Abergavenny Chronicle

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS. In the course of the discussion on the Military Service Bill in the House of Lords on Monday, Earl Kitchener announced an important change in the manner of dealing with offending conscientious objectors. He had, he said, gone very carefully into the matter with the authorities at the War Office, and they were of opinion that under the powers possessed by the Army Council they were in a position to so deal with the matter that genuine conscientious objectors would find themselves under the civil powers. The difficulty of discrimination was one of delicacy, but he felt convinced that they would find a satisfactory solution.

SOUTH LONDONDERRY HISULT. The South Londonderrv election result was declared on Tuesday as follows: Mr. Denys Henry (U.) 3,808 Lieut. Turnbull (Ind.) 214 :Majority. 3,594 The vacancy was caused by the elevation of Air. J. Gordon (U.) to the Irish Bench. Mr. Turnbull, the defeated candidate, was the gentleman who a few weeks ago jumped from the Strangers' Gallery of the House of Com- mons to the floor below asserting that this action had been impelled by the desire to draw attention to the shortage of steel helmets for the troops in the front trenches. At the previous election the Liberal candidate was de- feated by 333 votes.

C. H. NORMAN SENT TO PRISON. Clarence Hsnrv Norman, a member of the National Committee of the No-Conscription Fellowship, and formerly the treasurer of the Stop-the-War Committee, who has refused to obey all military orders since he was handed over to the authorities as an absentee on April 26, has been sentenced to two years' imprison- ment. bv a court-martial at Caterham. The sentence was promulgated on Tuesday, and Norman is now in Wandsworth detention barracks. Bethuel Morgan, a theological student, one of a number of conscientious objectors recently tried by court-martial at Cardiff for refusing to obey military orders, was sentenced on Tues- day to two years' hard labour, with a remission of eighteen months. The sentence was pro- mulgated in the presence of a large number of troops. ————— —————

EDITOR SENT TO PRISON. I Mr. Clarence Edgar Allen, editor of "Machi- nery," an engineering journal, who was charged at Bow-street Police-court under the Defence of the Realm Regulations on Tues- day for publishing information calculated to be directly or indirectly useful to the enemy, was sentenced to three months in the second division. Mr. Bodkin, who prosecuted, said the article complained of dealt with the manufacture of munitions. It was a very lively danger, and the Ministry of Munitions, after seeing the article, at once took steps to secure as many copies of the paper as they could in order that they should not reach the enemy through any neutral country. Bail was granted pending an appeal.

VOLUNTEERS ACCEPTED. I Mr. Tennant, replying to Colonel Alan Sykes in the House of Commons, on Tuesday, said that certain offers of service had been made to and accepted bv the King from Volunteer regi- ments. It was not yet considered desirable to make public notification of the regiments or the form of enlistment of the Volunteers. ft

NEW USE FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT. I The body of a man who was drowned in the Iliver Eden at Kirby Stephen was discovered in sixteen feet of water on Tuesday with the aid of electric lamps. The lamps were connected with a power station near the river, and dragged through the water until the body was found.

WATER FOR BOMBS. I The report of the Committee appointed to test the value of the dry powder fire extin- guishers as compared with water and other iirst aid appliances for dealing with fires caused by bombs shows that the result of the experi- ments made are in favour of the water appliances.

THE CRIPPLES AND 'TWO BIRDS.' I Inmates of the Cripples' Hospital, Alton, Bants, enjoyed an unwonted treat. One afternoon an aeroplane was seen hover- ing overhead, and immediately all the chil- dren were allowed out in the grounds to watch it. The children who were in bed had previously, by good fortune, been wheeled out to enjoy the sunshine, and they also shared in the treat. The aeroplane dipped quite low and performed a number of evolutions within sight of all. Just before its departure a small packet was dropped, which was found to contain five shillings and a note bearing' the words in pencil: "Hope the kiddies enjoyed the show. —Two Birds." ———— ————

Miss Jes?ie Maclachlan, an eminent Scot- tish vocalist and Gadic singer, has died at her residence at Glasgow. Mr. George Fellows has been elected chair- man of the Isle of Wight Guardians for the twenty-first consecutive year. "I detest singing," said Judge Cluer at Clerkenweil County-court. At Heckington, Lines, one penny was paid for every queen wasp killed, but there were so many that the price was reduced to a halfpenny. Mr. J. T. Forman, proprietor of the "Not- tingham Guardian," has died at the age of sixty-.eight years. À" r,

NORTH LANCASHIRES' SUCCESS ON VIMY RIDGE. The following despatch from the British General Headquarters in Franca was issued from the Press Bureau on Saturday night: "Last night, after a heavy bombardment, enemy made a raid on our line south-west of Loos. "The enemy entered our front trench, but was driven out at once. "Enemy also attempted to rush a post north-west of Wieltje, but was driven back. "The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment recaptured the crater on the Vimy Ridge, which the enemy captured from us on Thursday. "To-day there has been a considerable amount of artillery activity at various points along our front, principally in the Souchez region and north-east of Fauquis- sart. "To-day we blew up a mine in the Hul- loch sector and occupied the crater." On Sunday night the following report was issued: "Last night enemy made three small attacks south-west of Wieltje, all of which were repulsed. Throughout the day enemy artillery has been very active all along the front from Vimy to Loos. "South of Souchez from 2 p.m. onwards very heavy hostile 'fire has been directed against our front system of trenches. Our artillery has replied by shelling hostile bat- teries and trenches on this front. "Mazingarbe and Noeux-les-Mines and our trenches about Authuile, Ovilliers, Hulloch, and Sanctuary Wood have also been shelled. "Our artillery silenced a hostile battery north of Mametz Wood. There has been some mining activity at the Hohenzollern Redoubt and north of the La Bassoe Canal." I TREXCHES LOST AGAIN. On Tuesday morning the Press Bureau issued the following communique: "After a heavy bombardment, lasting all vesterday, and becoming intense in the afternoon, the enemy attacked our position at the north end of Yimy Ridge, and suc- ceeded in penetrating our front line trenches on a front of about 1,500 yards. The depth of penetration varies from 100 to 300 yards. To-day our artillery has sub- jected the German positions to a heavy bom- bardment. "On the rest of the Front we sprang mines near Roclincourt, the Hohenzollern IW- doubt, and the Quarries. Mining activity also took place near Neuville-St. Vaast and south of Fleurbaix. "The artillery on both sides was active opposite Lens and east of Ypres. We ob. tained direct hits on an enemy battery east of Blaireville. "Yesterday the enemy aeroplanes were active. Many were engaged by our machines, and eight were driven off, though none were brought down. During the day one of our reconnaissance machines was forced to land in the enemy's lines." I HEAVY BOMBARDMENTS. Tuesday night's report was as follows: "Hostile aircraft active on portions of our front yesterday. Fourteen enemy aeroplanes were engaged, and one was driven down inside the enemy's lines in a damaged condition. "Last night and to-day there has been heavy bombardments by both sides about the Vimy ridge, where the situation is unchanged. "To-day hostile artillery has been very active against our trenches between Hooge and the Ypres-Roulers railway. There has been some shelling about Mametz, Hebuteme, Monchy- au-Bois, Neuville St. Vaast, and Grenay. Some mining activity about Mametz, Fricourt. Hohenzollern Redoubt, Cuinchy, and east of Laventie."

i ANZACS' CAVALRY RAID. I I TURKISH CAMP DESTROYED IN I EGYPT. The Secretary of the War Office an- nounces The General officer Comma-iding-in-Chief in Egypt reports that a successful enter- prise against the enemy at Bayound and Mageibra was carried out by a column of Australian and New Zealand mounted troops on May 16. The enemy made no resistance but fled at once, pursued by our troops. The very great heat and the bad going over deep sand made it impossible for the pursuit to be carried very far. Thirty-six camels, a considerable quantity of Turkish ammunition and one Turkish soldier were captured at Bayound, and the enemy camp there was entirely destroyed.

I GROUPS TO CLOSE ON JUNE 7th. I The Secretary of the War Office makes the following aiinouncenient: The married groups 24-46 will be closed at midnight on June 7th, 1916. The single groups 1-23, which are now open for single men who are excepted from the Military Service Act will close for these .men also at midnight on June 7th, 1916. Group A (single and married men born in 1898) will close at midnight on* June 7th, 1916, for men who have then attained their eighteenth birthday, and will hereafter be closed to men as and when they attain their eighteenth birthday. It should be realised that only a certain number of men can be dealt with each day at recruiting offices, and therefore if men wait until the last moment and then rush in to attest they may not be able to do so.

MANCHESTER'S ECONOMY LEAD. I The Chancellor of the Exchequer sent the following telegram to the Lord Mayor of Manchester on the occasion of the opening of an Economy Week, inaugurated by the Manchester War Savings Committee: "Allow me to express to you my heartiest congratulations on the inauguration of tho Manchester War Savings Committee'^ Economy Week, and my sincere thanks for your invaluable assistance. For the success- ful prosecution of the war our country needs all the labour and all the services that can be made available, whether for fighting our battles on land and sea or for supplying the needs of our fighting forces, or for pro- ducing goods for export with which to pay for the food, raw materials, munitions, etc., which we obtain from abroad. By refrain- ing from demands for unessential goods and services, civilians can assist enormously in setting free goods, labour, and services for war purposes, and in relieving the strain upon the means of locomotion and trans- port. The establishment of War Savings Associations, through which all individuals can lend their savings for the country's needs, is the most practical way in which to secure economy. I wish you every success. The country will watch Manchester, and looks for a strong lead.—MCKBNNA."

I CYMRIC NOT WARNED. I The Secretary of the Admiralty makes the following announcement:— "In the German wireless message to Washington on May 19 it is stated that according to reports from Amsterdam the crew of the Cymric had arrived at Liver- pool and had stated that the Cymric sank by explosion of boilers. "This suggestion is entirely without foundation, the Cymric having been tor- pedoed without any warning whatever."

The Turkish troops in Asia Minor were for a long time kept in ignorance of the fate of Marshal von der Goltz. For three weeks after his murder orders continued to be issued in his name under a false signature, j In the course of the next few weeks there is to be a further large influx of women to British dockyards, where the experiment of employing them in place of draughtsmen and (clerks has proved eminently satisfao tory.

RENEWAL OF FURIOUS GERMAN I ATTACK. The battle for Verdun is raging more fiercely than ever (says the Paris correspon- dent of the "Daily Telegraph," wiring ou Monday), not only along the nice or ten miles of trenches to the left bank of the Meuse, from Avocourt Wood to the river, but also on the right bank along some twc miles and a half. The battle line may be divided into five sections. Between Avocourt Wood and Ilil. 304 the French captured two German trenches near tho road which passes the foot of the hill, and they completely de&troye-. the German positions on Hill 287, just north-east of Hill 304. Between Hill 30 > and Dead Man the enemy ie attacking t?ii<' former hili on three sides, and is within some 100 yards of the summit. To the east a regiment sent up to attack was repulsed with heavy losses. The third section, that of Dead Man, is the scene of most furious fighting all along this front. Fresh German army corps at- tacked in successive waves for twelve hours without censing. After an unprecedented bombardment, which had lasted two days, attacks on Dead Man Hill were made both east and west. On the east they were re- pulsed by the curtain fire, and on the west there was furious hand-to-hand fighting, in which the enemy made no progress, and in which the resistance of the French with hand grenades was magnificent. Dead Man Hill summit thus has been held by the French since May 1. From April 10 to May 1 the summit was unten- able for either adversary, but at the latter date the French recaptured the summit and the northern slopes. Between Dead Man and the river the fighting was less hot com- pared with other points, but was still vio- lent in comparison with many ether engage- ments. Finally, in the fifth section, on the right bank of the Meuse. where comparative calm had prevailed, infantry action has begun again with, of course, an artillery bombard- ment. The French scored an important local success by the capture of the tfoudre- mont quarries, just east of Pepper Hill.

ORDERED TO LEAVE THE DISTRICT. The action of the commanding officer in the Boston district of Lincolnshire in order- ing a wig-maker named Hermann Nagele to leave the district was upheld by the King's Bench on Monday. Mr. Nagele is a naturalised citizen of German origin, and is married to an Eng- lishwomen. He had a factory at Witham Bank, five miles from the Wash. Mr. Compston, K.C., for the wig-maker, said he had been fined twice for neglect of his servants in not concealing lights at his factory, but the situation was such that it was improbable that any display of lights would be prejudicial to the place. These lighting offences were of no more importance than if they had happened in Devonshire. Mr. Justice Scrutton: It would be a frightful responsibility if we had to conduct the war in the way you suggest. Mr. Compston said that only recently an English lady of high degree was fined be- cause her servants had shown lights. Would it be reasonable to say that she could be ordered to move? The Lord Chief Justice said he should not shrink from that result if the offence were committed several times. Lord Reading decided that Colonel Deni- son had jurisdiction to make the order against Nagele. It must not be assumed that this decision was intended as laying down the proposition that the Court had no power to intervene in other cases for the purpose of protecting the subject.

THE RELIEF OF SHACKLETON. I The president of the Royal Geographical Society (Mr. Douglas W. Freshfield), at the annual general meeting hold on Monday, said, if, as they must hope, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his companions had suc- ceeded in their bold intention of marching right across the Antarctic Continent, they would ere now have arrived at the Roas Sea, to find their ship blown away and a pro- longed detention inevitable. Happily tllHe were no considerable technical difficulties in sending from New Zealand a ship to fetch them away about January of next year. But a graver problem awaited solution. Nothing had been heard of Shacklcton's ship, the Endurance, since she left South Georgia in December, 1914, to carry the trans-Antarctic party to their starting point in the Wedaell Sea. That sea, on the unanimous testimony of all who had ventured into it, was one of The most treacherous in the- world. The diffi- culties of a search were obvious; neverthe- less in must be undertaken. Sir Ernest Shackleton started on his adventure with the approval of his Majesty and the express sanction of the Board of Admiralty, and honour required that, even in the immense preoccupations of the present war, the country that let them start should spare a ship and men and money to attempt the relief of the Endurance and her company.

ZEPPS AND GUNFIRE. I Speaking at University College on "The Progress of the War," Professor Pollard ob- served that Lieut. Warneford's feat in bringing down a Zeppelin was a unique one, and had not been repeated. The inference would seem to be that aeroplanes were not effective i against Zeppelins to an extent that was anticipated, at any rate, after that ex- ploit. It appeared that gunfire was the real defence against Zeppelins, and the real problem was to get an adequate range- finder. Neither Zeppelins nor submarines could stand fire, and the fear that had been enter- tained with respect to both seemed to him to have been greatly exaggerated. The Zeppelins had been proved to be the most fragile of all weapons of war. If they once hit them they were done for altogether. They were useful simply as raiders. They could destroy property, but their military value seemed to be to the extent to which they could frighten people.

TRAIN FALLS INTO THE ROAD. I Early on Thursday morning a goods train on the Great Northern branch line between Laisterdyke and Windhill, near Bradford, was travelling between Thackley and Wind- hill Station when the engine, it is stated, got out of control. The driver applied the rakes, but they failed to act, and the engine crashed through the buffers at Wind- hill Station, where the line terminates, and, falling on to the main road about ten feet below, overturned on its side, completely ob- structing the tramway and other traffic. The driver and fireman escaped serious injury by jumping from the fooiplate just before the engine met the buffers, but both suffered from shock, cuts, and biuisea. The guard of the train was unhurt.

Mr. Thos. Crew, three times Mayor of Macclesfield, and father of the present mayor, has died at the age of seventy-nine. Altering the date of her son's birth cer- tificate resulted in Sarah Hill being fined 40s. at Abercynon, South Wales. James Weir, a private in the Scottish Rifles, was drowned while bathing in the Obelisk Pond, Windsor Park. Mr. Cyril Maude and his daughter, Miss Margery Maude, have arrived in England from America. Lieut. H. A. F. Dunn, of the Royal Engineers, was drowned at Monmouth while bathing. Lieut. D. O. Williams nearly lost his life in an effort to rescue his comrade. On Sunday afternoon a man named Charles Henry Lister, fifty-eight, a dock porter, was found dead on a seat in the Duke of York pleasure grounds at Grimsby. According to medical evidence death was due to heart failure eaused by the intense heat and the abnormal amount of clothing 1 deceased was wearing.

Hardy Palms.—These are effective in the garden and do well in ordinary soil in a sheltered position. Chamerops fortunei ia the one to grow. Plants from pots can be put out now, and in most districts they remain all the winter without taking any ,remain all the winter witlout t- a l- n g ans The Rock Garden.—During this month the rock garden is at its best, and, it should be kept smart and tidy. Pull out all weeds as they appear, and remove dead flowers at once. After bright days it is beneficial to give the plants a damp over with a rosed can, especially th)Re which appear to re- quire more moisture. Planting Out.—If there are any boxes of calceolarias and verbenas which it is in- tended to plant out from the boxes direct into the beds, the following method is a good one to secure each plant a fine mass of roots: A month or six weeks before planting out, take a long thin knife-a cook's knife is suitable—and cut firmly down to the bottom of the box in even lines between the plants, and again across, as shown in the diagram, not disturbing the plants in doing so. This should be repeated every ten days or so, keeping the same lines. This causes the roots to thicken in each square, and those which have encroached upon, their neighbours are severed; and when carefully lifted from the box, they are less likely to suffer by being dragged apart. This plan has also been used with stocks and asters, and found to answer admirably. < Lilac-time.—It is desirable to remove the trusses of flowers of lilac as soon as they fade and also to thin the young shoots when crowded. The ground should be trenched and manured previous to planting, and in subsequent years mulching with manure after flowering is beneficial. Layering and cuttings inserted outside in a frame are a ready means of propagation. A selection of named sorts should include: Single tlowered-Maria Legraye, white; Charles X., reddish-purple; Souv, de L. Spath, bright red. Double flowered-Miss Ellen Will- mott, pure white; Francisque Morel, rosy- blue; and Charles Joly, dark red. Melons.—Melons that have ripened an early crop should be at once cleared out. and other melons or cucumbers must be put in the house. Plants in houses will need the fruits supported as these swell and increase in weight. Perhaps the best method is by mqans of perforated boards, but some means must be taken, otherwise the fruits will part from the footstalk and be spoilt. Plants in pits and frames should also have the fruits raised from the bed of soil, to keep them clean and from the danger of rotting. (See illustration.) Pieces of slate and tile are MELONS IN FRAMES. I A, showing fruit raised on inverted pot; or B, on pot with flat tile or slate. frequently used, but inverted pots raise the fruits nearer the glass and give them the benefit of more light and air. Blue Gentian.—Groups of gentiana verna, with the deep brilliant blue bell-shaped blossoms, are unequalled for colour in the rock garden at the present time. The plant thrives in a fairly heavy, loamy soil, and is a favourite for the moraine. Increase is by division in early autumn. Established plants should not be disturbed for some years unless an increase of stock is con- templated. « Staking Peas.—It is important not to allow the haulm of any variety of pea to become so far grown as to fall over before the necessary sticks are provided. When these are not in hand draw the earth to each side of the row exactly as is usual for potatoes. This will give additional support for many days. < The Week's Work.—The borders are be- coming gay with blossom. Various plants can be put out now, and these include calceo- larias, antirrhinums, stocks, asters, and similar annuals raised under glass. Water in all fresh-planted subjects, and hoe the surface of the soil over regularly. Hardy plants should now be staked. Use stakes that are light but strong, and do not tie the growths in too tightly. Many fairly dwarf plants can have light twiggy sticks put to them for support, and the effect is more natural. Beds for summer flowers that are not yet prepared should be dug at once. If the soil is poor, add a little well-rotted manure or old hotbed material. Plants like geraniums should not have over rich soil, or they grow rank and fail to flower freely. When strawberries are gathered, place the pots outside, and keep the plants suitably supplied with water. Later on they can be planted out, and do well after early peas. When gooseberry bushes are attacked by mildew, prompt measures must be taken to check it. Spray with a weak solution of cyanide of potassium. Growers should re- member that this is a notifiable disease. The merits of American land cress as a substi- tute for other cress deserve to be more widely recognised. Seed may be sown at once in a damp, shady spot. The importance of freeing beds of carrots, onions, and beet- root from weeds cannot be overestimated. The frequent use of the Dutch hoe is ad- vised, for if used with care, the soil gets such thorough stirring that rapid growth of each crop follows. Those who have just planted out vegetable marrows, dwarf or runner beans, ridge cucumbers or tomatoes, must not be too generous with the watering-pot. Avoid water recently drawn from the pump or well, tepid water being less likely to cause injury. < Earthing-up Potatoes.-This must receive timely attention, and when the thermometer is lower than usual for the time of year, a little straw or hay scattered over the tops, will often save the crop. If guano, at the rate of loz. to the square yard, is sprinkled between the rows at the time of earthing, the development of the small tubers will be hastened. < Reducing Potato Shoote.-Wher,e the pota- toes planted last month were put into the ground as received from the seedsman, each will now be sending up a large number of shoote, and if all are allowed to remain tho tubers will be of little use for purposes where large tubers are preferred. When large tubers are sought after, reduce the number of shoots each set carries to not more than three before the haulm gets many inches above the ground. Plum.—Young trees on walls will require a little disbudding, as a timely selection of the best-placed shoots is important. Syringe the trees in the evening to destroy black fly if this has not yet been done.

"I plead guilty, but I'm innocent," said a woman who was charged at Thames Police- court and fined 20s. for failing to obscure a light in a house occupied by her. A dispatch from Milan states that 2,000 Austrian prisoners in Russia belonging to the Irredentist districts will shortly be re- patriated to Italy. The Canadian Patriotic Fund is seeking legislation enabling it to bring up to the Canadian rates the pensions of British Re- servists enlisting in Canada.

IN THE POULTRY YARD. I BY COCKCROW; -1 I LOOKING AHEAD. "Look ahead" should be the poultry- keeper's motto. To meet with the great success you hope for it is imperative that you make this your motto. The man who only just rolls along from day to day, with- out giving a thought to the future, will never have a purse full of profits. It is the man who looks to the future who meets with the greatest success. It does not matter for what purpose you keep fowls, whether you are a professional poultry- Vieper, indulge in it for a hobby, or whether you breed the birds for eggs or table purposes, to attain success it is neces- sary to "look ahead" and be prepared. The warm days will soon be with us, and with it the busy time in the poultry-yards. The Daylight Saving Bill, or, as it is now known, the Summer-Time Act, will be of great ad- vantage to poultry-keepers. It means that we shall be working in more daylight. The clocks have been put on an hour, and the man who has been used to getting up at six is still doing so by the clock, but in reality the time is only five. And the man who keeps poultry will find this very useful to him, for it will give him another hour of daylight to work amongst his birds. In the summer-time all poultry-keepers should be in their yards, hard at work, before the sun reaches any great heat, for during the early hours of the day much work can be done. The summer is a busy time for all, for the birds are laying, and need special care I CLEANLINESS. taken of them. One great thing that poultry-keepers must guard against is vermin. This, once it finds its way into the run, is practically impossible to eradicate, and so great precautions must be taken to prevent it getting in the runs. Vermin is a horrible pest, and has been known to be the cause of the ruination of a whole flock of birds. There is no excuse whatever for the poultry-keeper who permits vermin of any sort to entir his yard. It is gross neglect on his part that it is there. And now comes the significance of the first two words of this week's notes, "Look ahead." Now is the time to make preparations to < protect your birds against pests. Do not delay, for delay may be fatal. Before the summer suns begin to shine give the runs and birds a good and thorough clean. The houses should be overhauled and the birds carefully examined. Lime-wash the OVERHAULING. walls of the runs and scrub and clean all the brooders, coops, drinking troughs, and fountains. These should be thoroughly disinfected. Take out the perches and give these a good clean, and scrub well the corners in which they rest- It is in such places as this that vermin and insects are most likely to be found. Each bird must be thoroughly examined. The chief places to be inspected are the top of the head, the vent, and lift the wings and examine there. Once a week for three or four weeks sprinkle on the poultry while at roost a little dry lime, also sprinkle on the floor. If they are troubled with mites or lice it will quickly destroy this vermin, and they will come on fine after this. It is very effective, and this remedy is very valuable to all poultry-raisers. Don't overcrowd the birds, for this helps to breed lice. Keep the run scrupulously clean. Supply a good dust bath. House the birds within draught- proof, well-ventilated houses. Supply them with fresh water daily m clean vessels. Give them Epsom salts once a week in the drink- ing water, half a teaspoonful for each bird being the dose. Give them green food daily and keep a good supply of grit and oyster shell in the run. The breakfast should be of warm biscuit meal, the other meals best grain, given separate, either wheat or oats. Looked after in this manner the birds cannot be anything else than healthy and productive. One of the most common forms of vermin to attack poultry is red-mite. When once red mites get a footing in the run they are practically impossible to stamp RED MITES. out. They attack the birds mostly at night, sucking the I blood from them, and thus giving themselves the red colour so familiar. They are usually to be found in cracks and crevices, and it therefore behoves all poultry- keepers to keep a vigilant eye upon all the cracks and joints in the wood of the houses. The birds themselves may be here and there touched with a dressing of one ounce mer- curial oil, two ounces lanoline, and half -1 ounce paraffin oil. Apply this to the head, under the throat and wings, on the thighs, and near the vent. This will at least afford the bird some protection from the plst; but poultry-keepers will find that the chief battle with them must be fought in the house itself. Fleas and lice are chiefly found when and where a hen is sitting. When found to be FLEAS AND LICE. troubling any young birds, I it is usually contracted from the broody hens during in- cubation the hens should be well dusted at time of sitting, and when taken from nests. Pyrethrum dusted under the wings and around the vent often proves effective. In the case of ticks, which appear on the top of chicks' heads, and cause mor- tality, a little white precipitate ointment, if slightly smeared on the feathers, is the best known remedy. These hints given above, it is hoped, will make poultry-keepers "look ahead," and make preparations for the coming summer. None should leave them any longer, for delay, as has been said be- fore, may prove fatal, or, if not fatal, at least costly. Many hens have a habit of eating their eggs. Poultry-keepers must do all they pos- EGG-EATINQ FOWLS. sibly can to prevent this, I for the birds by doing so are eating all the profits. A very effective way of pre- I venting this is to blow an ordinary egg alfd fill it up through the hole with some sticky substance like treacle. Then seal up the hole with candle-grease, wipe the egg clean, and put it back in the nest of the suspected hen. If she tries to eat it, it will be quite easy to trace her by her sticky beak. If the bird is of litUe value, the best plan is to kill her there and then, as a hen that eats her eggs is not only eating the profits, but ia very likely to teach the habit to other hens. But remember that egg-eating is sometimes due to the fact that the fowls cannot get enough shell-making material. Sometimes, if a box of well-crushed oyster-shell is placed in the run 60 that the fowls can help them- selves, they stop eating their eggs. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. I B. B. S.-To keep young fowls in health and to stimulate growth, frequent changes of run will be found of great benefit, and, if possible, a move to perfectly fresh ground. Where room does not permit of this, keeping the birds on the scratching-shed system and giving them a liberal supply of green food will do much to replace the freedom of larger runs.

Partners in business as painters and decorators, who sought exemption at Stock- ton tribunal, were told that one should join the Army. "Right, sir," said one, and then threw up a coin. "You must not do that," said the chairman, amidst laughter. "Sorry, sir," was the reply, "but it's done now, and he's going." At least seventy-five per cent. of the catching power of the fishing fleet in the North-Eastern district is engaged in mine sweeping and patrolling the coaet. In cases recommended by the local tribunal the Ealing Council has agreed to store the furniture of attested married mer. on their call to the colours. As the German Red Cross Society has definitely refused to express regret for the torpedoing of the Russian hospital ship Portugal, the Russian Red Cross has re- called its delegates from the International Commission on War Prisoners, at Stock- holm.

I OTHER MEN'S MINDS. Human Life is a service, and the great, men and women are those who render the- greatest services.—GXNEUAL W. BRAMWBi? BOOTH. THE WINNERS. The attempt to win the war by a blow has- failed, and will fail. It will be won by the side which can stay the course.-MR. A. G. GABDINER. DUTY OF THE CHURCH. It is the duty of the Church to breathe into the soul of the nation to cultivate that courage and fortitude which the nation needs so much at this moment.-BisHop OF LONDON. I THE PEACE WE FIGHT FOR. We do not desire a peace which would allow Germany, Imperial and supreme, to recommence the war, and which would sus- pend over Europe an eternal menace. We want a peace which would receive from re- stored right, serious guarantees of equili- brium and stability. Until such peace if assured to us, until our enemies admit they are beaten, we shall not cease to fght.- PRESIDENT POINCARE. I ONE-SIDED. I I wholly fail to understand the position of a man who claims all the rights and privileges of citizenship, but who is not pre- pared to defend those rights.-Mn. WALTER LONG. I AFTER THE WAR—WHAT? Within the short 6pace of eighteen months British engineering has provided probably the most amazing example of sudden indus- trial* expansion in the history of the world. The question is, What are we going to do after the war? Either we shall have the biggest national scrap heap or we must make the biggest effort ever recorded in industrial reorganisation.—MB. T. C. ELDER. I OXER LIFE-BLOOD. Sulphuric acid is now the life-blood of England, and without this and a few other substances English honour would be lying in the dust.-PROFESSOR F. G. DORMAN. I A NEW INTERNATIONALISM. War and civilisation have shown them- selves as contradictories that cannot abide together. There must be a new inter- nationalism, or we must reel back into the I beast.-Mp,. HAROLD PICTON. I WHAT'S WRONG WITH GERMANY. Frenzied self-worship, belief that they are entrusted with the moulding of humanity, contempt for all other national ideals, hatred of all civilisation but their own- these are the symptoms of th,. plague which, has infected Germany.-MR. A. C. BENSON I LIFE MORE THAN MACHINERY. Machinery is not the last word in force. If ever man allows it to be so, the cause of humanitv is lost. The will is more than the machine; the life is more than all scientific inventi-ons.-BisHop OF MANCHESTER. I THE DOMINATING ARM. No one can doubt that ultimately, and the sooner the better, the air service should be one unified permanent branch of Imperial defence, composed exclusively of men who will not think of themselves as soldiers, sailors, and individuals, but as airmen and servants of an arm which possibly at no dis- tant date may be the dominating arm of war.COLOI,-EL CHURCHILL. EVERY MAN A PRUSSIAN. There have always been autocrats besides Prussian autocrats. In every man's nature there is a touch of the Prussian. Certain pursuits and professions foster it. Wherever men are placed in control of others, and wherever the habit of authority has har- dened into a fixed philosophy of life, Prus- sian ism will find what it can feed ott.-MR. L. MARCH PHILLIFPS. DRAMAS OF THE AIR. The conditions of our Royal Flying Corps will compare favourably with the conditions of any Flying Corps in the world, and nothing could be mbre inspiring to the imagination or more touching to the heart than those thrilling dramas which are played without spectators, when combate take place between one pilqt and another, travelling at a speed of eighty or ninety miles an hour many thousands of feet up in the air.-IORD HUGH CECIL. THE RIGHT TO GOVERN. 1 do not believe in the Divine right of the present Government to rule; I onlv believe in it if they carry on the war with all possible energy and ask the country for any- thing they want to carry on the war:-LORD, DERBY THE CENSORSHIP. I have always considered that secrecy, unless it is for a real purpose, is a great mistake. But we must take the opinion of our sailors and our soldiers as to what it is and what it is not to the advantage of the enemy that we should disclose.—EARL OF SELBORNE THE FOUNDATIONS OF VICTORY. Whatever wounds the war may inflict, the. supremacy is going to lie with those who can best practice labour and order and. peace. On these our Empire is securely founded and by these we shall prevail.-MR. A. C. BENSON. NEVER AGAIN. We shall be surprised if when this war is over, the better judgment of mankind does not rally around any force, or agency, or individual, or Government 'that will say, '"These abominations must not be again in the world. Mankind must be saved from the peril of its own passions." Machinery must be devised to prevent the reign of brute- force in the world, and the plunging of all the achievements of humanity, by the caprice of an individual or the ambitions of a nation, into a horrible welter of blood.— EARL CURZON. THEY KNOW NO BETTER. Modern industries, engineering, air travel,, and the development of explosives are en- tirely due to chemical science. That men have used it for their own destruction is only a proof of the immaturity of human. psychology.—PROFESSOR F. G. DONNAN. FROM HENCEFORTH. Above all things it. is to be desired that Capital and Labour having found fraternity in war will preserve that temper for the new life in which the war's devastation phall be- remedied and the wounds of the nation heal-ed.-VR. J. M. IZODERTSON M.J- OUR AIRMEN. At the present time we are turning out every month a larger number of trained pilots than the total number that we had available from every source when the war- broke out.-MR. BONAR LAW-

The world's most powerful searchlight, with :n effective rayize estimated at ten miles, is to be used in connection with the fortifications of New Y oJi{. Women war-time belirillgers at Watlirg- toh (Oxon) have just rung their first full peal, and have acquitted themselves ci the task with great distinction. According to the "Gernania," it is esti- mated that indirect taxation and the single levy on wealth adopted by the German Federal Council will yield £ 37,500,000. _h.-