County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

OUR SHORT STORY. j COUSIN TOM'S STRATAGEM. A QUEER STORY. Ci-icers, do your duty." But, Mr. Trent, hear me I found the door open-" "Alas Harry, why do you add falsehood to your crime? The very fact of your being here convicts you-" "But "The less you say now, the better for yourself. It is impossible to enter this room without alarm- ing the watchmen in the outer office, and here you are found, caught in the very act of robbing me—your master—your friend." Mr. Trent's voice broke with emotion, and he sank back in a chair. "Take the thief away, constable," said Mr. Bulmer, the cashier, coldly. "I am no thief, Mr. Bulmer, and you know it." "Indeed You may not call it stealing to re- move two hundred pounds from a private room, but I fancy the judge will take a slightly different view. "Come on, young un," said one of the police- men. "You will get plenty of time to think over it later." Roughly, Harry was led from the apartment, the cashier following to the outside. "Well, good-bye, Benson," he called out. "Have you any message for Miss Trent? I see her to-night, you know." Harry turned with flashing eyes, but the words he would have said died on his lips as he en- countered the gaze of the jeering onlookers. "Hullo Benson, off for a free holiday? cried one young man, whose bronzed face and general appearance plainly marked him as a Colonial. "What have you been doing? "He was caught in the strong room, and some money is missing," said someone. "Bosh I don't believe it. Great snakes man, Harry there couldn't do wrong if he tried for a week. He'll not where he is going to for six months," laughed a policeman. The crowd roared at this statement, and a moistness came to Harry's eyes as he realised his friendless position and the gravity of the crime of which he was accused. "Hang it, Benson! You are not going to a funeral," exclaimed the Australian as he wit- nessed Harry's emotion. "Come, sir. Get out of the way," interrupted Mr. Bulmer. "Who in thunder are you? "My name is Bulmer, sir." "Well, Bulmer, what game are you playing on Benscn? "Sir!" "Tom's my name. They generally added: 'Fighting' to that out in the Never Never country, but I hate ceremony. Hullo Benson, sorry you are going, but I'll see that this gentle- man doesn't jump your claim." The crowd slowly dispersed. Mr. Bulmer re- entered the office, and the Colonial was left stand- ing alone. "And this is the way they do in the dear home country," he soliloquised. "I'm hanged if a black fellow would do the like. Of course, Bulmer and Benson are sweet on cousin Nita, and-Great Centipedes !—so am I." But surely, Miss Trent, you will reconsider the matter. Benson is—well—he is in prison for stealing from your father's office." "I do not believe that, Mr. Bulmer. He is the victim of some conspiracy, and in any case, however much I may respect you as my father's confidant, I could never marry you." I am sorry for your sake, Miss Trent, that Benson should be in such a position, but then we are forced to recognise facts in this world, and I am sure your father would never allow you to-" "That does not concern you, sir." "I meant no offence, Miss Trent. Ah! if you only knew, my regard for you is much too sin- cere for that. Miss Trent—Nita—can you not let me have one ray of hope-think how I have striven to make myself worthy of you—think "I do not doubt your general excellence, Mr. Bulmer, but I am not a prize, to be given like a medal at an exhibition, to the man who is most successful in his own undertakings." "Then you still care for Benson ?" "I do, sir." "Then, by Heavens I'll see that he is put where you will require to wait ten years for him." "Go, sir! You are a cur! Were I a man I would-" "Give him a thrashing, wouldn't ye? Well, I reckon I'll do that for ye "Mr. Hamley!" Great Darling River! I beg your pardon, Nita. Your maid or whatever you call her shut me into a room, till she 'nounced me, she said; but I overheard some fancy talking an' I-well- I is only an Australian back-blocker, you know, an' I couldn't help chiming in. But come on now, Bulmer. Why, the skunk'? gone "No! never mind following him, Mr. Hamley -I mean Tom. Sit down, and tell me what you have been doing to-day?" "Oh, fossicking around!" "What?" "Sinking duffers." "What on earth do you mean, Tom?" "Well, you see, I hardly know how to put it; out on the Darling where I made my rise, we hadn't much use for words that weren't strong enough to stand, an' I couldn't use them here, you know." "Oh "But I meant to say that I wasn't doing much of any good." "I think I understand you, Tom," "Does ye? Well, cousin, I can ride any animal that has feet." "Can you really?" "An' I kin swipe the—I beg yours—I mean I can take my weight out of any man." "What?" "Oh, hang it all! I is a mil—I mean I am a millionaire." "You told me that already, Tom." "Well? "Well, what?" "Will you marry me?" "Oh, Tom! Reallv you are incorrigible. Don't you know that I am already engaged?" "Him that's in the big hotel?" "Tom! How can you talk that way of poor Harry. He is innocent." "That's a fact." "And he is suffering unjustly." "Pity." "And I do care so much for him." "Ye does? Then may I be spinafexed! PKS been jumpin' his claim myself "You have been what?" "Cousin Nita, I a monly a man from the bush —an' I likes ye—an' I-I-but I is a white man, an' I'll bring you your woman-faced Harry to- morrow night, though I peg out for it." "Alas, Tom What can you do against every- one? Even my father is convinced of his guilt." "You leave that to me, cous', I knows, an'— great goodness !—here's the old man comin' The clerks in the employment of Mr. Trent were greatly surprised next morning to hear of Harry Benson's arrest. He was a general favour- ite in the outer office, and although Mr. Trent and M-r. Bulmer, the head cashier, had shown him many special favours, no one had been jealous of his good fortune. Harry was always the last of the men to leave, it being his duty to deliver the keys to the night watchmen, hut when his comrades were told that he had entered the strong room five minutes after they had gone the previous evening, the com- ments were not flattering to him." "He must have been mad," the export clerk said to the under-timekeeper, towards the even- ing. "The room is a perfect electrical trap." "Well, well," the timekeeper answered philo- sophically, "one never knows, but I would as soon have suspected old Bulmer himself as Benson-but who is the new fellow? He writes a fearful fist, I notice." "Johnson says he is a Colonial, here for experience." "What! Imagine anyone grinding here for that! "Oh, those Australians are always doing some- thing strange. He has gots lots of tin, I believe —but see! it's just on six—I'm off." As the office clock struck six a general stampede was made for the door, and in a few seconds all but the* new clerk had disappeared. That gentleman was very tardy in his move- ments, and apparently had no desire to hurry himself. Shortly afterwards, a loud clanging of the various electric alarums startled the night watch- men, and rushing into the strong room passage they were amazed to find all the doors open. "I reckon there's bushrangers inside, boys," remarked the new clerk, suddenly appearing be- hind them, "but close the door; we've got them all right. Hullo! here's Mr. Trent." "What is the meaning of this now, men?" exclaimed Mr. Trent, who evidently had not gone home at his usual time. "They are inside, sir," replied one of the watchmen, "and here's the policeman coming already!—looks like they expected this, sir." "Better stand back, sir," said a policeman, running in. "Thieves are often dangerous when trapped like this." "No, no cried Mr. Trent. "Open the door. It was Benson last night—who is it this time? Ah! Gracious Heavens Bulmer Harry My poor dear boy," cried Nita that evening, "you must have suffered terribly? Tell me all about it." "I am well repaid now, sweetheart," replied Harry, folding her in his arms, "but I do not yet understand to what I owe my sudden freedom. You tell me that Mr. Bulmer is arretted, and that some new clerk had some- thing to do with that? "Oh, Harry! I hardly know anything but that you are now free-but here comes cousin Tom. He must know everything, for it was he who persuaded father of your innocence." "Evening," cried the Australian, entering the drawing-room. "Glad to see ye, Benson—hope you will soon bottom on gold, but by thunder I wouldn't push a pen longer for any man." Why! What are you talking about, Hamley? "Nothing in particular," answered that gentle- man, dropping into a chair and throwing his feet over the edge. But I say, young fellow, you will have to kep your eyes a bit open if yewantto keep outen trouble in this world, for sure this Britain o' yours is swarmin' with speelers an' sneaks, an'—oh, well!-it doesn't matter-I am the new clerk." What? "Fact—the old man knew I was playing the detective. We arranged it last night." "And you caught Bulmer stealing-" "Nary, go slow. Bulmer is as innocent this time as you were last time, but he had to go, poor beggar." "Tom, dear Tom, please explain. Do you meau- "Listen, both o' ye, an' I'll tell ye if there will be no questions asked after. Last night I called at the office to see my uncle, Mr. Trent, an' when I was standing in the passage I saw that chap Bulmer climbing up to the shelf an' doing something to the 'lectric batteries there. Now I was once a linesman in New South Wales, you know, an' I twigged his little game in a shake. He was disconnecting the whole 'lectric show by lifting up the end zinc rod "I hid in between the doors, and in about three minutes he came runnin' back again an' dropped the zinc back in its place, and then all the bells began their racket. You know the rest, he opened the doors, an' likely took the money, when the affair was off, an' you, like a simpleton, walked in to see what was wrong when you saw the doors open. Of course, when he got you inside, he turned the infernal thing on again, an' you were collared like a young kangaroo in its mother's pocket. "I don't blame him a bit; he was sweet on cousin Nita, an' you were first favourite-that's all." "But Eulmer? "Oh! I did exactly the same thing'with him to-night; it's a bad sort of world, an' the time he'll get to reflect will do him whips o' good."

RAJAH'S BURIED TREASURE. I News comes from Simla that after the death of the Chief of Rajgarh, Bhopal, which occurred about ten weeks ago, Mr. Lang, political officer, went to the State to settle up affairs. He was told that the chief had left a message for him to the effect that a large amount of treasure was in a vault in the palace, where it had been since the Mutiny. The treasure was duly found, and, according to the "Pioneer," consisted chiefly of bar gold and Bhopal rupees to the value of £ 116,600. The political officers have suggested investing the money in Government bonds.

BOEUS AND NURSING SISTER. I A curious incident which befel an Army nurs- ing sister while out riding alone in the Northern Transvaal, close to a small town which has been held for the past year by the English, is recorded in the "Hospital." Two men on horseback, dressed, in what seemed to her the uniform of our scouts, rode by. When they had gone a little farther they dismounted and, taking their rifles in their hands, came up, grasped the reins of her horse, and asked her if "she would like a walk." Surprised at the question, the inquired to what regiment they belonged. Their answer made her aware that, though claiming to be British, they were really Boers in disguise. The men spoke to each other in Dutch, and then one said to her, "We are Boers and we want your horse." The sister, greatly distressed at the thought of losing the animal, which was borrowed, begged the men not to take it. They replied that they were very short of horses and required it badly. Expostu- lations proved unavailing; she had to give way with as good grace as possible, made easy to her by their extremely polite manner and the gentle way in which she was lifted from her saddle. They left her with the promise that the saddle and bridle should be returned. A few days after a letter was brought by a Boer to a blockhouse to say that if the English commandant would send out beyond the British lines, the sister's horse and property would be restored. He did so, and everything was found as stated, together with a letter explaining that the two men had been compelled to take the horse as they thought that the sister suspected their nationality, and they feared she would ride at once to the nearest blockhouse and report their whereabouts. They had, therefore, in order to secure their own safety, to choose between taking her with them beyond the blockhouses or the confiscation of her horse, and they chose the lat- ter as being probably less repugnant to sister's feelings. No doubt the good treatment their own women have received at the hands of the British authorities tends to account for their friendly and courteous behaviour, but the sister is none the less to be congratulated upon the result of an experience that might have been most un- pleasant.

Crack Cricketers. [SPECIALLY CONTRIBUTED.] I MR. VICTOR TRUMPER. I In Mr. Victor Trumper's batsmanship last win- ter at home in Australia there was a very marked falling off, and many thought the young New South Welshman had passed his brilliant best. But Trumper had not been long in England again before he began to show his grandest form, and got a long way ahead of all his compeers in the batting averages and aggregates by consistently fine play. The biggest surprise was that he dis- played the necessary ability to pile up long scores and even successive centuries on wickets which favoured the bowler, and in weather which was the reverse of ideal from the cricket viewpoint, wnereas when he performed so well during the last Australian tour in England he was regarded as a plumb pitch batsman. He has clearly en- larged and improved his methods, and with a thickened frame possesses such fully developed force as to make him at the moment of this writing, all things considered, on form, the best batsman in the world. Mr. A. O. Jones attributed the temporary de- terioration of Trumper last winter to heavy night work with cile pen, and no doubt this accounted for his comparative failure against Mr. MacLaren's team. Now, with all his energies to devote to practice and play, he times the ball as accu- rately as ever, and easily escapes the exasperating catches at the wicket and in the slips which were wont to end his innings before he had got his eye in. Born on November 2, 1877, at Sydney, he was educated at the Grammar School of his native city, and established a reputation as an excep- tionally clever cricketer in club games while yet in his early teens; for one season he had the wonderful average of 204 for eight innings (twice not out). He is a beautiful stylist with the bat, possessed of an infinity of strokes, and able to hit cleanly and crisply all round the wicket. His off driving is particularly powerful, his placing judicious, and his play off the leg-stump clever and pretty to see. Trumper's first score of note in a big match was a promising 68 for New South Wales against South Australia in February 1898, and he came out well up in the Inter-Colonial averages for such a youngster, for he had the batting figures of 26.66 and an aggregate of 160; besides cap- turing five wickets in promising style for 85 runs. He bowls a very good fast medium to &"st ball, and is more than useful as a change when the wicket suits him at all, as was well seen at Cam- bridge when he took the last five Light Blua wickets (four clean bowled) for 19 runs, one of his victims having been in all through the in- nings. He varies his pace in a very deceptive way, and has an effective off-break. Trumper played against Mr. Stoddart's 1898 team for New South Wales twice at Sydney, but did badlv. However, his abilities had so im- pressed the Selection Committee that he was ciiosen to accompany Mr. Darling's team to England, and so splendidly did he justify his inclusion in the side that his record at the end of the tour stood thus :—Matches played in 32, in- nings 48, runs, 1556, most in an innings 300 not out, times not out 3, average 34.26. That memorable not out 300 of his-the highest score ever compiled by an Australian batsman in this country—was made on the Brighton ground against Sussex at the end of July. He was at tiie wicket for six hours and twenty minutes, and batted in the most perfect way throughout. Eight of the Sussex men bowled at him in vain, and he made sad havoc of all their averages. An innings of 104 at Bristol against Gloucestershire was delightful to watch; but Trumper's most worthy piece of work at the wicket during the tour in the matter of class was his mag- nificent 135 in the Lord's "test" match, when neither Rhodes, Mead, Hayward, Jessop, Jack- son, Townsend, nor Ranjitsinhji could bowl him, and he carried out his bat in spite of them all. This great score of his, and one of 135 (out) made by Clem Hill, were the main factors in giving Australia the one victory registered in the five 1899 "tests," and the Cornstalk triumph was a ten-wickets one. Trumper gave no chance whatever in his not-out innings of 135 at Lord's, and was at the wickets for three hours and a quarter. Victor Trumper is a really splendid fieldsman, covering a tremendous lot of ground "in the country," and a brilliant catch at either long-on or long-off, or at deep third man to fast bowling. He sends the ball in sharply and accurately, and rarely indeed gives a run away. In February of last year Mr. Trumper put up a rattling good score of 230 for New South Wales against Victoria, made without a mistake, and his average in inter-colonial cricket for the 1900- 1801 season was 65.42. Only Clem Hill and Sid Gregory of the "regulars" were in front of him —though his fellow New South Welshman Poidevin got above him in the averages by virtue of one unfinished three figure innings out of three played. Trumper's bowling was not much made use of at home. Singularly enough he was not a "centurion" in the very remarkable innings at Sydney in January, 1901, in which 918 runs were put on by New South Wales against South Australia, and Gregory, Noble, Duff, Iredale, and Poidevin all reached three figures. In the preceding season he had the fine inter- colonial average of 54.40, and played a par- ticularly bright innings of 165 against the South Australian bowling at Adelaide. Most of the Australian cricketers with us have fine handsome faces, and the well-moulded figure of the athlete, and some ara "more than common tall." Victor Trumper is big and clean limbed, with a bright, boyish, eager, intellectual face, and his movements in any position and at any time furnish a model of alertness. He has done already about twice as well as the average cricketer who gets into "test" matches can manage to do in the course of his international career, and his many admirers will be very much surprised and disappointed1 if he does not further in this respect improve his fine record. Trumper made 64 in fine style in the second innings of the opening match of the present Australian tour at the Crystal Palace. He made a fine century (121) at Oxford, 101 against Surrey at the Oval, and then 105 against M.C.C. at Lord's before Jack Hearne bowled him. Then he made his fourth century of'the season in the match against Cambridge University On bad pitches, when all was going wrong with his side in the "test" match at Lord's, and against the Yorkshiremen at Headingley, he did better than any of his comrades; and we con- Hdently expect him to trouble the scorers a good deal further during the tour.

MOUNTS FOR THE ARMY. Sir J. Blundell Maple forwards to us a scheme which he has drafted for supplying the Army with mounts, and at the same time encouraging the horse-breeding industry at home "If the matte. were taken in hand by business men, and the whole thing run on business lines," ho says, "the United Kingdom should easily pro- duce every horse that is required and nearly as cheaply to the Army as now, and the animal would be much superior to that which we now obtain. It is impossible for a farmer to breed horses for the price at present paid-Y.35 to £ 42. The total cost of rearing a five-year-old is some- where about E72. My idea is that the Govern- ment should buy horses as three-year-olds in the autumn of each vear, paying a minimum of C40 and a maximum of £ 45 for each. This would leave a sufficient margin of profit to the farmer. I am confident that the Government would actu- ally make a profit on their surplus horses, for at seven or eight years of age they would prob- ably fetch £ 70 or £ 100 apiece. My scheme pos- sesses two great advantages. In the first place it ensures a constant supply of horses for the Am— and in the second it gives the greatest en- couragement for the breeding of horses all over the "Vnited Kingdom." V""

Mr. Wallace: "It seems to me that if ever a, bachelor realizes his unhappy lot it must be when he is in bed ill." Mrs. Wallace Yes. There is a great difference between a hired nurse and a wife. If he goes to throwing the medicine bottles and things at the nurse when she happens to hurt his rheumatism she will leave."

EPITOME OF NEWS. The Queen has been appointed patron of the, London Hospital, Whitechapel. There are no habitual inebriates in Montrosog reports the chief constable. Basaltic lava blocks are to be used for paving ia Dundee. No British Sovereign has vetoed a Parlia- mentary Bill during the last 185 years. The yearly loss by wear on British gold coins is £ 48,000. In Italy thirty persons out of 10,000 die by the assassin's knifes Females outnumber the males at Scarborough in the proportion of nearly three to two. Herrings and haddocks formed 56 per cent. of the fish landed last year in England and Wales. Seven clergymen and sixteen lawyers are pauper inmates of workhouses in Yorkshire. The Hertford Scholarship at Oxford Univer- sity has been awarded to Mr. Edward Burroughs, of Balliol College. The Earl of Crewe will speak at Wolverhamp- ton for the "Eighty" Club on the Education Bill on Friday, July 11. Eight thousand Irish-Americans have held ft meeting in the Auditorium at Chicago to protest against coercion in Ireland. "Very first-class" is how an hotel at MunicE is advertised in a paper printed in English on the Continent. Only forty-four persons took out papers of naturalisation in the whole of the French colonies last year. In Germany one man in 213 goes to a univer- sity, in Scotland one in 520, in the United States one in 2,000, and in England one in 5,000. The biggest wine-cooler is at Windsor, and be- longs to the Kinpr. It was made for George IV., and two men could sit in it with ease. In Siberia, if a man is dissatisfied with the most trifling acts of his wife, he tears a cap or veil from her face, and that constitutes a divorce. The Shah of Persia has arrived at Carlsbad for a course of treatment extending over several weeks. The Khedive of Egypt will go to Divonne-les- Bains in the course of the present month, and will reside in the villa he occupied last year. Two Italian warships have been sent to Taranto, where the workmen employed in the Government arsenal are on strike. Doncaster Town Council has been presented with a carved chair made out of oak found in the bed of the river Don half a century ago. The rotation of a water spout at the surface of the sea has been estimated by Prof. Bigelow as 354 miles an hour, or nearly six miles a minute. Inexhaustible supplies of superior graphite, almost pure and eminently suited for manufacture into pencils, are found in Siberia. Because she found fault with his work and re- ported him to the headmaster a French school- mistress has been stabbed to death by a twelve- year-old schoolboy at Batoum. Eighteen marauders have been surprised and captured, together with 280 head of stolen cattle, sheep, and camels, by a small mounted force near Tarhuna, Tripoli. The Customs Tariff Committee of the German Reichstag have adopted a provision for the ex- emption from duty of natural and artificial in- digo. A new reservoir for Otley, the construction of which has just been begun, will have a storage capacity of a hundred million gallons of water. The cost is estimated at about £ 80,000. An iron-lined wooden chimney 160ft. high at Mapimi, in the province of Durango, Mexico, has platforms at intervals for convenience of throwing on water should the wood catch fire. A Russian opera singer, who had five front teeth knocked out in a railway accident, has been awarded compensation in the shape of £ 10,000. Electric motor fire apparatus is to be given a practical trial by the New York Fire Depart- ment, and if found satisfactory on a hose-cart and hook and ladder truck the new system will be tried on the engines. The governors of Owens College, Manchester, have decided to apply for a charter incorporating the college as an independent University, to be called the Victoria University of Manchester. The new Dean Parish Church for Edinburgh, the foundation stone of which has just been laid, will be in the Early English style. The church, which is estimated to cost about LIO,000, will have accommodation for 900 people. I A hall, seated for 300 people, will also be provided. An electric fly trap is an expensive and cer- tainly absurd novelty of American origin. It is a screen of positive and negative wires baited with sugar, and as the flies alight they are electro- cuted, according to "Electricity" of New York. At the opera in London the other night it was noticed that the bouquet presented to Princess Victoria was hastily whisked away. Her Royal Highness cannot bear the scent of flowers. A railway train was recently stepped near Rheims, France by the number of caterpillars that fell on the track. The rails grew too pasty tnd slippery for the wheels to adhere until cinders were thrown on them. A hospital has at last been erected at fjord on the west coast of Iceland. This will be a boon to fishermen, many of whom are Englisbt, as they frequently meet with accidents in their perilous calling. The Town Council of Moscow has erected in one of its suburban squares a Tsokolnikia clock, made of flowers, and also the portraits of the authors Gogol and Joukowsky, designed in shrubs and blooms. From a Gernrim source comes the news that the Grand Duke Constantin Constantinovitch seems to be suffering from a serious brain affec- tion. He is incessantly reciting scenes from "Hamlet," which he translated into Russian. Twelve lions and two zebras, presents from the Emperor Menelik to the King, are being brought from Abyssinia by Colonel Harrington, the British Agent at Addis Abeba, who has ar- rived at Jibutil on his way to London. Fearing the inroads of antiquarians and col- lectors, the Bishop of Norwich suggests to the clergy of his diocese that their church plate should be lodged in Norwich Cathedral, where it would be carefully preserved out of harm's way. The oldest man alive to-day, according to re- cent research, is Izai Rodofsty, of Moscow, Russia, aged 136 years and the most aged woman living, as far as can be discovered, is Mrs. Nancy Hollifield, of Battle Creek, in Michigan, who has seen 117 years. King Alfonso of Spain has conferred upon Mr. Paderewski, who played before him by special command, the highest civil order In Spam, viz., the Cross of Commander of the Order of King Charles III. This is the first time that a musi- cian, Spanish or foreign, has received the order. The Board of Agriculture give notice that the Colorado beetle has again made its appearance at Tilbury. Potato growers are therefore requested to carefully examine their plants and to send to the Board without delay for identification specimens of any insects suspected to be the Colorado beetle. The Board will be pleased to supply copies of a leaflet, with a coloured illustra- tion of the beetle, post free and free of charge upon application. Letters or packets containing specimens and applications for leaflets should be gri addressed to the Secretary, Board of Agriculture, 4, Whitehall-place, London, S.W., and need not be stamped. Paderewski, the celebrated pianist, is an ex- cellent man of business. All the money he earns by his profession, and it is said to exceed £2Ø, a year, is invested to the best advantage. He II said to be a large shareholder m a well-known piano firm as well as part P™PJietora^ l chief hotels in Warsaw. Paderewski has been heard to say that he has never had a single serious financial loss during the time he has conducted his own investments.

FIELD AND FARM. FARM WOES IN JUNE. The season remains backward. That a con- siderable improvement in the wp-ather took place on and after the "Queen's birthday" will (re- marks Prof. John Wrightson in the "Agricul- tural Gazette") be readily allowed, but we still look in vain for those genial conditions which can only be realised when nights as well as days are hot. As yet the evenings are sometimes chilly, and although fires may be discontinued, the empty grate is wistfully regarded, and if a match is applied, a seat by the night-nook is not uncom- fortable. Growth has not been rapiu anywhere, and there has been an entire absence of forcing weather. It is not necessary to insist upon the tardiness of development everywhere noticeable. Grass and corn stand their ground, but make only slow pro- gress. As to the early-sown root crops, mangel- wurzel especially, the nights have been too cold and the plants come up slowly and irregularly I never saw mangel come up so badly, and in many cases the weeds are overpowering the young plants to such a degree as to obscure the rows. Tracing the thin lines is in fact by no means easy, but requires patient observation. Rape and kale have suffereu less than mangel, but it is now a race between the plant and the black fly, which is appearing in vast numbers. A considerable breadth of turnips and swedes are already drilled, but have not yet appeared. The seed went in well upon a well-worked and fairly moist bed, but rain is still wanted in spite of society com- plaints of wet weather. At this season both heat and moisture are needed to drive the crops, but there has been precious little of either, and we remain more or less at a standstill. THE CLOVER HAY CROP. I have not heard of cutting as yet, but trefoil and some early-growing mixed seeds must now b# at the nroner stage. There is no advantage in waiting for further growth after flowering. Bet- ter is it to sweep off the straggling light crop and hope for a better season for the aftermath. Grass quickly loses quality if allowed to stand too long, and the result is an unpalatable stringy hay, which nothing will touch. It is only too possible to starve cattle and sheep on hay. ly GLOOMY VIEWS. It is possible to take what are now called pes- simistic views, and perhaps the habit grows. It is pleasant to read the cheerful views of certain of our correspondents, but so chequered has been the spring that what was written one week is completely out of date before it appears in print, and must be read like an old tale by its author. This remark is true of the present notes, for in the brief period between writing them and cor- recting for the press, a great change for the better has come over the season. The actual situation at the end of May was an improving one, with long arrears attached. Haymaking cannot be long delayed, and there is not much to cut. Corn is still short and has not a "wave" in it. Men are inquiring for hoeing, but there is nothing showing. Horse-hoeing on flat drilled crops is even less possible than flat-hoeing, and the latter process is being done in order to free the land from the hosts of annual weeds, and to secure the plants from being stifled. Flat-hoe- ing, or doing by hand what ought to be accom- plished by the horse-hoe, is expensive work, cost- ing about 6s. to 7s. per acre, but it is preferable when the plant is small and liable to be buried by the rougher work of the horse-scuffler. Here is no doubt the weak point of our south-country system of drilling upon the flat. The Northum- berland turnip grower can hoe the sides of his drills even before the plants appear, but we who drill on the flat must wait till the rows show from end to end, and the plants are some two inches high. LUCERNE. I This crop is now showing a considerable ad- vantage where well established. Its roots pene- trate so deeply in the soil and subsoil that it is independent of rain. In countries where drought is synonymous with summer it takes the place of flover. It is usually only sown over small areas, but these have already given a good cut even this inclement season. THE FEEDING OF DAIRY COWS. I The ouestion of food and its influence on both the quality and quantity of milk (writes Mr. F. { Wilson) does not perhaps receive the attention it deserves from dairymen. Many complaints are heard about poor milkers; indeed, it would ap- pear that every herd possesses some of those "undesirables" not that this need or should be 80 still, the fact remains, and in many instances no steps are taken with a view to remedying mat- ters. There are cows and cows, of course and if a farmer has a preponderance of those inclining to the beef rather than the dairy type in his herd, attention to feeding will not tend much to improve matters in such a case, because just as surely as the distinctively dairy type of cow turns her food into milk, so does the cow of the beef type use hers for the production of fat. The moral is, of course, clear-dairy cows for a pro- fitable dairy herd. As milk is elaborated from the blood, and the supply of blood is constantly renewed and re- plenished from the food, it is plain that atten- tion to the latter is a point of the greatest im- portance. The dairy cow must be properly fed to enable hor to do her best as regards milk production. A few people have been known to affirm that feeding has nothing to do with the quality of the cows's milk, though it may tend to increase the quantity. If this were true, the rich, succulent grass pasturage of spring and early summer would not have the effect upon the milk and butter yield it does. It is true that the milk of some cows is more deficient in fat than that of others but it may safely be said that good food will improve the milk of any cow, and in- crease the butter yield. I do not recollect having heard a practical man give vent to a contrary opinion it is the non-practical ones who scatter such ideas abroad. If the same care and atten- tion were paid to the feeding and general well- being of each individual cow in an ordinary herd as is paid to the cottager's one or ,t,YO cows, the yield of butter would be nearly doubled—a result worth working for, surely. Good grass pastures are an esential factor in the health and productiveness of dairy cows. To obtain these is needed gocd general fanning one to a large extent supplements the other. A -dairy farmer who neglects his soil and pastures makes a great mistake. Poor pastures are largely an- swerable for poor milk production. Given rich, succulent pasturage, the foundation for an abun- dant milk supply is laid. Here, then, is a point demanding attention, as an initial measure in the scheme of improved feeding. Then comes in the question of a regular ration of bran and meal. Will it pay to give this? Undoubtedly. If you are at all sceptical on the subject, try it, and see the results for yourself. When grass is plentiful only a comparatively small quantity is neces- sary, therefore the cost is relatively small. The feed should be given morning and evening at the same hour. Regular feeding is decidedly prefer- able to irregular methods. Many people prefer to give the cows their food_ while the milking process is going on. There is a good deal to be said in favour of this method the cow is enjoy- ing herself and feeling good-tempered and com- fortable, and readily gives her milk. With those who do not look so closely as others at expense, bran and maize meal is a favourite feed. Food that is grown on the farm is of course the least expensive, and as far as possible this should be pressed into requisition. A good supply of roots for winter use is highly desirable. These, pulped, and mixed with about half as many grains, sweet and well dried, a little bran, and linseed or cotton oske, with cut hay or chaff, form an inexpensive ration. Ehsilaee, too, is most useful, though if they have not been accustomed to it the cows will not take it all at onee, perhaps. Good food, of course, produces the best results, and it is for the dairyman himself to find out whether it pays him to feed it to his cows. One thing may be taken for granted, that the richness of the food of a cow correspondingly increases the richness of the milk, and this result is more no- ticeable in sound healthy cows of the real dairy type, i.e., cows with highly developed milking qualities, and whose consumption of food goes chiefly to further this end, than in poor or ne- glected animals. The latter fail to do their best because in a great measure the feeding comes at the wrong time. To make a good cow it is neces- sarv to begin with the calf, with the first meal of the animal, in fact. Right treatment of a young animal has its effect on it all its life, and lays the only sure foundation for a well-developed adult. It would be well, perhaps, if this fact were more generally recognised. The line of pro- gress and improvement once adopted should not be deviated from. This is the way in which the herd will be augmented and stocked with im- proved animals in the cheapest manner, for the calves and heifers will repay with interest eventu- ally the attention bestowed on them during their growing stage and their proper feeding con- tinued as cows will result in an increased yield of milk, and the proportion of butter in it, and make for continued betterment and the main- tenance of it during their lives if the motto "enough to do their best" in regard to food is acted upon.

GARDENING- GOSSIP. I CONSERVATORY. The hard-wooded plants which have completed their flowering should (remarks Mr. E. Hobday, in "Gardening Illustrated") be collected together and placed in a house by themselves, where growth can be made under suitable conditions, and any pruning or pinching required can be given from time to time to keep the plants sym- metrical. Repotting, if required, should not be delayed. Those who have fine specimens and wish to keep them so will not allow them to remain in the conservatory so long, as the usual kind of house is not the best for hard-wooded plants, though in careful hands they are safe enough for a time but Azaleas want the syringe daily when growing, and this cannot be done where the house is full of flowering plants. The flowering of the Acacias is over, and the plants should have been pruned back. Winter-flowering Heaths also should be put into condition for growth, and re- potted if necessary. It is of no use attempting to grow Heaths in anything but the best of fibrous peat and clean silver-sand. Erica propendens is one of the prettiest early-flowering Heaths, and is not difficult to grow-at least, those who can grow the winter-flowering varieties will succeed with propendens. Good specimens of Erica Cavendishi and ventricosa are very attractive now, and, if placed in a light position, will last in perfection some time in the conservatory without injury. With such plants the watering and ven- tilation are the chief things to be considered. The house will be very bright now with Pelar- goniums (including Zonals), Fuchsias, Hydran- geas, Lilies of various kinds, Tree Carnations, Roses, etc., including a few odds of novelties which are not in sufficient stock to make any great display. For instance, just now a little group of early-flowering Gloxinias, Himantophyl- lums, and Streptocarpuses, set off with a mixture of Maiden-hair and other ferns, is pleasant to look upon. Fires have been discontinued, and a little ventilation will be left on all night along the ridge. The watering may still be done in the morning, but many things will want another look round about middav. In very hot weather it may be desirable to damp floors once or twice during the dav to kee- down the heat. Shade will be necessary if very bright. STOVE. Fine-foliaged plants, including Caladiums, Dractenas, Crotons, Marantas, etc., will be very interesting now, as the new growth of most things in this way is so clear and bright. Suckers may be taken from Pandanus Veitchii when they can be obtained. This makes a good specimen for exhibition, and is easily grown. Small plants of good colour are sometimes used for table decoration, having a striking appearance as centre plants, but they are not generally popular —at least, we have not found them so, as the hooked spurs on the leaves are always catching things near them. The most popular leaf plants are Caladium argyrites, Cocos Palms, red or golden-leaved Dracasnas, and the long, narrow- leaved Crotons. What is generally required for the work is not bulk or weight of foliage, but light, graceful-foliaged plants. The variegated Cyperus is very well for a change, and rather small plants of the gold and silver Feriis are use- ful when a distinct feature is required. A good many plants are required for table work in large country houses in the autumn and winter, for which provision should be made now. Smilax and Asparagus Sprengeri and plumosus are sura to be wanted, and these cannot be improvised on the spur of the moment. ORCHARD HOUSE. Top-dress trees in pots with rich compost. At the present stage trees in pots will take a good deal of nourishment. The best way is by giving top-dressings, supplementing where necessary with liquid-manure. The final thinning of the fruit should be given soon. Quantity when ex- cessive means poor quality. Use the syringe daily in bright weather twice a day, and with- out overdoing it see that no trees suffer from dry- ness at the root. Ventilate very freely when the weather is warm, but keep out cold north or east winds without unduly raising the temperature. Leave a little air on all night in warm weather. RIPENING FRUIT. When any fruit is approaching the ripening < or finishing stage, diminish the supply of water —not to permit the roots to get dust-dry, but if the roots are deluged when the fruits are finish- ing the flavour will be spoilt. This refers es- pecially to melons, peaches, pines, and in a less degree to grapes. Peaces and melons soon show by the flavour the bad effects of an influx of water at the roots at the finish. Deficient ventilation also has a bad effect upon flavour when fruits are ripening. OUTDOOR GARDEN. The season is very backward even the usual spring bedding has hardly reached its best. So, where the tender bedders follow spring flowers, the tender things must be well looked after to prevent a check being given. There is a great demand this Coronation year for red, white, and blue flowers, and most of the scarlet Geraniums, white Marguerites, and blue Lobelias will be used up. Scarlet Lobelia Queen Victoria, blue Salvia patens, and white Verbenas, pegged down, will give the national colours in a somewhat dif- ferent form, perhaps a little more interesting than the usual Geraniums, etc. There will be a severe struggle with insects this season. They always come in shoals with the east wind, or, rather, the east wind checks the growth and pre- pares the way for the green fly. One of the best insecticides for flies, green or bitek, is tobacco powder. It is always ready, can be easily ap- plied, has a deadly effect, and is cheaper than washes but do not wait till the leaves are curled. Maggots in the foliage of roses must be crushed between the finger and thumb. Place the stakes to Carnations in good time. The same remark applies to Dahlias and Hollyhocks, and have the stakes strong enough to resist a gale of wind. What a lovely family the border Pinks are, and how few grow a good collection! They are worthy of more attention. Hardy annuals should be thinned in good time, as a plant weakened by overcrowding never does its best. The Everlast- ing Peas are among the best plants for planting against small trees to cover the stems, such as apples, thorns, etc. Keep the hoe going. A loose surface saves watering. FRUIT GARDEN. j The earl"- blossoms of strawberries have suf- fered from the frost, and in some exposed, low- lying situations the crop will be a smaller one than was at one time hoped. Bush fruits also will Tn-obably be affected by the same cause, though it is probably premature yet to give a final estimation, as very often results come out better than expected. The principal work now is fighting insects, and this must be followed up till the trees have been cleared of their enemies. The copious rains which have recently fallen were much needed, and will have a beneficial effect. All spare frames may now be filled with cucumbers and melons. There must be root warmth to give the plants a start, especially for Melons, as a cold root-run generally leads to disease, canker in melons being generally in- duced by a low temperature. If canker appears on the main stems of Melons, attack it by cover- ing the affected parts with quicklime, changing it often till the disease is checked. If taken in time the plants will be enabled to ripen the crop. I think it is important that seeds should be saved from healthy plants only, and where possible growers should save their own seeds. In earth- ing up Melons use rather heavy loam slightly en- riched with bone-meal.