on, as aSiy alterations required to make the neck fit comfortably must be made at these seams. If necessary, alter them, making both sides alike; then stitch, neaten, and press. Now tack up the bodice and sleeves at the under-arm seams, stitch, neaten and press, and then finish off the neck with a nicely- fitting collar-band, to which the collar is at- tached, and sew on fastenings at each end. The cuffs are the last thing required, to finish off the bodice, and these are quite easily put on, as they are cut on the straight. The skirt is the next consideration, and should be joined where necessary to make it wide enough, the seams neatened, pressed, and then joined up at the centre back, which being on the bias is very easily stretched, so care' must be taken with this neither to stretch nor pucker it. Good turn- ings should also be allowed. When stitched. open, oversew, and press. Next turn in an-d. stitch the right front over the left, making the placket at the upper part. Press the seam, then turn up and hem the ft-part. being careful with the sides, which are apt to dip, also the back—indeed, a skirt of this type looks smarter if made a wee bit shorter at the back than the front—and conseque ntly at the sides, owing to this tendency. When this is done, secure the skirt to the band, also the bodice, and finish off. The dress will take about 5 yards of 32- 2 inch goods. Comfortable Matronly Knickers. Though I have mentioned this pattern as in- tended for the matron of generous proportion, there is no reason why her slim sister should I PATTHRN NO. 1,882. not select it if she wishes; but it is the former who usually finds 60 much more difficulty with her undergctrmenito uiium the iuUei* bImL I feel sure she will like this special design for its comfort and roomiiK- if I may use this word in such a connection. These knicks are cut with the loose legs which are now popular, as the gathered knee is not seen on any up-to-date models. The fitting is accomplished' by means of darts at the waist, which should be fitted to see that they give spring enojxgh to the hip portion. To make, seam up the lower leg and front in the usual wa)y, i.e., by a neat run-and-fell seam, as these knicks are intended for long- cloth then hem and finish off the back and waist, which is set into a narrow band, buttoning at the back, and proceed with the trimming of the knee-part, which, as you see in the sketch, consists of insertion, brought up in two mitred ends on each side of the outer leg, a-nd a form finish of lace, with slot in- sertion between. About 1\ yards of 36-inch goods are required.

HOW TO OBTAIN PATTERNS. Our paper patterns, are specially cut for as from dealgrns expressly prepared for this eolumn, and the oost of each complete pattern Is 8jcl. post free. Address all letters, enclosing: stamps for patterns, to Sylvia," Wbitefriars House. Carmalite- street, London, E.C. Be sure and mention the number of the pattern required when ordering. I Vatterni will be despatched within three days at tht application being received.

POULTRY KEEPING. A PROFITABLE HOBBY. BY "UTILITY." MANAGEMENT OF SITTING HENS One of my readers writes informing me that he has had a good deal of trouble this &pring with sitting hens, which he has had to buy for hatching purposes. "Can you, lie asks. give me any hints how to make CitOm settle down more peaceably, and do you know of any satisfactory means of holding them so that they cannot fly off the moment they are released, and drive one to exaspera- tion before they can be- caught and driven back to the rapidly-cooling eggs? Of course, hens vary very much in tem- perament. and some soon settle down in a new home. while others never get over their shyness and wiidncss. But this cannot be told heforehand. and so when a hen is set HI a. strange nest, it is best to put her on it at night, unless very tame. She should never be forced or hurried, and should be placed in front of the nest she is to occupy, with a few china eggs in it, when she win generally take to it at once, and if not dis- turbed again too soon will stick to it anct sit well. One way of making a hen sit is to take the bird and let her stand in front of tho nest, holding her in front of the breast by one hand, and then stroking her gently with the other from head to tail, just as one would ntroke a eat or dog. Then place the left hand in the same position as the right one with which the bird was held, and draw the fingers of the right hand underneath the beak and down the neck. Many poultry- keepers hold that nothing else will tame broody liens half as much as this treatment. Iteli that have travelled a journey or been removed should be put into a coop and fed well with hard corn and water. They should be placed on the nest in the evening and covered in and should be allowed to remain OÐ the net, in darkness all the next day, and OPN" CLIP FOR A SITTING HEN. not taken off rlH the day after, to ensure that they arc well settled down before being dis- turbed. For the first few days they should be fed in a coop or other small place if not. they may become very wild, and will not go back to nest. As regards a means of holding hens, that shown in the sken-h is the only one I remem- ber seeing used. It is made so as to be easily opened by pressing the centre-part with the finger ami thumb; it closes itself, so that. the hen cannot liberate herself. The idea. is. of course, to put on the clip when she is let off to feed; it would not. be safe to leave the. clip on while she is on the egg*. When a number of hens are sitting near to- gether, their sitting-boxes are not pro- vided with separate little runs, it is a great corvc-niencc to have some way of keeping the hens under control, whether they are wild or not. Otherwise mistakes are sure to occur.

COST OF CHICKEN REARING. For two years interesting experiments have been made in rearing chickens. In the second year 10,431 eggs were purchased and were incubated. The proportion of chickens hatched was 41 per cent., which is the same IU3 in the previous year. The eggs cost more in the second- year, so that tlie cost per chicken was Üld., as compared with 4d. 'the 4 year before. The chickens were reared at a cost of C477. of which £ 248 went for food; £ 102 was the cost of the eggs. £ 33 was labour, and the rest, was accounted for in oil, repairs, carriage, rent, depreciation, interest on capita], and a few miscellaneous expenses. The chickens when sold weighed on the average 3"01b.. realising 9d.' per lb., or 2s. IOd. each. the total receipts, adding £ 6 os. for the manure and a few eggs, being JE533. The actual cost of the food consumed was Is. 4d. per head. 4 From these figures it will be seen that there was a ccrtain amount of profit, which, considering that Mr. Paynter, who conducted the experiment at Morden Hall, Cambridge- shire, for the Board of Agriculture, had to show numerous visitors what was being done, and thus wasted valuable time, is very satis- factory. There was a gross profit of Is. 6d. per head on the food reckoned alone, which appears to be excellent, while the net profit on the whole was £46, or 3-09d. per chicken. The labour wouJd not be a neceesary expen- diture if a smoaH-holder, for example, were doing the work himself, in which case the £33 charged for labour could be added to the general profit. Further, it is doubtful if the interest on capital should be charged in the expenses if the man has invested this capital for the purpose of enabling him to make a living. Making these allowances, the profit on rearing 3,549 ehickens was therefore £96. It is thus evident from these experiments in both years that. a profit can be made if the work is properly done. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "J. S. G."—GAPES.—This prevalent para- sitic disease of young birds is caused by the presence in the throat of a small red wtJrm; which is spread by tainted ground being ased and tainted water drunk. The omission to supply sharp flint grit to aid the chicken's digestion may be responsible for failure to resist attack. Fresh rearing ground and boiled water given frequently will prevent these parasites appearing, whilst some authorities advise the rearing of all chickens from the shell to maturity on a diet in which onion or garlic is included in some form. The method is simple, as from spring to autumn onions can be readily obtained, especially the young growth, and it is an easy mrter to ehop up the green tops and mix in the morn- ing soft food. "M. P. V. "-DISPOSAL OF BROODIES.— Where there is no demand for broodies, it is rather a good idea to kill off a hen as soon ae «*Vr> vooIItt TR>^V(V "r lh-r fn cif it.ti. for three weeks is a great drain on the bodily reserves, and Nature impels a hen to prepare for this by putting on a good eicil of extra flesh on her breast and limbs. She may prove e to be rather tough to eat, but she will cer- Ctainlv be less so than towards the end of the summer when she has started to moult, and her flesh will have more flavour than if she is killed while still laying. C. H. N."—DESTROYING FERTILITY IN EGGs is liahi-b Lu fail, -aaiu W cause Jtis- faction amongst customers. Eiggs which have been pricked, or have had the yoiks broken, do not poach. A common practice is to dip the larger end of the egg into boiling water for thirty seconds. By far the most satisfac- tory method is -to take the cock out of the pen. Careful experiments have several trmee shown that where only eggs arc wanted he is not necessary. In fact, it is a common ex- perience to find hens lay better without him; while, of course, he adds to the expense of the run. If you preserve eggs you will find that infertile ones keep far better. Curious."—THE CAYUGA DUCK is a use- ful duck, though inclined to be snail and has dark flesh, which, however, is of excel- lent flavour. As a layer it is exceedingly good. The body is long and wide, with a flat back an4d very deep breast; the thighs are short a.nd plump, and the legs short, strong, and small; the neck is long, and the head and bill long and rather narrow; the plum- age is bright metallic black; and the legs and feet are black or smoky-brown, and the bild blue-black. This colour makes it more snit- able for town life than white varieties.

AH correspondence affecting this column should be addressed to "Utility," care of the Editor Requests for special information must be accom- panied by a stamped addressed envelope.

THE WEEK'S GARDENING. Heliotrope may be satisfactorily greum ttfl trained as standards or olinibers, though it ia not often seen in such forms. For a standard, it is necessary to select a young plant clear of any side shootS-; in fact, all side shoots must be removed, and not al- lowed to make headway until the desired height of the plant is attained, after which a wire frame fastened to a stake should form a head, to which the young shoots must be tied out. This operation must be gradual, as if pulled down too early the shoots soon break off. The first season wall see the formation of a good head, but flowering must not be per- mitted until the second year. As climbers the heliotropes are perhaps more productive in blossoms. From the first, it is possible to train out every shoot from the base, and to take them up over rafters or on a wall inside a greenhouse. If grown up to the roof, the wires upon which the climber is to rest should be stretched some distance from the glass. Buibs "grown in glasses in water alone should be thrown a-way; but those which have been gently forced in pots in a greenhouse can certainly be u.sed again. On a grassy bank. or a sparseJy lilled piece or wim garden, the bulbs can be inserted in irregular patches as soon as possible. To do this, partly lift a piece of the turf with a spade, put in the bulbs and roots, and make the turf firm again. Do not cut off the "leaves" of the forced bulbs, but the dead flowers can be removed. The leaves will soon decay and cease to be untidy. Another method of proceeding is to shake out the bulbs from the pots and from the adhering eoil. Fill large garden-boxes with them, and ixat in an out-of-the-way place in the open air to complete the growth, throw- ing a mat over them in frosty weather. Store in bags when the bulb6 are dried, and plant in large groups in the borders next autumn. m Stakes should be placed early in the season to hardy flowering plants. Rough winds, heavy rain, and birds alighting on growing branrhes in May and June soon spoil the best of plants that previously gave much promise. One can scarcely begin too early in getting out stakes and giving the necessary support to such things as campanulas, star worts, phloxes, hoHyhocks, lupine, chrysanthe- nroms, delphiniums, &c. Plants of all kinds, even perfectly hardy ones, when raised and grown in heat, require gradually hardening. Great cam may be taken in wintering, propagating, and estab- lishing a good stock; but if allowed to re- ceive a sudden check by being prematurely exposed to cold all that care and labors- will be in a great measure lost, for the plants will take a long time to recover, if they ever do so, and will consequently fail to give satisfac- tion in the flower garden. In the culture of pot plants many people go wrong as much by under-watering as by over- watering. Pots are often filled with soil to the brim. Thi.s is not as it should be. for a space, if one is left, acts as a reservoir for the time bilJ while the water percolates through the soil; whereas, if the pot is filled, the water overflows and the contents of the pot get. little moisture. Scorzonera is one of the least known of the root vegetables. Seed may be sown in drills during the next few weeks in ground which has had a good digging but no manure. Allow 9in. to 12in. between the rows, and thin out the plants to not less than 6in. in the row. Keep the soil well stirred. At the end of October lift each root carefully with a fork, and after twisting off the top store in a cool place between layers of sand) and soil. Tomatoes intended for planting in the open should the kept growinc steadily, and not be jsfcunted for lack of a shift. They must not be placed in a cold frame too early, 'because that also checks the plants greatly. What is re- quired' for outdoor planting is stocky,, short- jointed growth that will begin flowering soon after planting at the end of May. This may be secured by means of gentle heat. plenty of light, and sufficient top air to prevent draw- ing. The tomatoes mo6ir be put in cold frames during the second or third week of May. Melon seeds are best sown separately in a 3-inch pot filled with loamy soil. Plunge the pot, in a hotbed to hasten germination, and keep the voung plants near the glass when they appear. A bed in a frame should be got ready now, and with the sun's heat growth will be active and vigorous when the plants make a start. Those already established should only be given a little air on sunny davs. Close the frame and syringe the plants with tepid water early in the afternoon. After this the temperature may be allowed to lise to 90deg. Among the most welcome and profitable of all choice fruits are early strawberries. Plants growing in pots require a good deai of attention in regard to watering and syrin«fig at the present time. If standing 00 shewee full} exposed to the sun they will often re- quire water two or three times a day. The syringe must also be liberally used and the walls and paths damped frequently during fine weather. Plants which are swelling their fruits nnut receive plenty of stimulants till the fruits commence to colour. At this stage the atmo- sphere must be kept drier and cooler, or the fruits will lack flavour. Some of the latest batches of plants may be saved after they have been forced for planting outdoors at a later date. These plants will give a -heavy crop of fruits the first year after planting. Young plants outdoors which are required to pro- duce early runners for forcing must have their flower-spikes removed. The length of germiination of different classes of plant varies greatly. Some are very slow, and others, such as portulaca, need less than two hours to render the germs visible. All the cabbage family and other seeds, such as peas, beans, asters, stocks, and sweet peas, can be successfully germinated in from two to four days. Bet, celery, dianthus, marigold, seakale, sweet william, and wallflower need a longer period. Parsley is very sAow in showing signs of growth under natural conditions, and can sel- dom be started artificia-Ily in less than twenty days. The Jength of germination is an impor- tant point, for it is obvious that if two kinds •• VT --J" Oi ttccuo »> i iilA > J- are planted in one box their different require- ments in treatment may cause all to be spoilt. One of the many pests of which the eggs are now hatching is the lackey moth; and if the caterpillars are allowed to separate they will be diffieult to catch, and may defoliate the trees. They will be found in nests or webs, chiefly on the apple and the hawthorn. Black curraW rait* iH rr-thei a hopeless pest-, it is so small, so numerous, so hard to get rid of. If the affected bashes P-r,- not grubbed up the damaged buds, at any rate, should be taken off and burnt, and then a mixture of soot and lime may be tried on a damp day, when it is likely to adhere. Gooseberry caterpillars are best picked off by hand, but if many bushes are infested they may be sprinkled with hellebore powder, but not within a month of the time that the fruit is to be gathered, for the powder is poisonouis.

THE WEEK'S WORK. Stake flowering plants early. Harden off seedlings slowly. Plant out hardy climbers. Roll lawns and paths frequently. Sow annual chrysanthemums. Earth up peas when sufficiently ad- vanced. Sow melon seeds. Finish planting maincrop potatoes and protect growths of early sorts. Sow turnip-rooted beet. Thin out lettuce seedlings. Sow broccoli. Stir and mulch soil around fruit trees.

AGRICULTURAL NOTES, BY A PRACTICAL FARMER. WHEN DEAREST IS NOT BEST. When profits are higher there is always < tendency for waste to increase, and some forms of waste are exceedingly hard to pre- vent. There are, however, ways of wasting money which are easily avoided. One of these is in the purchase of fertilisers. Of couree, some backward farmers waste monev, time, and labour through not usi'ig enough, ferti- lisers. On the o-ther hand. very eiiterprising men may Lose money through using the manure that does not happen to give the beat results for its cost. I find an interesting demonstration of this point in a -report on experiments just issued by the Somerset County Council. In connec- tion with some tests in manuring swedes, an opportunity was taken to test the results, according to cost, of different kinds of phospli-atic manures. The dressings of these. manu-res tried were 5cwt. of superphosphates; 5cwt. of pure dis- solved bones; 5cwt. of bone meal; 5cwt. of sten rnecl bone flour; 3cwt. of super- phosphate and 2cwt. of bone meal; and 3cwt. of superphosphate and 2cwt. of fish meal. Tlie "c-'rs r-f l, t;c t on the average of five farms for they are nearly all the same. Th, lowest vield was 20 tons Gcvt. per acre given by the steamed bone flour, and the highest 21 tons 6cwt. given by the super and bone meal, the others ail being bet-ween these two figures. When potash at the rate of lewt. of sul- phate of potash per acre was added to each of lolls the above dressings the positions were some- what altered, the smallest crop, 20 tons 12c-wt. per acre. being given by the super and bone meal, and the largest by the 5ewt. of super, 23 tons 5cwt. per acre. It is noteworthy that in each case the most profitable dressing on the average of the five farms has been the 5cwt. of super per ao-ie, in" if has not only given quite satisfactory results, but it has cost less. There ha.s been little or no additional benefit to the crop from the use of the more costly bone manures. Thus, in this cam, at any rate, the dearest does not happen to be the best. • • • WASTING GOOD FERTILISERS. This question of economy i-n manuring may be taken a stage further. Just as there is waste in using a high-priced fertiliser that gives no better results than a cheaper one, so there is waste in using on any soil fixed quantities of certain fertilisers just because those quantities have proved to give good re- sults somewhere else. It is just as true, and perhaps even truer. to say that what is one soil's food is another soil's poison as it is to say that what is one man's food is another man's poison. If a, farmer A-islies--ae all must wish-io get the best value for the money be spends on fertilisers he must go to the trouble of finding out by all means in his power the special re- quirements of his own land as regard's the three principal manurial substances. It even* happens frequently that these requirements differ on various parts of the same farm. There is no better way of finding out these re-juirern-erf- thpn by tt,-tc en smaU marked plots, using measured quantities of different manures, and carefully watching and recording the results. As a good illustration of what I mean there are in th- rrpo-t I have alrrr.-dy referred to records of some ordinary manuring tests witk grass and mangels on different farms. These records show that on two or three of the farms the use of 42110. of sulphate of potask per acre gives large and profitable results; yet it is shown that on others it does nothing, or practically notliing. Superphosphate on some farms does well; on others the results are small, either because the soil is already sufficiently well supplied with phosphates, or else because the lack of other fertilisers makes it quite impossible for the plant to do justice to the added food. It is also shown on some of the farms that unless they are accompanied by phosphates, or phosphates and potash together, very little result may be produced -by fairly liberal dress- ings of nitrate of soda and sulphate of am- monia. and afl the benefit- of these nitrogen fertilisers does not last. being speedily washed away by the rain, the money spent 08 them may be almost entirely wasted. WEEDS AD PURE SEEDS. A remarkable record of good work is de- tailed in a report just issued by the Irish De- partment of Agriculture. I refer especially to the proceedings under the eds and Agri- cultural Seeds Act. It is stated that thirty- seven temporary officers were employed, aDd reports of the prevalence of noxious weeds were received in approximately 17.000 cases, in 12,166 of which it was found necessary to serve formal notices requiring the destruction of weeds. The- effect of these notices is bo bring home in a very forcible manner to careless and ig- norant farmers the imperative necessity it keeping land -clean, and before long the effect should be to lay the stigma of disgrace o» anyone who receives the attention of the authorities in this way. After a few years an enormous difference in th-e general condition of the land should be perceptible, and the re- sults of the necessary hoeing and harrowing should be evident in W-eer crop yields per acre. The Department have been making an ex- haustive examination of agricultural eeedB sold in Ireland. ArrangeaientN were made for having the premises of practically every ven- dor of agricultural seeds visited. Samples of seeds taken in every county by the official samplers numbered 6,240, an increase of 3,901 on the previous year. At the Department a seed-testing station 866 samples out of th total of 6.1M6 were selected for testing, and 556 of them found to be unsatisfactory in varving degrees. ♦ • THE WASTE OF LIQVTD MANURE. It is bad enough to waste fertililsers that have to be bought; it i6 worse to waste those that are ready made on the farm. I fear I dc not exaggerate when I say that hundreds of thousands of pounds, perhaps millions. are lost yearly in the form of Hqmd manure that is allowed, to v.aste. T see t.h»t Professor Hendrick. the e^hent '™lturist, has been referring to this subject, specially pointing out what large supples of potash are contained in the urine of animaxs. Potash like nitrogen manures cos weight for woisht. more than phosphate ones, and therefore the ccnstitecnts of »ny ^-digested food which are excreted in the urine are much i i.- vthi.-h '-r" excreted in the dung. Professor Hendric-K contends that this ought to be taken into account by valuers in determining the unexhausted manurial value of feeding stuffs consumed o* the farm. If. as he says, the I iquid manure is not utilised the ma-in part of th,. manurial value nr ak-es and other concentrated feeding stuffs has been wasted, and the um-xliausted manurial residue can- only be very small. Then it must 1.- T- 1'1. "llnA that the nitrogen and pot-asti contained in urine of animals are in solution., and T 1Il a very active form immediately available for the use of crops. The liitrog^n and potash of urine, he says, are, wlght. for weight, as active and valuable as any other kind of manurial nitrogen or potash which the farmer can purchase. On the other hand, the nitro- gen and potash in the bulky constituents of the dung heap are insoluble, break up slowly ill the soil, and are slow in their action on f-rops. The dung and straw thus supply the lasting parts of the manure heap, which act gr'a-dually on plants, and are very useful for building up by degrees the fcitiliiy of the soil. But it is the urine which supplies the quick- acting: part. and which resembles expensive, coneentraic-d, artificial manures in its value and in its rapid action upon crops. An analysis made some little time ago of a large number of samples of liquid manure showed that the actual manurial constituents present in 1.000 gallons of liquid manure would cost the farmer about £ 1 if he had to buy them in the form of artificial manures. Since then potash has become more valuable, and on the assumption that potash has risen to twioe its former value, the value of liquid manure is increased, so Professor Heiidriek estimates, by about 8s. per 1,000 galloon, Qe about la. 9d. per ton.