The Glamorgan Gazette

It is understood that General Owen Thomas has been transferred from the com- mand of a Brigade of the Welsh Army Corps to another command. Though there is no de- sire to criticise or interfere at all with mili- tary appointments it is felt somewhat of a pity that General Owen Thomas has been transferred, seeing that he is Welshspeaking and was instrumental in recruiting a large number of men for the Welsh Army Corp&, jrhom he has since trained.

GLASI03G&N VOLUNTEER TRAINING CORPS. BRYNGARW PLATOON. I On Wednesday the new miniature rifle range in connection with the above platoon was opened by Mr. J. W. Hutchinson, general manager of Messrs, Norths Navigation Ltd., and by Commandant G. E. Llewellyn. The range has been provided for the Corps by Mr. Hutchinson, as also has the Drill Hall, a building over 100 feet long by 40 feet wide. The range is wholly under cover, and was constructed under the supervision of Mr. Jas. Allen. It is fitted with a mechanical ar- rangement for winding the targets to the firing point at the butts, thus doing away with the necessity of anyone approaching be- yond the butts at the time of practice. The members of the Corps number over 70, and turned up at the ceremony in uniform, under the command of Commander Eiryn W. Davies. The first shot was fired by Mr. Hut- chinson, who scored a fine bull, the result being received with loud cheers by all present. Commandant Llewellyn then fired the second shot, a bull, which was again cheered by the men. Mr. Hutchinson addresed the men and said he was very pleased to have been of use to the movement, and that when the fine weather and light evenings came the open air range would be completed!, and thus give the 100, 50, and 25 yard ranges. In the meantime it gave him great pleasure to offer them the use of his private range, which gave up to 50 yards shooting. He noticed1 one thing lacking, and that was a good spotting telescope. He would provide this so as to have the range fully and properly equipped. Commander Llewellyn, who had previously presented the Corps with three miniature rifles, then presented the men with three more converted martinis. Both gentlemen were cordially thanked for their generosity, and there can be no d6ubt that the foundation has been solidly set for a fine company of useful volunteers in the Ton- du and Aberkenfig district. Firing practice then commenced amongst the members of the Corps, and the following are a few of the scores (five rounds for each man, possible 50) :—Commandant Llewellyn, 48; Commander Eirys W. Davies, 48; Quar- termaster-sergeant J. Allen, 50; Sergeant Hayes, 46; Sergeant Morgan, 47; Private Jay, 48; Private Price, 50; Private Tanner, 50; Private Cloak, 47. Mr. Hutchinson and Commandant G. E. Llewellyn left the hall amidist loud cheers from the men. The Bryngarw Platoon is attached to the 4th Battalion of the Glamorgan V.T.C., and is the only platoon so far who have provided themselves with uniforms. They have atten- ded recruiting rallies at Neath and Cardiff, and the enthusiasm shown by the members at musketry practice and drill proves that the movement will be a lasting one in the district. The men have been trained during the past nine months by Sergeant-Major Stokes, Sergeant Morgan and Sergeant Hayes.

RHEUMATISM & KIDNEY TROUBLE I Rheumatism is due to uric acid crystals in the joints and muscles, the result of excessive uric acid in the system that the kidneys failed to remove as nature intended, and this acid is mostly the cause of backache, lumbago, sciatica, gout, urinary trouble, stone, gravel, dropsy. To prove Estora Tablets are the successful treatment for such complaints, one full box of 40 tablets will be sent to readers of the Glamorgan Gazette" on receipt of this notice and 3d. in stamps to cover postage, packing. Sold by chemists at Is. 3d. per box, or six boxes for 6s. 9d. For full box sample address: Estora Co., 132 Charing Cross-road, London, W.C. 6346

BRIDGEND COUNTY SCHOOL I GOYERNORS. Mr. S. H. Stookwood (chairman) presided at a meeting of the County School Governors on Monday. The headmaster (Mr. John Rankin) repor- ted that there were at the present time 333 scholars on the roll, 95 per cent. of whom had been in attendance during the past month. At the begining of the term 86 new scholars entered. A communication was received from the Central Welsh Board, which inquired whether the Governors, recognising the importance of agricultural instruction in the whorus, oouId give this subject further extension. The Chairman: We have tried experiments of this kind here before, but they have never been successful. The headmaster said there appeared to be very few boys in the school who intended to go in for farming, and this was particularly the case in regard to farmers' sons. Mr. D. H. Lloyd, J. P said the daily papers were continually referring to the shortness of liabour on the farms, and farmers took children from school to fill the places of their own children. The country was suffering from a want of labour in this respect, but to take children away before their time was a serious matter. He thought Llantwit Major would be a far more suitable place for such classes. Mrs. Powell: Much more suitable. The Chairman: I think the answer to the letter should be that previous experience has shown there is no demand for such classes here. A very much better place might be found. This was agreed to.

J LOCAL WINNERS. At the London Dairy Show last week the following local exhibitors were successful:— Six specimens of Long Mangolds: 1, James James, Sheepcourt; 2, Wm. Watts, Tydraw, Llantrithyd; r., R. Thomas, Homri. Six specimens of Globe Mangolds: 1, R. Thomas, Homri; 2, Wm. Watts; r., James James. Six specimens of Golden or Crimson Tankard Mangolds: 1, Wm. Watts; 2, James James; h.c., R. Thomas. Six specimens of Intermediate White-flesh Mangolds: 1, Wm. Watts; 2, James James; r., R. Thomas. Six specimens of Swede: 2, Wm. Watts; r., R. Thomas. Six specimens of Swede: 2, R. Thomas; r., Wm. Watts. Six specimens of Turnips: 2, Wm. Watts. Caerphilly Cheese: h.c., Miss Howell, Pant- ruthyn Fach, Pencoed. Twelve jars of Light-coloured Honey: v.h.c., W. H. Williams, Sunny Corner, Colwinstone.

SHORTAGE OF TRAMS. I KENFIG HILL COLLIERS' GRIEVANCE. I COMPANY'S SUMMONSES. I At Bridgend Police Court on Saturday, three Kenfig Hill colliers, named Benjamin Davies, William Jones, and Thos. Fabian, were sum- moned for having committed a breach of the colliery rules at Aberbaiden Colliery by walking up the main road of the colliery when the haulage machinery was in motion. Mr. Daniel Perkins, Aberavon, prosecuted, and Mr. Ivor Parry (Messrs. Morgan, Bruce, and Nicholas, Pontypridd) defended. Mr. Perkins said defendants, with other men, were seen coming up the main road at the col- liery at about 9.30 in the morning. The under- manager asked them who had given them per- mission to come up, and they said "No one." Fabian turned to the under-manager and said, Shall I state my grievance to you?" The under-manager replied that he was not con- cerned with any grievance of theirs. It was no doubt obvious that the men had come up about some particular grievance, but whatever griev- ance they had, there was no justification for them to break the rules of the colliery. Daniel Arbuckle, manager, said he never gave defendants permission to leave the colliery or present themselves at the top of the slant. None of the defendants was employed on the slant in connection with haulage. The length of the slant was 1,500 yards, and defendants were working about 700 yards from the bottom. On 11th September the haulage machinery was in motion. The rate of haulage was over 14 miles an hour. Defendant were not entitled to be at the top of the slant that morning. A complaint was made to him. Mr Parry: Do you know what the men's griev- ance was ?--That they were not getting sufficient trams. Was there any substance in it?—Not much. You have had some correspondence about this matter?—Not in this case. Have complaints been made about the short- age of trams?—No. In a letter have you stated, upon complaints being made, that you were taking the matter up very seriously?—Not in this case. I know; was there any shortage on this morn- i ng?- I don't know; there was no complaint. There was a complaint on this morning?—Not before I saw the under-manager. This occurred in September, and you have brought no proceedings against the men for breach of contract?—No. Is it your intention to do so?—No. Is that because you know quite well that if you sued them for damages, you would have no case against them?—I don't agree with that. The men go into this place in carriages?— Yes. How many stages are there?—Fourteen, all H"w do the men travel to the first stage?— They do it on foot. And they come back from two stages on foot?—Yes. 1 He effect of a lack of trams is a restriction on the output of coal?—Yes. Did some of the men come to see you?—Yes. DII! you know what they wanted to see you abi utO-Yes. > iu knew there had been a breach of the Coal Mines Act, and that the men had come to speak to you about it. Did you think it be- neath your dignity to speak to the men?—I n'wpr talk to the men during working hours. WhaT reason did you give them for not see- ing them?—That I had not time to see them. j y III were not consistent, or you would have toid them it was against your rules to see them. James Lewis, under-manager, said he saw the three defendants between 9 and 10 o'clock in the surface of the colliery. In the ordinary course of events, they would have come up the slant about 3 o'clock. They were not entitled to come up. Witness asked them who gave them permission, and they replied, No one." Fabian asked him if he should state their g"ievance, and he told them he did not require him to do so, as they had walked up the slant. Mr. Parry: Had you any idea what their gtie^ance was?—Yes. Th,y had frequently complained of lack of trans?—Yes. We always get complaints from some part of the colliery. Are they well founded?—Not always. Wa& it on this occasion?- No; they knew we were ricii-g our best to share the trams. Is i*: nut a general thing for men to come out in the middle of a shift?—Well, we have cau- tion' then occasionally, but this game is gMUR oii all the time. Ts :t your case that this offence is repeatedly committed, and when the men say they are scrry you don't proceed against them?-No, the fdA is that I have not had witnesses or I would hj.t" taken other cases on. W< I1H it affect the output of coal if you br;iu;ht all the men here to-day?—Yes. Mi Farry submitted there was no case to answer, and tha!t if the men left their work, it wm A matter for a civil court. '1 :a> Beneb decided there was a case to an- swrr. ana Mr. Parry said it was rather alarming that proceedings were brought against these men for having endeavoured to increase the output. The men came out because there was a shortage of trams, and tried to see the manager, but it was strange that anybody who came out in the middle of a shift disentitled himself to an in- terview with Mr. Arbuckle. He asked the Justices to say that the summonses were really an abuse of the section. What happened, and what was really the grievance? He was net scying it offensively, because no colliery com- pany would be human if it did not try to do the best for itself. But in the ordinary way summonses would have been taken out for bleach of contract. The Company had shirked the question, because, he submitted, they felt there would have been considerable force in the contention of the men regarding this griev- ance. Failing that, they proceed under a sec- tion of the Coal Mines Act, where they thought merits of that kind would not count. He asked the Justices to say that it was an attempt to punish these men in a roundabout way. The Bench considered there were some ex- tenuating circumstances, and if defendants liked to pay the costs there would be no con- viction. Percy Loader, Arthur King, and William Niblett, colliers, Kenfig Hill, also employed at the Aberbaiden Colliery, were summoned on a charge of committing a breach of the colliery rules by omitting to do something necessary to the safety of the persons employed in the mine. The prosecution alleged that the offence was committed by defendants not proceeding to their working places after they had been in- formed by the fireman that the working-places were clear. After hearing the case for the prosecution, the Bench intimated that they would not call upon the defence, and dismissed the summonses.

Wf -Me Cook's Best Frtead."?? ( O?BM?t?t??? ? lj! ^ba^Q^i^ER J

WELSH AGRICULTURISTS." I ANOTHER APPEAL BY LORD SELBORNE. Lord Selborne addressed a large body of re- presentative Welsh agriculturists connected with the Welsh Agricultural Council at Shrewsbury on Saturday. Dealing first with the censorship, Lord Sel- borne said there was of course a very important branch of the censorship in France over which the gentlemen in London had no control. In time of war it was necessary to delegate the re- sponsibility and authority in the matter of cen- sorship over military and naval things to mili- tary and naval oiffcers. The principal object of the censorship was to prevent news getting to the enemy which might be of advantage to ha enemy, and no one could be so skilled a j*ig«' of the news which.ought to be withhold fruiu the enemy as the responsible officers of the Army or Navy, and therefore he for one wo-ild never T"I' a moment criticise the exercise f the di^ci-eiion of those officers in so far as it was directed in concealing from the enemy informa- tioa WLldJ they did not possess. but in the exercise of their responsibility they were brought into contact with another aspect of toe question, and on that civili.ns wpre better judges than they what news should or sh'jl 1 not be withheld from the people f tr"s couutT-y. If we take German prisoners, the Germans know it; if the Germans take Brit- ish prisoners the Germans know it; if we take German guns the Germans know it, and if the Germans take British guns the Germans know it. In none of these cases can there be any question of withholding from the enemy infor- mation which might be of use to them. But how often has it happened that when we have taken a German trench we have lost it again, and the news has been concealed from us? How often has it happened that while we have been told of the guns captured by us from the Germans we have not been told of the guns which the Germans have captured from us? Now, I say that people who work the censorship in that form do not understand their fellow countrymen. The more the British people realise the difficulties of the situation and the more they are taken into the confidence of the powers that be as to our want of success, the quicker and the more fully will they rise to the height of their responsibilities. (Hear, hear.) Again, it was an utter mistake to conceal from the people of this country the gallant deeds of the divisions and brigades of our Army. (Hear, hear.) How can It be expected that recruiting organisations will get the fullest re- sults if all tlfat our people know in many cases are the announcements of death and wounds, and they are told nothing of the circumstances in which the great results by those divisions or brigades were achieved? I say to the military authorities we offer no criticism of you at all in regard to the news you withhold from the Germans, but we warn you solemnly you are doing harm to the country's cause, that you are not helping our nation when you withhold from I us any item of information that is disagree- able which the Germnas already know, when you do not tell us of the glorious deeds of the sons, the husbands and the brothers whom we have sent to fight for our King and our coun- try. (Hear, hear.) His Lordship, proceeding, said he was there to ask the people of Wales who were connected with the land of Wales to make the soil of Wales to produce in this coming agricultural year more than it had ever done before for food for man and food for beast, and he asked it be- cause that was the contribution which those who could not fight, but who lived on the land, could make to the lictds of Wales at this criti- cal time. It was because common prudence taught them that in such a time as this our strength increased in proportion as we became self-supporting and self-sustaining. "What I say is this, make the best of circumstances, put up with things you would not put up with in normal times. Try and cover by your own in- creased exertions the lost labour of the men who have gone. To the landlord I say by every possible means in your power make it easy for the farmer and for the labourer, where covenants can be wisely relaxed relax them, where the farmer wants help give him help, and put far from you any idea at such a time as this of raising the rent." Referring to the ways in which assistance might be given by the Welsh agriculturists, Lord Selborne said he had just received the approval of the Treasury to a proposal of the Development Commissioners to make a special grant of t450 to the Bangor Provincial area of the Welsh Agricultural Council for the encour- agement of poultry breeding. Concerning the trouble that had arisen in Glamorganshire in procuring sufficient agricultural implements, his Lordship suggested .that the County Coun- cils should ascertain where the shortage of machinery existed, and try to obtain the re- quirements from other parts of the country. This would be far preferable to obtaining machinery abroad at the present time. The statistics which he had had prepared showed that compared with twenty years ago, there were now 160,000 acres less under the plough in Wales, but during that period there had only been an increase in pasture grass land of 60 acres. What, then, had been done with the rest of those 160,000 acres? He had been teld by those who know that it had very largely gone back to bracken and gorse. Was it not possible to get back some of this land for the production of food for man and beast? At any rate, he would offer no apology in making the suggestion. "I ask you to go to your churches, the churches of Wales round which so much of I your life centres, and ask them to help you in this matter. ¡ "I say to every young man who has not gone to fight and ought to go, remember Edith Cavell; to very workman in munition factories, in the mines, or on the land who is not exercis- ing to the full the powers God has given him of brain and muscle, to do his utmost in this hour of the country's need, remember Edith Cavell. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Churches, and the blood of Edith Cavell is the seed from which this nation will rise in even greater and greater strength and resolution to preserve the liberties of the world. (Applause.) On the motion of Mr. Coltman Rogers (Rad- norshire), seconded by Mr. Akers (Glamorgan- shire), a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Lord Selborne for his address. In reply to Mr. Lloyd Jones, who urged an alteration in the Order for the slaughter of calves, Lord Selborne said he.ould point out that that Order was made because in some parts of the country there was the most reckless slaughter of these animals. What the country needed was meat and not veal, which was a luxury. The dairy farmer need not keep his calves. There was a market for them. As to a case which Mr. Lloyd Jones had mentioned of tenants on a certain estate that their rents would be raised, Lord Selborne said, "I shall use the whole of my influence against such action anywhere. I believe that the cases must be extremely rare, but if Mr. Lloyd Jones will send me confidentially the name of the estate to which he refers, I will see to it."

Up-to-Date Appliances for turning out J every class of work at competitive prices, at I the "Glamorgan Garotte" Printing Works.

AGRICULTURAL NOTES. I SOIL ANALYSIS. I Inquiries are frequently received by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries from farmers and gardeners who wish to be informed where they can have soils analysed. In most cases the idea appears to be entertained that having a soil analysed is a ready means of de- termining its manurial requirements or of ob- taining an indication of its fertility. A brief discussion as to how far this view is correct may therefore serve a useful purpose. A complete soil analysis includes chemical, physical and bacteriological investigations, and may be accompanied by general field observa- tions for the purpose of ascertaining the nature of the subsoil, the water supply, and climatic and other conditions important for the growth of plants. A full investigation of this kind, however, is very laborious, and in practice the analysis is usually less comprehensive, and aims not so much at giving a complete account of the soil as at determining the amounts of cer- tain substances present in the soil which are known to have an important effect on crop pro- duction. Experience has shown that a soil analysis is of little practical value when the interpretation is based on the results obtained from an iso- lated sample of soil from a district of which the analyst has no intimate knowledge. In certain special cases, e.g., where it is required to deter- mine whether a soil is in need of liming, an analysis may be of great assistance to the farmer, but even where the investigation is a comprehensive one the analyst can 'only give a very incomplete idea of the general fertility of a particular field. It is difficult to place an absolute value on the results, and the element of uncertainty enters too largely into the inter- pretation. The difficulty will be appreciated if an attempt is made to obtain information as to the best system of manuring. 0 The analyst can determine as accurately as need be the percentages of nitrogen, phosphates and potash in the soil, but it has been found that, even where external factors such as cli- mate, depth of soil, etc., do not enter into the case, there is often little or no connection be- tween these percentages and the soil's fertility or its manurial requirements. Any ordinary soil contains much more total food of all forms than a single crop of any kind can possibly re- quire. • Most of this plant food, however, is in a con- dition in which the plant cannot make immedi- ate use of it, and is only gradually made avail- able, the rate varying in different cases. As the plant can only make use of the free or available food, it is clear that it is possible for one soil containing quite small amounts of the manurial substances to produce better crops than another soil containing large quantities, if for any reason the first soil gives up its material to the plant at a more rapid rate than the second. In fact, some soils contain large quanties of nitrogen and still respond most readily to small dressings of manure containing available nitrogen, because practically all that is already in the soil is unavailable and as far as the plant is concerned might almost as well not be there at all. This also holds equally for phosphatic compounds; a soil may contain a good deal of phosphate and yet respond to more. < < < It is true that in the case of phosphates and potash a method has been devised of roughly measuring the amount which may be regarded as of immediate or prospective value to the plant, by ascertaining the quantity which is dissolved out in a given time by a weak solution of citric acid. This method gives results which in many cases indicate fairly well whether a particular soil will respond to an application of either of the two kinds of manure, and may be used in comparing soils of the same class. At the same time there are many cases where the results obtained are at variance with those ob- tained by actual experiment in the field, and so far no ready method has been discovered by which the availability of the nitrogen in the soil can be estimated, except as regards the small amount present in the form of nitrates or of ammonium salts. It will be seen, therefore, that chemical analysis of an isolated sample of soil can hardly be expected to supply a very accurate and reliable means of determining its manurial requirements, and it is probable that a simple field experiment would yield better re- sults. It is not only a question of what the soil con- tains but also of what the plant needs. A plant is a living thing, and its needs are not constant, but vary with the conditions under which it is grown. Thus a plant needs more phosphates on a clay soil than it would on a sandy soil, and it needs more potash on a sandy or peat soil than on a loam. Again, a plant growing in a district receiving 32 or more inches of rain is in greater need of phosphates than in districts with less than 24 inches of rain. < < Further, under present conditions an iso- lated mechanical analysis cannot be considered! of much value to the farmer." By means of a mechanical analysis it is possible to measure the proportions of particles of different de- grees of coarseness in the soil, and to deter- mine to some extent the ability of the soil to met the plants' requirements as regards the supply of water and the proper aeration of the soil. At present, however, it is probable that an experienced farmer would be able to gain more useful and accurate information by ex- amining the land carefully at different times of the year. w w While insolated soil analyses are of little prac- tical value at present, there are one or two directions in which an analysis can afford useful assistance. ♦ 1. A farmer may wish to know whether he has any reasonable chance of obtaining re- sults similar to those demonstrated by field experiments on another farm in the locality. Where such experiments have shown the ad- vantage of applying lime, phosphates or pot- ash, the analyst can determine whether simi- lar results are likely to be obtained on the soil which he analyses. The element of un- certainty will always be present, but there is every prospect that the advice will prove to be correct. In this way the farmer may be saved much time and expense in carrying out the experiment for himself. 2. A soil analysis may iaIso prove of assist- ance where a farmer proposes to introduce a system of cropping or tillage known to give good results elsewhere in the locality, but be- fore doing so wishes to compare his soil with that on which the system is successful. An- alysis may reveal differences which although not obvious to casual inspection are of vital importance to the success of the enterprise. Two heavy soil's, for instance, may look very similar, but one may owe its heaviness to very fine particles, and the other to slit particles, and methods successful in one case may prove failures in the other. w 3. A farmer entering a new farm may wish to obtain complete information as to the pos- sibilities of the soil, with a view to taking up some special branch of production, or ascer- taining for what special crops the soil is suited. A soil' analysis will show whether the soil and general, conditions resemble those obtaining where the proposed system of farm- ing is known to be a success. Where import- ant differences are revealed the farmer may be able, with the assistance of the agricultu- ral expert, to modify the scheme so as to ad- apt it to the possibilities of his soil. It will be gathered from the above notes that the maximum assistance can only be ob- tained from a soil analysis when data are available for comparison with soils of the same type. Fortunately the country is now provi- ded with organised schemes under which sys- tematic investigations may be made, and the results recorded. Soil surveys supplying fairly full information with regard to special classes of soil in a limited area, and carefully conducted field experiments, are being carried out in many parts of the country. As time goes on, therefore, the possibility of setting up comparisons will steadily increase and an- alyses will be of correspondingly greater value. Before deciding to have a soil analysis car- ried out the farmer should apply to the County Agricultural Organiser, who will advise him whether material for a comparison is (avail- able and whether the analysis would be likely to give useful results.

'»■ SEE WHAT WE OFFER YOU f I IN 1 -IN- 1 Ladies' Coats Children's Coats & Bonnets. Ladies' Costumes Children's Underwear Ladies' Underwear Children's Gaiters Ladies' Gaiters Children's Stockings Ladies' Gloves Children's Woollen Caps Ladies' Stockings Children's Corsets The Qualities are Beyond Reproach; the Styles are Splendid, and the Value enables you to Dress your Best and Still Economise. < Huge Stock of Ladies' Muffs and Furs. BEST WELSH FLANNELS Is. 4d. per yard. SECOND QUALITY Is. 3d. per yard. Note the Address— JONES i BEYNON. The General Drapers and Milliners, MAESTEG.

r MR. W. BRACE, M.P. AND WEST MONMOUTH. A meeting of the Executive Council of the West Monmouth Labour party was held at Newport on Saturday evening, when Mr. Geo. Barker, president of the party, presided. Mr. W. Holmes, an organiser of the National Lab- our party, London, was also present, and an official report supplied at the close stated that Mr. Holmes addressed the meeting on the work of the Labour party, and complimented the South Wales miners upon their industrial activ- ity. He trusted they would show politically the same spirit as they had displayed industri- ally. He hoped they would not allow per- sonal differences to weaken their efforts, as very serious problems would have to be solved, and could only be solved by united effort. The question of Mr. Brace's candidature in West Monmouth, in view of his having accepted office in the Coalition Government came up for consideration (added the report), and owing to the opinions expressed, it was decided to refer the question of his future candidature to a special conference to be convened after the matter had been considered by the branches of the party individually.

Up-to-Date Appliances for turning out l every class of work at competitive prices, at the "Glamorgan Gazette" Printing Works. Telephone WINTER, 1915. Established 593 Central. —————— 1875. To COLLIERY OWNERS, CONTRACTORS, SINKERS AND LOCAL BODIES. DANN & CO., South Wales Clothiers and Boot Merchants, Wind Street, Swansea, Beg to notify the above that they are now ready to execute any Orders in— Oils kins, Waterproofs and Boots, oooooooooooooooooooooooo Goods despatched same day as Order. ooooeoaoaooooooooooooooor PRICE LIST ON APPLICATION. NOTE THE ADDRESS. 6163 6163

I LLANHARRY'S WEALTH. I IRON ORE MINES. The iron ore mines of the Cardiff Hematite Company at Llanharry have proved so success- ful that the company is contemplating the ex- penditure of a large sum of money on further developments. The iron ores of the Llantrisant and Llan- harry districts were known and worked on a small scale in very early ages. That the Romans worked the hematite near Mwyndy seems cer- tain from the finding of a coin of Antoninus Pius (A.D. 138 161) and a piece of earthenware, figured with greyhounds and hares, found near Miskin in 1752 under some iron cinders which were being re-smelted. In old workings which were reopened in 1854 ancient tools and human remains are said to have been found. Leland, in his Itinerary, written about 1540, refers to the making of iron as being then in progress in a park named Glinog in the district south of Llantrisant, but that name is not now known, and it is conjec- tured that the mine referred to by Leland is the Cornel-y-Parc, which was being worked at Mwyndy in 1859. The ore at Llanharry usually occurs in the form of irregular masses, and it is also found in small veins and fissures in the coglomerante. When treated some 15 years ago the ores are- said to have yielded 30 to 50 per cent. of metaj- lie iron. The period of these iron mines pre- vious to the operations of the Cardiff Hematite Company appears to have commenced in 1854, but in 1884 the operations at the mines east of the river Ely were stopped, the quantity of water met with being sometimes about 20,000 tons a day, but it is said that 1,500,000 tons of ore were won from the Mwyndy, Bute, and ad- joining mines, with an average value of 12s. to 14s. per ton. A few years ago the Cardiff Hematite Compay opened out mines in the district, sinking new shafts, and they have met with much success.

I NEW BRYNCETHIN COLLIERY CLOSED DOWN. Employees of the New Bryncethin Collieries, numbering about 300, have received notioefi terminating their engagements. The owners,, the Coppee Company, of Belgium, it is under- stood, intend to close the colliery.