The Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times

ORIGIN A I. AND S^I.^VTHH. AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS. Since the first of January the law as to agricultural holdings in England and Wales has undergone an important change, inas- much as on that date the measure to con- solidate the enactments relating to the sub- ject came into operation, and the legisla- tion of 1906 is embodied therein. This stat- ute, which is to be known as the "Agricul-

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J I 6 /1tIc 1 I | I Happy Little Tea Parties If S are always to be found a where d% F-AF is BDRWII;Ra,o :1 t BAKING POWDER jf is used in the preparation of the I 8 Buns, Cakes, Rock Cakes, Shortbread, 8 I Jam Tarts, Tea Rolls, &c., &c. 1 B Everything so light, digestible, J and appetizing! Am

THE BEARING REIN. Some time ago there was considerable discussion in the columns of the 'Express' upon the usefulness and humaneness of the bearing rein. The following article from 'Farm and Home/ and written by a leading agriculturist, should prove of great interest to Montgomeryshire farmers and others: The bearing rein has fortunately gone out of practice, and the view that it is needed for any kind of horse has long been aban-! doned by practical horsemen. But bearing reins and also hame reins in heavy draught harness are still often used by those who cannot bring themselves to depart from old- fashioned ideas. The use of either bearing or hame rein cannot be too severely con- demned. It is not merely a wholly useless adjunct, but causes severe discomfort to the horse, and greatly hinders it in the per- formance of its work. It cramps the move- ments of the head and neck, and in conse- quence also interferes with the free play of the muscles of the rest of the body, while it throws the horse out of its natural balance and prevents it from putting all its weight into the collar. A tight bearing rein, kept on for any length of time, involves nothing less than cruelty. While there are thus several very serious objections to be urged against it, not really one valid reason can be adduced in support of the practice of reining up a horse in harness, and the fact that most horses are nowadays driven with- out a bearing rein ought surely to be suffi- cient proof to those who still continue its use that it can well be dispensed with. In the show ring, it is true, horses shown in harness usually wear a bearing rein-and generally a very tight one, too-the object here being to make them step higher in front. Having some specific object, its use in these circumstances may be excused, es- pecially as the horses are kept reined up

I I I Not to-day's experiment, g I discredited to-morrow, « but a. Remedy that, iar80 1 years, Has been yielding jj the best results ia casesof I Consumption | Weak Lungs, Asthma., I Bronchitis, Coughs &. Colds. I — Diseases of the Lungs is sold by all Chemists at */9' 4/6 and n/- per bottle. ICONGREVE'S BALSAMIC ELIXIR for Diseases of the Lungs is sold by all Chemists at */9' 4/6 and n/- per bottle. rttS;eMr. G. T. CONGR EVE'S book on CON- SUMPTION, etc., in which are detailed the Prevalence, Nature, Causes, Symptoms, Progress, and successful treatment of this Disease—with Cases O' Cure. Also chapters on Cough, Asthma, Bronchitis, etc. New Edition. The book will be sent post Prevalence, Nature, Causes, Symptoms, Progress, and successful treatment of this Disease-with Of Cure. Also chapters on Cough, Asthma, Bronchitis, etc. New Edition. The book will be sent post S tree for Sixpence from Coombe Lodge, Peckham, Londo. S. E. *^gwpga«aBiMHa—XBrriiTHrniatmm———a—

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SECURITY OF TENURE. One of the chief things that farmers want is perfect security of tenure, writes a well- known farmer and sheep-breeder. Farmers should reap the benefit of ahy improvement they make on a holding. A good farmer is sure to improve the roads, fences, build- ings, etc., as well as putting extra fertility into the land. He has known farmers take land with certainly not more than 10s per acre to cultivate, and by good farming make it worth at least 20s. This applies particu- larly to pasture. One will easily see that on a large holding this makes an enormous difference—entirely due to the farmer. With a bad tenant exactly the reverse holds good. In the former case, in a bad season, the good farmer seldom, if ever, gets any consideration shown to him, although he in- creases the value of the landlord's property, adds wealth in wages to the district, by ex- tra employment of labour to workmen on the farm, and to the local tradesmen. The good tenant should be able, on quitting a farm, to get full compensation for this, or for any disturbance. Speaking generally, idncuorus ao not take pains enough to se- cure good tenants; and also in many cases where they have a good tenant do not treat him well enough, knowing that, should he leave, owing to the tenant's good farming, they can easily relet the farm. The land- lord should at least give him first-class buildings. This correspondent would also like to see it compulsory that, should the owner let his shooting, the tenants should always have the first offer at a fair valuation, to be fixed, if necessary, by competent valuers. He knows very few, if any, landlords in a shoot- ing district who take more interest in hav- ing good tenants, good farm buildings, and a well-appointed estate, than they do in their game. He quite admits that there may be exceptions to this, but they are very few. He would like to see the heir to any large estate made to get his living from a farm for a few years before he came into the property. He would be much more fitted to manage his property afterwards.

THE FUTURE OF THE WOOL TRADE. In the current number of the 'Agricul- tural Gazette' there appears a capital article on the wool market of 1908 and the proba- ble future of wool prices. We cannot too strongly advise farmers in Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire who wish to get good prices for their fleeces to keep thoroughly in touch with the market tendencies.

g- I El I 3 Norwell's Perth ^\L Boots I (Established wcr IOO years) [X Medical l Man wiil tell you everyone kept his feet dry he would lose half his patients. T wear shoes than sheets, and b f or buy reliable boots when you are at it. It costs much to tell you here all the nice things our customers say 0: our I, Bat our New Free I Price List dees. I 5 Write us for a fopy to-da;,—it v/H you. 40 "■■! ^UJS, PERTH, K.E. I woVs Boots by Post: jpirnu jjj u ]

Newtown Difficulty Solved. For many years Newtown has had to face a serious difficulty. Whilst evidknca was alvravs plentiful, it was difficult to confirm bfcause it was always the evidence of strangers in distant tovns. But new thero is an abundance of local evidence, for Newtown cas-s are reported in our columns week afto-r week. Mrs E. Boden, of 35, Sheaf-street, Newtown, says" J can speak very highly of Doan's back- ache kidney pills, for they have done me good where everything else failed. I hare suffered with kidDey complaint for several years; I had dreadful pains in my back and loins which'caught me very badly when I stooped, and I had difficulty in raising myself again. My feet and hands swelled a great deal, and I was listless At one time I was an out patient at the Infirmary, but I g-ot no relief. I was also under the doctor's care, but with the same result. Then I heard of Doan's backache kidney pilla, and thought I would try them, so I obtained a box. After I bad taken about half a box of the medicine I began to feel better. I found I could do my work without stopping to rest—a thing I bad not been able to do for a long time. I per- severed with the pills, and began to realise that at last I had found a cure The pains in my back disappeared, the swellings in my hands and feet became less troublesome, and my general health improved. I shall continue to recommend Doan's backache kidney pills to all kidney sufferers. (Signed) Mrs Boden." Doan'8 Backache Kidney Pills are two shillings and ninepence per box, or six boxes for thirteen shillings and ninepence. Of all chemists and store,4, or post frew, direct from Foster-McClellan Co., 8, Wells-street, Oxford-street, London, W. Be sure you get the same kind of pills as Mrs Boden had.

ADVANTAGES OF EARLINESS. It is noticeable, not only in Montgomery- shire, but in every part of'the kingdom, that leading agriculturists set a pattern as to ear- liness in all the principal operations of the farm. They sow early, and are the first to begin reaping. They cut their grass early, and their hay-ricks are to be seen thatched before others begin cutting. The same ener- gy is displayed in tillages, and in the getting in of early turnips. The word "early" at- taches itself to so many agricultural pro-

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WINTER POULTRY NOTES. Hens ought to begin scratching first thing I in the morning. A few handfuls of grain thrown in the litter after the birds have gone to roost will give them something to do that will warm up their blood as soon as they leave the roost. Throw some rusty nails in the drinking trough. The hens need the iron as a tonic. But do not let anything else besides clean water go in with the nails. Hens will not lay well or thrive unless they have plenty of sunlight. Keep the windows clean. It is a sad mistake to feed laying hens on any kind of red pepper or any sort of stimu- lating food. That is one of the old-fashioned theories that do more, harm than good. The reaction is sure to come and leave the birds in worse condition than before. Take the chill off the water. Hens will not lay many eggs if they are compelled to drink ice water and eat corn mixed with snow. OWLS v. RATS. Do owls kill rats?-Once, when spending my summer vacation at a lonely farmhouse among the hills (writes a correspondent to the 'Weekly Telegraph') I remember going out with a manservant to shoot owls. Young as I was, I pleaded long and earn- estly that they might be spared, urging that if now and again they took a young pigeon, they did infinite good as a "set-off" by the quantity of vermin they destroyed. The fellow would not be moved by my en- treaties, however, as he knew perfectly well 1- I ne said, that the pair of owls that had their nest upon the beam in the barn had eaten his young pigeons. After lying for some time under a sycamore, at the top of the fold, an owl skimmed silently over the trees and entered the pigeon cote. Soon it emerged with its prey in its claws. Q ^f,re' .ithe man> "caught in the ct. And so it was—of killing one of the largest rat I ever saw; for the stupid rustic fired and killed it, and this rodent dropped from its claws. Rats were the authors of the mischief which, if allowed, the owls would have exterminated. Huntsman (who has come a long way to a halloa): "Have you seen the fox?" Boy (from side of the gate) "No Huntsman: H Then why was ye hol- •unters. 'C"U8e to 8ee thej

;iv a EL t 15 MONT HS SiMQ" w 'lf '1r:r tlouseholdThe Great A WAS REDUCED From 3 £ d. TO Users of "Perfection" Soap obtain a 3d. Tablet of Erasmic Herb Toilet Soap PER 111 for every ten wrappers (see instructions) which discount further reduces the price dmlk Otflll |Sfl§3 by 2/- in the thus making "Perfection" the best soap value in the world. ALSO Sal U,000 IN FREE CASH CIFTS. JOSEPH CROSFIELD & SONS, LIMITED, WARRINGTON. r4 1M-);J,

-+- The Small Holder. A striking feature in the Chief Registrar's report is the large number of co-operative societies which have been registered as a consequence of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act of 1907. Not only do these societies enable members to acquire their holdings, but they make provision for or- ganizing the collection and sale of agricul [ tural produce, "and thus tend to a solution of the difficulty, which has been largely ex- f perienced, of bringing the producer and the consumer in close relationship." The Small Holdings Act thus promises not only to give the labourer access to the land, but to set on foot a movement which will overcome the obstacle that has so long stood in the way of any progress in British agriculture. j It has opened up a new era, in which, in-s stead of a perpetual drain of national strength by rural depopulation, the small cultivator will be multiplied, to the im-, mense advantage of national well-being. V"II" ,'1'¡;i"Wt.-j!i!n!l After a lengthy illness, the death is re- corded of Lily, Duchess of Marlborough, at her residence near Dorking. By birth an American, she married the late Duke of Marlborough in 1888, being then already a widow. The Duke dying four years later,

it 1tiU your purpose to obtain our lltust1'uted for Gardeners, for 1909. Its 162 large 4to pages contain over 200 bwutlful illustrations, and lists of every desc?-ilt,ion of Vegetable and Flower Seeds, M all of the very best quality procurable, and at prices. it deals also largely 1lJith Nwrsery Stock- Pr1Út Tree., Roses, Plants, etc. -iit fact with Required for the Garden. It will be sent to any intending purchaser on receipt of 3d. in stamps to cover actual of 'tJOgtf/(f(' Ld

she became in <1895 the wife of Colonel Lord William Beresford, to be widowed for the third time in 1899. Since then she had lived in semi-retirement. The Duchess had won the affection of all who knew her.

Montgomery Boroughs Voters. The following is a summary of the new register of Parliamentary voters for the Montgomery Boroughs, showing the elector- ate for last year, for comparison:— Parliamentary Borough. No. of Voters. 1908. 1909. Llanfyllin 184 183 Llanidloes 510 489 Machynlleth 392 374 Montgomery 231 225 Newtown 1147 1141 Welsh pool. 896 892 Total. 3360 3304 Muley Mohammed, the one-eyed brother of the Sultan of Morocco, whose claim to the Moroccan throne was better than that of either Abd-el-Aziz or the reigning Muley Hafid, is reported to have been poisoned at Fez, where he was held in captivity. Amongst the natives he has long held the reputation of being a miracle-worker. Glasbury bridge, spanning over the Wye, and connecting Breconshire and Radnor- shire, is built on the Radnorshire side of wood, and on the Breconshire side of wood. "The bridge," observed a Breconshire wag, two ag0' "rePresents the stability ot the two counties—wooden Radnorshire'" And stony' Breconshire!" retorted a lis- tener, who proved to be a Radnorian.

F" E E A Ok,D iPl ft' i j HAPPY I < AGE J l } I ¡ I i ¡ ¡ I ABLE TO ENJOY HIS j PENSION, THANKS TO ) BEECHAMS PILL5

tural Holdings Act, 1908," wasfpassed in August last, and gives effect to a long-ex- pressed wish that the confusion arising from a number of separate Acts should cease, and that their provisions should be embod- ied in one general enactment. To show the scope of the measure, the fourth schedule, which gives a list of the enactments re- pealed, may be referred to. These include the Agricultural Holdings (England) Act, 1883, the Market Gardeners' Compensation Act, 1895, the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1900, and the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1906. Of courseethe provisions of the Act of 1906, as well as of the others, are embodied in the Consolidation Act. The chief provisions of the new Act, which are already well known to agriculturists, re- late to compensation for improvements, ar- bitration, damage by game, disturbance of tenancy, freedom of cropping, etc. The Act of 1906 gave rise to much controversy, though in its final form it was greatly modi- fied Its supporters make the following claims on its behalf: That it simplifies the method of arbitration, and any question arising between landlord and tenant; pro- vides for compensation for damage done to crops by winged game or deer; gives. to

only for quite a short time; but even in the show ring one would like to see more ra- tional views in regard to this matter prevail, and the use of the rein discontinued. To rein up a horse in order thus by mechanical means to improve the action, is, after all said' and done, no better than the device of having show horses shod with extra heavy shoes in order to gain the same object, which latter practice the Hackney Horse Society has recently decided to prohibit at its shows.

In the course of his article, the writer says that it is the generally accepted opinion that the great decline in the value of wool is traceable to the financial panic in Amer- ica which took place towards the close of 1907. Largely, therefore, we have to thank the wild speculations of American financiers for the fall. A study of the course of trade during the past year encourages the idea of a revival in the wool trade. Though the price of wool is lower to-day than at the close of 1907, yet the concluding months of the past year pre- sented a pleasing contrast to those of the preceding one, for they represented a period of recovery. At the end of April "cross- breds" had fallen in six months from 161d per lb. to 8d. The worst of the depression was then reached, and in the ensuing inter- val of two months, trade, though quiet, was less depressed and prices slightly hardened. Prices of cross-breds during November and December ran up from 10 to 15 per cent., and continue to improve. With regard to prospects, a city authority who is well behind the scenes of the Wool Exchange writes as follows: While the more distant future must depend on how the general trade of the world develops, still, in the absence of any crowning disaster (for this saving clause must, experience shows, -J be added), indications point quite as much to an advance in prices as the reverse. The improvement in the position in America is marked, and is likely to go further, at the same time that a greater feeling of confi- dence, which is absolutely essential to busi- ness, seems to be returning to the countries of the Old World." There is a good demand in the North of England, and business seems once again on a sound footing; but if we take a wider view of the matter than is permitted to those who are actually engaged in the busi- ness, and are compelled to write with the utmost caution, we see in the world's pro- spective supplies a better reason to expect higher prices. With the world's flocks at a standstill or decreasing, and an ever-growing population, it is hard to understand where cheap wool or cheap mutton is to be found in the not distant future.

ducts that it is almost unnecessary to mul- tiply examples. A few may, however, be given, in order to illustrate this statement. Who is not ready to pay a high price for early peas or any garden produce? The berries, or early fruit of any kind? The same is true of such distinctly agricultural products as early chickens and ducklings, early lambs and early potatoes. The rule holds good with regard to more substantial crops, not only in relation to their cultiva- tion, but as to their Jeadiness for cohsump- tion. EARLY SOWING. Early sowing is not invariably succesful, but, taking one season with another, it is less risky than late sowing. Wheat, for ex- ample, is better for being strong before win- ter sets in, and spring corn is less liable to be injured by drought if early sown. The depth of winter and height of summer are alike trying for late-sown crops, whether seeded in autumn or spring. At the present time the idea of earliness may be impressed with special force, but in order to achieve I it preparations should be well advanced. It is useless to urge earliness unless the land is ready for drilling, or if it be occupied by roots or foul with weeds. Earliness, there- fore, implies a continued course of good hus- bandry, and this, no doubt, the secret of the ability of good farmers to take advantage of the first propitious weather for their pur- pose. The sloven is generally behind hand with his work, but the adroit cultivator is always in front with it. THE ELASTIC STATE. There is another way of securing earliness, namely, by the relinquishment of a crop when it is becoming late for its cultivation, I and substituting another in its place. If it becomes too late to sow wheat, it is better to sow early barley; if it be late for man- golds, it is wiser to put in swedes; and if it be late for swedes, turnips may do better. The good farmer encourages an elastic state of mind, which enables him to change his plans and his cropping with the season. If it is growing too late for spring corn, and sheep still block the way, it may be well to put in an early piece of roots in place of a late piece of barley, a course which is often taken. It is sometimes advisable to per- petrate what might be called waste in order to secure earliness. Many a time vetches and other fodder crops are fed off before they reach their maximum growth simply in order to get the land cleared for a suc- ceeding crop. This is consistent with good management, and is done with a view to keeping abreast with the advancing year. Similarly, mangolds may be carted before the crop has quite ceased to grow in order that the land may be manured and made ready for wheat. LIVE STOCK. In live stock earliness is always an object. Foals are more esteemed if early, and so are calves, lambs, and pigs. As soon as the New Year opens the farmyard should be en- livened with the advent of these vounll creatures; and hens should be set or in- cubators stocked in order to realise the full length of spring for both chickens and ducks.

In Cardiganshire the number of licenses has been reduced, under the Licensing Act, by twenty-five. In thirteen cases no com- pensation was given. Filling up a pension form the other day, a Radnorshire lady claimant, answering the question "What sex?" filled in the words "Baptist."

tenants freedom of cropping and disposal of produce; gives to tenants in case of their tenancies being terminated with good and sufficient cause compensation for loss or ex- pense with the sale or removal-of produce; gives to tenants compensation for certain re- pairs to farm buildings, while it provides for the making of a record of the conditions of the holding on the commencement of the tenancy. It remains to be seen whether all these objects will be carried out under the Act. There are a good many possibilities of fric- tion in the provisions alike as to game, com- pensation for disturbance, and freedom of cropping, which, however, it is hoped that good feeling between the parties will obviate.

While impressing the value of earliness, it must not be forgotten that there is a time and a season for everything. It is possible to be unseasonably early, as well as too late, and there are times which are undoubtedly too soon. On the other hand, standing as we now are on the threshold of a new season, strenuous endeavours should be made to push all operations forward with a view to securing the full benefits. As soon as January comes in there are possibilities which did not exist in December, and what then appeared late or out of season suddenly becomes early and desirable