Flintshire Observer Mining Journal and General Advertiser for the Counties of Flint Denbigh

CLUB WINDOW. IIjII Lord Charles Beresford's autograph costs lialf-a-crown. The popular Admiral was so frequently asked for his signature that he now demands this sum from each autograph. hunter. The money Lord Charles gives to the naval charities in which he is interested. A good story is being told of the days when the Earl of Crewe was Viceroy of Ireland. lie had a considerable sense of the importance of the Vieeroyalty, and when out walking one morning with a lady he passed first through a small gate. "The Prince of Wales always opens a door for me," said his companion reprovingly. "That may be," returned Lord Crewe; "but I represent the Queen." The Hon. W. S. Fielding, the Canadian Finance Minister, is the champion Budget- maker of the world, since he has twelve suc- cessive Canadian Budgets to his credit. These Budgets are not of merely local importance, for Mr. Fielding is the author of the Prefer- ence Budget of 1897, and it is possible that his financial policy may have, very wide developments. Mr. Fielding is a self-made man, and 44 years ago was serving as a junior clerk in the office of a Nova Scotian newspaper, the Halifax "Chronicle." A well-known judge once complained that he could not hear in a certain court, and said to one of the responsible officials, The acoustics are execrable." "Really, my lord," was the reply, "you surprise me. I can't smell anything!" Of Dr. King, the Bishop of Lincoln, many curious stories are told, notwithstanding the placid and uneventful life that he has led. One day, and he tells the tale himself, he was sitting in a chair by the seashore, and on attempting to rise found that his legs were not so young as they were. While he was still struggling to gain an erect position a fisherman's little daughter came along and lent her aid. "Thank you, little girl," said the Bishop, when safely on, his feet. "Oh, it's nothing," said the girl, in reply; "I've helped father to get up many a time when he hasn't been near so sober as yon." It is well known that polo numbers at least one reigning monarch among its keenest votaries, says "The Bystander." I refer to King' Alfonso, who, I am told, would love to take a hand in a game at the London clubs. And probably he would have done so ere this but for the rather strong views in this direc- tion held by King Edward. Our beloved Sovereign does not allow his love of sport to outweigh his sense of what is expected or crowned heads, and his Majesty considers, it would not be exactly dignified for the young King of Spain to play polo before a muster of club members and their friends. A good story which Sir Archibald Geikie is fond of telling relates to Sabbath-break- ing north of the Tweed. Donald was ham- mering away at the bottom of hie garden when his wife came to the door. "Mon," she said, "ye're making much clatter. What wull the neebours say? "Bother the nee- bours," said the busy one. "I maun get ma' barra ni'sndit." "Oh, but, DonaJ', it's vera wrang to work on Sawbath, retorted the good wife; "ye ought to use screws." # Lieutenant Shackleton has been in some very tight corners. On one occasion he suf- fered so much from lack of foid that he was harassed by the tantalizing dream that he was being chased round and round an aching void by several large, three-cornered, lus- cious jam-tarts. Captain Scott's book, "The Voyage of the Discovery," contains, amongst other amusing references to Shackleton, the' story of how he discovered a plum-pudding on Christmas Eve. "I had observed Shackle- ton ferreting about in his bundle, out of which he presently produced spare sock, and stowed away in the top of that sock was a small round object about the size of; a cricket ball, which, when brought to light, proved to be a noble plum-pudding. Another dive into his lucky-bag, and out came a crumpled piece of artificial holly." An incident whichhappenecl to the Prince and Princess of Wales, when, as Duke and Duchess, of York, they were visiting a Mid- land town, is still remembered by them. As the Royal procession was paesing a certain house there happened to be sitting at a win- dow a parrot. The window being raised, the bird heard the applause of the passing crowd, and when one of them, shouted, "Three cheers for the Duke of York," the parrot promptly told him to "Shut up." Tunbridge Wells has termed Mr. R. Arnold the "farthing man," because it was he who, eleven years ago, first started his "farthing campaign" for London slum chil- dren's breakfasts. That year he collected 600 farthings. The following year he more than doubled that amount, and every suc- ceeding year has seen an advance on its pre- decessor. During 1908 no fewer than 22,000 farthings were collected, making.8. total in I eleven years of 70,000. A big effort is to be made in 1909 to get 30,000, so that the 100,000 mark may be reached in the twelve years. Misfortunes may have their humorous side, as the following anecdote fully testifies: Mr. Beerbohm Tree, always a keen motorist, was I on one occasion going down hill when sud- I denly he realised that his driver had lost con- trol of the car. They were hurtling down a hill at a terrible rate. To the left was a sheer precipice; to the right a hard rock; in front, in the narrow road, were two carts. Mr., Tree's car crashed into the cart on the Mr., Tree's car crashed into the cart on the right, smashing the wheel, bounded off, and banged into the csrt on the left. "I de- scended from my shattered seat," says Mr. j Tree. "The occasion was to me too great for words, and I regarded my driver with the cold, grey eye of reproach. He w.as a thorough Cockney, and equal to the occa- sion. All he said was, 'Not a bad "ad. ■; guv'nor!' I # # # I Sir Ford North has been interesting him- self greatly in entomology since he gave up his judgeship in the Chancery Division some six years ago, and is now a Fellow of the Royal Society. Sir Ford is not only an authority on but a great collector of moths, -butterflies, beetles, and" bugs" generally, to use the American word. He has a museum of specimens at his house near Hyde Park, t # I Sir Evelyn Wood started life intending to be an Admiral, but instead he finds himself a Field Marshal. As a member of the Naval Brigade he fought in the Crimea, where he was severely wounded while carrying a scaling ladder to the Redan. It was not until 1855 that he turned his thoughts to the Army and joined the 13th Lancers. Mr. Will Thorne's first speech was made at the corner of Beckton-road, Canning Town, London, in 1884 (twenty-seven years of age) j upon the question of Home Rule for Ireland. When he first got up on the platform it was | anticipated that he would speak for about an | hour, but he broke down after speaking for five minutes. Here is another "Spoonerism," as those I' amusing slips of the tongue on the part of Dr. Spooner, of Oxford, are designated. As the head of New College, the Doctor rose to his feet at a breaking-up supper, cleared his throat, and began: Er-er-er, it is now my—. er—pleasant duty to propose the liost of the toast and toastess

TEA TABLE TALK. Mrs. Emily Cobbins, an American lady whose ninety-fourth birthday anniversary was recently" celebrated, was the organiser of the first Woman's Suffre Association, and presented also the first petition on the sub- ject to a Legislative Assembly. This was in the year 1848. A Swedish schoolgirl named Karin Jurgen- sen has added five hundred Australian pic- ture postcards to her collection in a novel manner. Some months ago, she posted a card bearing a pretty rural scene of her home addressed in English:—"To the cleverest girl in the biggest school in Sydney, and would she please send a card in return? The postal authorities delivered the card at the Girls' High School in Elizabeth-street, where its receipt aroused a spirit of emulation among the five hundred pupils, every one of whom promptly posted a Sydney picture post- card to little Karin Jurgensen. The Paris courts have awarded X60 to Mile. Beruheim, a society lady, for damage done by a dish of green peas to her shoulder and her dress. Mile. Bernheim was standing in a restaurant when a waiter upset the peas over her. # When a young girl entered a pawnbroker's shop in Leipzig with fourteen rings she was suspected and detained. Inquiries proved that she was the rightful owner, and that the rings were souvenirs of fourteen fiances. Mrs. Willie James, who is a very popular hostess, and unlike many modern women, does not neglect the delicate art of conversa- tion this is said to be the reason that the Princess of Wales shows such a preference for her. Like her relations, the daughters of the Duke of Atholl, Mrs. James is very fond of acting in private theatricals, and she has organised private performances for charities very often. « In the social world the great event of the season has been the Royal Ball given by Lady Farquhar on the night of Derby Day. For many years the Queen dined with the Duchess of Devonshire on that day, while the King had his Jockey Club Dinner, His Majesty subsequently going on to Devon- shire House. Last year and this Lady Far- quhar was thus honoured. Lord Farquhar, who is Master of the Household to King Ed- ward, did not marry until somewhat late in life. Lady Farquhar is known as an admir- able hostess and renowned for excellent caste in dress. She is fair and slender. Madame Melba, the prima donna, has re- cently confessed that, as a child, she never possessed any dolls. She never had a wish for dolls, nor the time to play with them. Her favourite toys were a tiny harp and violin, and in their company she spent thou- sands of hours as a little girl. She was only four years old when her father began to teach her music, and at eight she could play almost any piece at sight. At twelve she wa's leading soprano in a church at Albany, and a little later she became organist and choir- master. A strange custom is still observed in ROll mania. When a servant has displeased his or her master the offender takes his boots in his hands and places them before the bed- room door of his master. It is a sign of great submission, and the boots are either kicked away, as an intimation that the fault will not be forgiven, or else the servant is told to place them on his feet, which shows that he is forgiven. In view of the paposed heavy duty on gloves, a number of prominent Chicago ladies, under the leadership of Miss Sander- son, have formed the "Women's (ilovcle.'s Society," and thousands have sent in their names, together with the required entrance fee. The object of the society is to discour- age altogether the wearing of gloves by women, except in the streets in the winter months. Many Yorkshire folk have a horror of see- ing a loaf of bread, on being knocked over, 9 fall or turn upside down. It is supposed to be a sign of a death in the family within a short tune. This strange superstition is par- ticularly prevalent among bargees, though in their case .they hold the incident to mean that either their own barge or one belonging to a member of their family will turn turtle. So strong is this idea that they will promptly throw the offending loaf overboard. Miss May de Sousa, who recently returned to America, has been saying some sarcastic things about English lovers. Among other things she says: "When an Englishman in- tends to propose to the woman of his choice, he puts on a top hat, a long coat, and a solemn face, and calls on his lady love. Each takes a seat in opposite corners of the room. After the grandfather clock in the hall has ticked out four minutes, he begins :_C Oh, I say, Miss Brown, I'm a perfect rotter, don't y' know. But really I can't help it, and really I love you. You're so rippin% don't y' know. And, I say, I must strike you as a perfect fool; and so I am don't y' know. So I beg your sincere pardon, Miss Brown; and if you will please excuse me now I will dress for dinner.' The lady generally tells him she is not in the least offended," adds Miss de Sousa, "and accepts him right away." It is generally known that King Edward is a very good bridge player. During a party the King desired a certain young lady for his partner for a game. When the lady was told of this she became very much concerned, as she could not play the game. She told the King this, but he, supposing that she was merely bashful, insisted, whereupon she said, "Indeed, sir, I cannot play at all. I assure you I know so little about cards that I hardly know the difference between a king and a knave." The amused smile from the King's face led her to think of what she had said. On the new Red Star Liner, Lapland, it will be possible to go shopping, as a regular shop has been fitted up where articles of all kinds will be sold. This is being done as an experiment, and if it is a success, the example will be doubtlessly followed on many another liner. A writer in a Brussels newspaper describes the boudoir of the Countess of Flanders as a ,'veritable storehouse of art treasures," in fact the most expensively furnished sitting- room in the world. Apart from the family portraits, which are in themselves of great value, the room is crowded with costly nick- nacks, old war medals, antique carvings, and articles-devertu of an estimated value of X25,000, nearly all bought by the Gountess of Flanders herself. The Countess was, of course, born Princess Maria of Hohenzollern. She is the only sister of the King of Rou- mania. The Japanese lover secretly brings a plant and places it in an empty jar set by his lady's door. If she cares for it and makes it live, he is accepted; if she neglects it, his suit is in vain. Princess Louise of Schleswig-IIolstein, the younger daughter of Prince and Princess Christian, is to be known for the future as Princess Marie Louise, in order to avoid con- fusion. At one time the Princess Royal used to be known as Princess Louise, but, of course, of late, her new title has avoided any possibility of confusion with anyone else, but the Duchess of Argyll is Princess Louise, and so it has been found desirable to make the change notified above.

STOUT LADY: Why, whatever do these figures mean, my clear ? SLIM LADY: Oh, those are 1ny weekly waist-measurements while IJ was taking Antipon and I reduced my weight nearly 2 stone. You should really go in for it. It's simply wonderful! I I FASCINATING PROCESS OF RE-BEAUTIFYING THE FIGURE. Pounds of Superfluous Flesh taken off with rapidity and certainty, eren in the mast obstinate case of iong-standingr Obesity. Every case cured pern-.anently the seem- ingly rooted tendency to gret too fat thoroughly and lastingly overcome without dieting, drugs, or gymnastics Apart from the simple but eloquent test cf the weighing machine, any ingenious method of recording the visible progress of the marvellous 0 I reduction effected by Antipon is more than in- fceresting; it is positively fascinating. Such a practical record is the subject of the accompany- ing sketch. But, after all, the sensation of feeling better and stronger, and looking slimmer and more graceful every day, is the main thing; c and in these great and enviable effects Antipon proves its marvellous value up to the hilt. In conscientiously following a course of j Antipon you have no need to give up any luxury or creature comfort; you needn't live on rusks j or gluten bread, nor even eat sparingly of any ,dish you may fasoy. The Antipon treatment is the rosy path to the repossession of beauty, j health, and strength. Good nourishing food, fresh air, rest and comfort are all servants of Antipon. None could grumble at their healthful ministrations. The grand tonic influence of the Antipon i treatment on the entire organism is only second to its wonderful fat-reducing effect. The diges- tive system especially is tonically acted upon by Antipon, and the keen, healthy appetite created must be amply satisfied with the best food- blood-renewing, muscle-forming, and nerve- strengthening food, which, it will be found, will be thoroughly well digested and assimilated. Partial starvation is a dangerous survival of old- time practices; Antipon has nothing to do with 1 WI8Q such mistaken, nay, dangerous methods as fast- ing, drugging, and exhausting exercises, which, moreover, are powerless to care the disease cf obesity, because the tendency to put on fiesit abnormally still remains a. vice in the system. In other words, temporary reduction of weight by exhaustion and malnutrition is not in the least a permanent cure, any more than attenua- tion is beauty of figure. Now, Antipon does really obliterate that seemingly rooted tendency to get too fat; and that tendency is neither more nor less than the disease itself. Its manifestations in the form of masses of subcutaneous fat are rapidly dis- pelled; and the very harmful internal deposits of fatty matter that grievously hamper the action of the heart and other vital organs are soon eliminated, not to return. The glorious effect of this on the general health is obvious; breathing is easy, flushings of heat and palpita- tion of the heart cause no further trouble, and the circulation is naturally greatly improved. Thus strength and health and buoyancy and energy, both physical and mental, return with renewed beauty of form and feature. There is a decrease varying between 8oz. and 31b. within the first twenty-four hours, and the subsequent daily reduction is quite surprising. Theie is no need to continue the treatment when normal conditions are restored. Antipon contains, in the form of a pleasantly tart liquid, only the purest and most harmiesr of herbal substances. It is neither laxative nor constipating, and may be taken at any hour. Antipon is sold in bottles, price 2s. 6d. and 4s. 6d., bv Chemists, Stores, etc. or in the event of difficulty, may be had (on remitting amount) carriage paid, privately packed, direct from the Antipon Company, Olmar-street, iaiTiiiu '»NIL" in IIIIIWIin

i Ai.,q ARTILLERY FEAT. The Ross-shire and Argyllshire Batteries cf the 4th Highland Mountain Artillery Brigade, The Ross-shire and Argyllshire Batteries cf the 4th Highland Mountain Artillery Brigade, at present in training at the Piersgill Barracks, i Edinburgh, have accomplished a notable feat by taking six of their artillery pieces right up to I the summit of Arthur's Seat, the famous volcanic hill, 822ft. high, near Holyrood Palae. Several guns were taken all the way by ponies, though a false step would have led to a disas- trous fall down a steep declivity into St. Anthony's Valley. In some cases during the last stage of the ascent the guns were carried by the men, who accomplished without accident their heavy and risky work.

YOUNG COUPLE ATTACKED. An amazing outrage upon a young couple has been reported to the Staffordshire police. It is stated that late on Wednesday night a young man named Samuel Baggaley, who lives at Burslem, was walking along a road near the racecourse pitts at Burslem, in company with his sweetheart, Miss Mary Pickerill, who lives at Cobridge, when four men, supposed to be colliers, suddenly attacked them from behind. Three of the men dragged the girl away from Baggaley. Baggaley struggled with the fourth man, and was getting the better of him when two of his friends came to his assistance. Baggaley was then, so he states, struck on the head with a piece of iron, and rendered uncon- scious. His head was badly injured and his cheek cut. While in a semi-conscious condition Baggaley declares that he was carried by the men who 'i had attacked him some distance and thrown on to the railway lines, where he was found two hours later. He suggests that the men, think- ing he was dead, probably placed him across the metals in order to convey the impression that he had been knocked down by a passing train. The girl escaped and managed to get home, and ie evidently suffering from nervous shock. The efforts of the police to discover the authors of the outrage have so far proved unsuccessful.

THINGS THOUGHTFUL. The entire object of true education is to make people not merely do the right things. Jrat to love and enjoy the right things. Deferred duties usually mean neglected idutiies. In this field; accumulation is the enemy of accomplishment. Accumulated dividends may be a very good thing, but they are never earned by allowing unfinished tasks to pile up on us. When we have to admit that there are a score of duties that have been awaiting our attention for days or weeks or months, and that ought to have had our attention long ago, we may at the same time safely admit that {something is wrong with our plan of life. The whole trouble probably lies in our not doing to-day what we ought to do to-day; and that results from two sins: misusing some of our time, and wasting some of our time. The right selec- tion of our tasks, and then intense concentra- tion on our tasks, will put a stop to the fatal accumulation. A woman's womanliness, like a Christian's Christianity, may be taken anywhere and lose none of its purity. Though sharp may be our trouble, The joys are more than double, The brave surpass the cowards, and the leal are like a wall. To guard their dearest ever, To fail the feeblest never; And somehow this old earth remains a bright world, after all. Sometimes "the heaviest wheat of all" may spring up from seeds dropped in an in- cidental way. What a motive to the main- tenance of a personal holiness! The inci- dental is a shadow of the intentional. In- fluence is the exhalation of character. I do not fear to follow out the. truth, Albeit along the precipice's edge. THE WONDER OF WONDERS. Of all the marvels of God's workmanship, none is more wondrous. than the air. Think of our all being bathed in a substance, so delicate as to be itself unperceived; yet so dense as to be ~the carriage to our senses of messages from the world about-, us! it is never in our way; it does not ask notice; we only know it is there by the good it does us. And this; exquisitely soft, pure, yielding, un- p seen being, like a beautiful and beneficent fairy, brings us blessings from all around. It has the skill to wash our blood clean from all foulness. Its weight keeps us from tumb- ling to pieces. It is a reservoir where the waters lie stored, till they fall and gladden the earth.. It is a great-coat that softens to us the heat of the day, and the cold of the night. It carries sounds to our ears and smells to our nostrils. Its movements fill Nature with ceaseless change; and without their aid in wafting ships over the sea, com- merce and civilisation would have been scarce possible. It is of all wonders the most Won- derful. An 'easy thing, 0 Power Divine, To thank Thee for these gifts of Thine; But when shall I attain to this- To thank Thee for the things I miss? A gentleman is tender towards the bash- ful; geii tie towards the distant, merciful to- wards the absurd. i*> Whatever may be a. man's rank ot situa- tion, he ought to be- treated, with, mildness and civility. Rough expressions, harsh lan- guage to inferiors are not necessary, and they may wound, but they never convince. THE GLORY OF WOMAN. The glory of woman is to be tender, loving, pure, inspiring, in her home; it is to raise the moral tone of every household, to refine every man with whom, as wife, daughter, sister or friend, she has intimate converse; to form the young, to stimulate society, to mitigate the harshness and cruelty and vulgarity of life everywhere. And it is no glory to woman to forsake all this and to read for honours with towelled head in a college study, to fight with her own brother for a good "practice," to spend the day in offices and the night in the "House." These things have to be done—and men have to do them-, it is their nature. But the other,, the, higher duties of love, beauty, patience, and com- passion can only be performed by womeni and by women only so long as it is Recog- nised to be their true and essential field. It is impossible to do both together. To render your neighbour a service shows generosity of character; to preserve silence over it, grandeur of soul. That which we call our own is but lent us. If any little word of mine May make a life the brighter, If any little song of mine May make a heart the lighter, God help me speak the little word, And take my bit of singing, And drop it in some lonely vale, ■' ° To set the echoes ringing. It is wise to take life seriously, but not tragically. Many, if not most, of our troubles we make for ourselves. On the other hahdj our blessings are sent us. "What hast thou that thou hast not re- ceived? and if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?" Adam and Eve were turned out of Paradise, but that is no reason why we should not make our home there. He that would be truly happy must think his own lot best. Stop depreciating yourself and making light "of your abilities. Like the star That shines afar, Without haste And without rest, Let each man wheel with steady sway; Round the task that rules the day, And do his best. Don't hurry, or you'll never get through. A man who lacks character, no matter what his gifts, is the creature of lawless impulses, the victim of conditions and circumstances,, the servant and often the slave of passions. You will never have what you like until you learn to likeïJYhat you have. What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined for life-to strengthen each other in all" Mbour, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to mini- ster to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent, unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting? The world was never meant to satisfy. It is man's business to make it better, and to do what he can to conquer and possess and shape it; but then he is to leave it, and pass on to a higher life, to eternal joy.

THE POULTRY YARD. By "COCKCROW." A "summer" cold, which is by no means an unusual complaint of chickens, can, in the majority of cases, be traced to the overcrowd- ing of the birds during the night. A point which is often overlooked is that as the young birds develop they require more air space while they are at roost. Where possible, large coops should be provided, failing which, those already in use may be rendered service- able by leaving the fronts open, guarded, of course, with wire netting. A UTILITY BIRD. The qualities of the pile Leghorn as a utility bird do not appear to be very well known. It is, however, a variety which possesses many qualities which make it pre- ferable to most Leghorns. The birds feather very quickly, soon mature, and in addition to being good, all-round layers, commence as a rule to lay early. Perhaps one of the reasons why the variety is not more generally kept is the general impression that the "pile" coloured bird is difficult to breed true. Experience, however, has proved this im- pression to be erroneous. It is no more diffi- cult to breed true than any other exhibition fowls, and if these were not somewhat diffi- cult, there would no longer be high prizes -for good show specimens. The "pile" Leg- horn is a variety which many would do well to give 4 place. EGG-PRODUCING RATIONS. The perfect, egg is one in which the white is thick and- heavy—attractive and nutri- tious the yellow of a golden hue and the shell strong and firm. How is this result to be obtained? It can be brought about by thinking the matter over intelligently, and below are treated one or two common defects. Take the shell first. This is often so brittle that it will scarcely stand handling-much less packing for shipment. Sometimes, even, there is no shell at all. The hen that lays a thin-shelled or shell-less egg requires lime. This can be put in the shell box, a little at a time, and the hen will go for it when required. The fact that the, white of an egg is watery shows that you are not giving a well-balanced ration. Fourteen and a-half per cent, of the egg is protein—that is the white. Therefore you must provide food that is rich in protein, and you cannot do better than with plenty of wheat bran and clover. Study the requirements of your birds; feed theIn, intelligently, and you will be surprised at the good results which will undoubtedly follow. GUARD AGAINST GAPES. An ailment of chickens which should be particularly guarded against is that known as gapes. This is another complaint which attention to details will do much to prevent. Guard against it by allowing the chickens to drink nothing but boiled water—which of course has been allowed to turn cold. The addition of a. pinch of salt to the water is also good. If, despite these precautions, a case of gapes should be discovered, remove all the birds immediately, and take all other usual steps to prevent the spreading of the disease. BACKYARD NOTES. The backyard breeder produces many birds which more than hold their own in the shows, and will doubtless continue to do so. In fact, I am not so sure that the back- yarder has not really the best chance, pro- vided he is able to give his stock a fair amount of attention. Birds kept in confined runs c#re and attention be taken, be readied to a large size, 'and colour and head effects are,often improved rather than the reverse. But it is little use the backyarder Roping for-success unless he/be) prepared to give a great deal of time. If he is able to do this that time will be more, than made up for in the egg basket. One of the greatest and lasting difficulties he. has to contend with is feather eating—which is too often put down as moulting, and consequently no attention is -paid to it. This habit may sometimes be cured by putting bitter aloes around the places from which the feathers are being stripped. If the habit1 becomes rampant the poultry keer will find it profitable to kill off the whole of the stock and invest in a new lot—provided, of course, he does not possess a very valuable pen. And don't forget to give supplies of grit freely, both to the birds in confinement and at liberty. Oyster shell and flint broken up small cannot be improved upon as grit. DON'T FORGET That inbreeding invariably reduces the size and weakens the constitution of the I breed. That, as a rule, it does not pay to keep hens more than two years unless they are good breeders. That hens produce a. quicker return for money invested than any other stock on the farm. '0 That your best layers are the ones you should choose to breed from. By this means you are on the high road to increasing the average egg production of your stock. That the thing to aim at is eggg in the winter when prices are high. HOW TO MAKE LIMEWASH. Limewash for poultry-houses can be easily made by simply reducing lime, in water. Place the required amount of freshly-burnt .stone lime in a tub with an excess of water. Wait until the bubbling ceases, then stir it well to make sure the lumps are dissolved and let it settle. Use the thick part, re- duced to a proper consistency, with some of the clear liquid above. It can be made ad- herent by the addition of half a pound of tallow to each bushel of lime as soon as the bubbling commences, but care, should be 0 taken that it is thoroughly dissolved by cnro- jfu £ stirring. The lime thus made becomes almost as fast as paint, and blue, yellow or green colouring may be added. ENCOURAGE EARLY MOULTING. It is a great advantage if the breeding stock can be induced to cast their feathers early in the season, for in this event they are ready to commence laying in good time for autumn. The natural season for the casting of feathers is August or September, but this period can often be hastened by artificial means. If the summer should be unusually cold, the period is frequently protracted, with the result that the really cold season is upon us before the new feathers are, formed. This has a very serious effect upon the laying. The method by which the moult can often be encouraged is by low feeding, which reduces the system, and causes the feathers, to com- mence falling. This low feeding should begin any time now, continuing for three or four weeks. When the effect is seen the low feed- ing should be immediately stopped, and the birds once again put on a nutritious diet. A special note of warning is necessary to those attempting this plan, as it is so easily over- done, and the system consequently reduced too low. Carefully carried out, it is a plan to be recommended. A suit against Lord Strathcona involving the title to property of iinmense value adjoming Winnipeg has collapsed, Lord Strathccna's title being fully confirmed. Miss Patricia Woodlock, who was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for the part she took in the suffragist "raid" at Westminster on March 31, has been released from Holloway Gaol.

STOLEN MOTOR-CAE. I A daring theft of a motor-car has occurred at Iver, Bucks, the powerful Panhard, owned by Major Rhodes, of Iver Lodge, having been taken out of its shed and driven awav. The car was locked up in the shed, which has double wooden doors opening on to the main road. These doors were bolted, but had b^en burst open with a large iron bar. The police were informed of the theft, and on inquiries being made the car was found abandoned outside an unoccupied house in Shep- herd's-bush, London.

COSTLY HISTORY. The compilation and publication of the official history of the South African war is proving a very expensive affair. It is officially stated that Vols. 1, 2, and S of the history has cost £ 32,102 of public money, and that Vol. 4 is still being prepared by the Im- perial Defence Committee. The publishers pay a royalty on each volume sold, and the sum so received amounts to only £ 1,157.

The death is announced of Cfinon Vaipy, senior canon residentiary of Winchester Cathe- dral. The health of Sir Aubrev Fletcher, M.P. for the Lewes Division of Sussex, is again causing anxiety. Mr. Charles Hawtrey is to make his first ap- pearance on the variety stage—at the Hippo- I ¡ drome, London—in August. At one time the best strawberries in Covent Garden came from Camberwell, within three miles of the Bank of England.

DEVON BOATING DISASTER. I A distressing boating accident, resulting ic I the deaths of seven persons, has occurred be- tween Teignmouth and Exmouth, on the South Devon coast. The boat contained eight persons, and was returning from Teignmouth to Exmouth. When midway between Teignmouth and Dawlish, the boat capsized and the whole of-the occupants were thrown into the water. Of the eight persons in the boat seven. w?ts drowned, the names being Charles Carnp lL pilot, of Exmouth; Harry Norton, boatman, of Exmouth; Mr. and Mrs. Reeves, from Bristol. and their three children, two boys, aged six and seven, and a girl aged three. The only person saved was Fred Hunt, an Exmouth boatman, and he had a very narrow escape. He sank twice, but was fortunately rescued in time by George Scagell, a Teig'n- mouth boatman, who happened to be in the neighbourhood at the time of the disaster. Hunt was taken ashore in an unconscious con- dition, and is now in the hospital at Teign- mouth. In the opinion of the man Scagell, who was interviewed, the boat was caught In a squall when carrying a lot of canvas. No sooner"had the boat capsized than it disappeared. The opinion is held that if the boat carried bolsters, as Teignmouth boats do, the craft would not have *mnk, as it no sooner was caught bv the squall than it disappeared.

Mr. H. Langton Brackenbury has been adopted as Conservative candidate for Lou:h division of Lincolnshire, to oppose Sir R, \V Perks, M.P. "Irish hand-woven" must be stamped or woven into articles to which the words apo' v, by a Bill passed by a Committee of the Com- mons, »