, ‘W- NEWSY

NOTES -

l! AGI-IOOLA

1,“; award 1.1 LNGLAND

~- a matter oi some surprise wlinfi {jiat the grape has long been mvnved in England. 111 69116 cupo riltker cool climate. Yet vine- o‘ f; “y; mentioned in the 681116819 annn charters and in the British sayiphlll therc is a pictorial Saxon Mi“ glut‘ iii which for the month of F-b nl-y there are, rudely delineat- ed‘ laborers cutting or pruning vines. m’ William the Conilllefill"! 5e“ luicg Dcmestiay Book, vine- ‘, ._S nl-n noticed in several coun- 1." Bv tlle thirteenth and four- teenth centuries every large 655,19 mid monastery had its meynrd. At this period wine was mace ill considerable quantities in England, and yet the importation o; foreign wines also was very large. m“; vineyards were P10116517 6°11- tinued till the time of the Refor- nlzizioli when the eoclestical gar- dens were neglected or destroyed; and ill the end alt super seded the use of wine as a general beveraB6- Tm improvement of agriculture with its ciicouremerit of grain grow- 111g, and tlte introduction of hops, had given the P601319 9' bevemlle “yum was perhaps as exhilarating and certainly 01165961‘. flow long will a grape wine live? some authorities believe that with n fair chance it will live as 1on8 as ml oilk: Pliny speaks of a vine six lnlnIl-cd years old. Be‘ that as y, mny, the great vine at Hampton Qourl, Lnlldoll, which was planted in 1768. ivns bearing 2.900 bunches of grapes a year by i855; and each bunch nit-razed 1n welsht we pound- This famous vine. a “black Ham- biugn," occupies a. glasshouse, 70, n-st 1011i: and l4 feet wide. and its roots are believed to reach to the Tllanlcs. about a mile away. It was still going strong in 1939, with l.- bout the same number of bunches. which ivere cut off find sold to the public ill baskets made by disabled fX-Sflfiif)? men. Whether the old vine has escaped the bombs is not known to the writer, but the large expanse of glass will no doubt at- tract the attention of the enemy nlnlcii. A cutting of this vine was planted in the Royal Gardens at Windsor in 1775. and its size now greatly exceeds that of its parent. Tile Black Hamburgh has a. large- sized fruit about half as large again as the American out-door sold here: it was the kind usuag bought for invalids, hospitals. etc. Bllfl sold at about two shillings (50 cents) a. pound when I live in 13mg- land.

other vines. less famous, were to be found rn other parts oif litm- don in those days. Against the iizndoiv of t-lle Girdlers Company's Court Rocm was growing a very lnige vine which never had fruit on it. Tlicn a miracle happened, three years ago. so the papers tell me It bore fruit for the first time! But there were only sufficient to enable each member of the Com- guncctiw have one grape each for

(‘F-SGT .

A better performer is a grape at Cambcrwell, belonging to a man ivhll the peculiar name of Blaver: its ziliiiuill yield is 1.000 bunches. In a popular garden is a vine which 60111.5 1'11 a bad third with 112 bunches.

llincoin College. Oxford, has a vlrc which, almost five centuries use, did a good tum for that ancient ‘Stlltvfli learning. The College was in financial distress and when Tlionr Rolherham, Bishop of Lin- t 1 about to visit Oxford, the looked at the old vine, and 111k lil» ilispcratinn from Psalm 80:

139110111. and visit that vine" was 1H5 text at the Visitation Service lie drciv such a picture of the nuns of the College that the sym- -llc heart of the Bishop was :1 lle felt compelled to

l.

"- the College a charter cby it became a perpetual Cor- ililflllmfilld bestowed other privi- - ivhlcll settled it on a sure!‘

to ivcll-kc-pt diaries old books illli. hre most prized by his- lsr they Igesent aspects _ frcin an entirely differ- _ll't.i‘ Tile account books of l1 College show at least that lit “as not soon forgotten. ‘ g no time in 1529 is an item; 111 "t ~ill:ls_Poole for cuttyng the ‘ lll 1050, ‘For nay‘"s to niiyle 1"" Vilc in the Quadrangle." ‘\ _\'(’lti‘s later. 1670, is an an- llruiiiiig the Ville." and in lilo gurdcnel‘ for the Grape l l Axiizl-isi would of course. i‘ 11' d ivny tllc gardener got 18 lint the bookkeeper just J to our imagination. vine sill lives in the lee and bears fruit in due H l. cine years ngo an enter- In-m“ hscrvrnt mlthe College made] u,‘ inc frt i is grapes. but the i1.’ on of those who drnnk it was ‘H; 1t lliilS more curious than agree-

l PROPHECY FROM VIRGIL

‘ eff mv hat to one signing 111,13‘, '1, '1_ll1<§!1ll8er_" in a recent ‘L o. Tile Gilflfiiiflli, for giving l, =1 short life of the Roman poet. hgllll-Tlll a Piece of very rinq writ- mh; m6 tlrr-pll-ecv he alludes to. b, ‘We _ f; the birth of Clrrist. is to win__-fillld ill the Fourth Eclogu-e, m h a tether lengthy poem of m“ his in ccgallt Latin. From it “m, j’ ifllbcred that the poet was HM lat-d Lint a Savlcufdf inan- ,.;,,,.,,, “ECW111118. and that the bone-w u.d be made happier and mm; _Y His advent. We must re- m! 2ft that. Virgil was a heathen °ll1¢l only use hpthen imig-

""~ but it is permimible to make 11,111; "translation. (short but covar-

11 1116 points) from our more 13'1"‘ kpowled e: rflllrpnld the Virgin. and behold (pic,- ll 1"!‘ as f."er.n high heaven m k119i)‘ progeny whom we do ,.‘,v“h°v“i The age cf iron shill m‘ m; P1115" generations shall Wk“; l‘; ‘Thus heaven's un- q “l 1"‘ . spoken. Come. then, ‘n1. '_‘,°l (1nd. God's Mighty Heir " lrlln iF-iili, the hour I:- nigh."

Iviziis ro rozzu: oven

"T134: i“‘,"’*‘ roll in Canada has in- lys. i "9 "r rent in Canada since

vaa4su€$9 (geriacierxrit ad- cCost o; living has increaslértil-i anacia y .6 c, _ _ 1113111111" Hera-id)?!‘ can o“ and rce of t toes cl cent from gal? year's ogfibes? pa‘. 3$hi2€tnfiiit"i°§ d“ ‘i’ 5°":- angiDemand.” w o uppy Ice of butte pegge . l2 level. (Family: Hal-aide. “Q51; Supply and Demand repealed? Private importers have 750,000 lbs of Australian butter on the %ih ttlwufanaida. (Foggy Herald). l *5 "6 P68 . anyhow. Federal Minister of Agriculture to Ivilresentatives of agricultural de- partments and organizations at Saskatoon: "At the first war con- ference in the fall of 1939 it was 1101? Iumested that. methods should changed or production increased or cut down, rather Just s. normal 661M118 on of current practice, and 6° 5B1‘ B8 861161111 policy was con- cemed that was still the situation. The last year had been difficult gugphtlggeéleitawouldt blgawfirse, he .. or . . aid, Dec. 115L891] m y Her "What is needed now is a plan or policy for agriculture. The situ- ation is ridiculous . . .In fact the W11°16 Isficultural programme in Canada is bogged down in doubt, confusion and dismay . . . Farm organizations are going around in circles, and worst of all provincial department of agriculture officials are neutralized by the lack of de- finite gilicy." (Editorial, Farmer's Advoea , Dec. 20>.

TI-IE NORTH COUNTRY (3)

Ceneral History. King Charles I. as his hopes waned. sought ro- fllile with the Scottish army, ch lay before Newark. Lord Leven, their commander, immediately retired with his royal prisoner to New- castle. The story runs that the King attended service in the church of St. Nicholas where a fanatical Covenanter ave a discourse, af- terwards ca. ng outfor the sing. ing of the fifty-second Psalm:-

Why dost thou, tyrant. boast abroad. Thy wicked works to praise?"

Whatever the King's faults. slow- ness of wit was not one of them. for he stood up and called for the Fifty-sixth Psalm instead:

"Have mercy. Lord on me I pray, _ For man would me devour."

The townsfolk mowed their ap- preciation by singing e mon- archs choice. But Leven, whatever his intentions, could not take the King into Scotland against the wishes of the General Assembly, so he accepted £400,000 in discharge 0f all claims, handed Charles over to his enemies. and retired across the Border. How the King fared afterwards is too well known to be recited, and does not. come into Northern history.

The Cromwellian regime, Eng- land's nearest approach to a. dicta- torship, did not endear itself to the conservative North by its destruc- tive tendercles; but out of the evil one good thing came; Cromwell gave the Northern Counties par- liamentary representation for the first time in history.

The restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 was welcomed in the North with _ enthusiasm, the palatine Jurisdiction was revived and the pomp and dignity of the Prince Bishop restored. Under the able ad- ministration of Bishop Cosin the damage and destruction of the Civil War were speedily repaired. The Revolution of 1688-9 called out very little activity in the North 131d though there were doubtless many Jacobltes among the northern gentry they were in general much too cautious to be involved in the risings of 1715 or 1745. In the for- mer rising the unfortunate Earl of Uerwentwater was captured and executed, as has been told already in these columns. and his adher- ents (among them the De Hepples, from whom the present writer can claim descent) were stripped of their lands and reduced to poverty. Witli this sharp lesson before them the people of the North wisely kept out of the last hostile episode of i-iie BOIKZSI‘. the rising of 1745. Prince Charles Edward Stewart. the ‘Ben-- nie Prince Charlie" of the ballads. alter his success at Preston Pails, marched into Cumberland and 1n- vested Carlisle, then defended by a small, ill-equipped garrison. Gen- eral Wade and his army, lying at Newcastle, found it. impossible to reach the city over the tracklcss wastes bordering the Roman Wall, and the town surrendered to the Prince Nov. 14th, 1745. The inhab- itants were ordered to pay £2,000 to save the houses from being plundered. not a. very chivalrous action by the "young Chevalier." He advanced south as far as Darby, skilfully eluding Wade's forces, but for lack of help from a hostile pop- ulation began a disastrous retreat to Scotland again, closely pursued by the Duke of Cumberland. a gen- eral who had had much experience on the battle-field but is credited by historians with a cold, cruel lia- ture. The Prince left a small garri- son in Carlisle in the hope of de- laying the pursuit. On the 27th of December Cumberland himself put the match to the first of the six cannon trained on the “old hen- coop" as he termed the castle, "and nlrmwly escaped. a cannon ‘shot from the enemy falling within a yard of him." ‘rhree days latel- the garrison surrendered. and the armies moved on, over the Border and out of our history.

MORE ABOUT MANUBE

Now is the time when wood ashes are produced in great uantities in the rural districts, an it is well to put again on record the findings of the late Dr. Shutt. who was for many years the D- ‘ ' Chemist. He iecrognized the ashes of wood as a fertilizer of very considerable value, aspeclallv on sandy or light soils. for promoting the growth of clover. fruit trees and leafy crops. It was only on the introduction of the high-grade omsh salts that the use of wood a es fell off. but cc-

W11‘. (Bank Report).

TWeekIy Live Stock Market Report

19%1'1‘AWA, Canadar-Deoember 91. ' sumivrsiivi

‘The holiday lull continued in live stock markets and there was little of interest during the period up to December 31st. The small supply 0f cattle on hand at the year end was cleared at steady to firm rates. It is interesting to note that clos- ing prices for 1940 were between 50c and $1 above those prevailing at the end of 1089. Calves, hogs and lambs were little changed from the close of the previous week.

Eastern Cattle Markets

The moderate pre-Jioliday run of cattle at Toronto was cleared at unchanged prices with steers of medium to good q selling at $8 to l9 and nothing realy choice offered. Butcher stock sold up to $8.25. Prices were about steady in Montreal where steers were quoted at $8 to $9.50 and good cows at $5.50 to $6. The bulk of the receipts in the Mari- times were only fair and plain 1n quality and the market showed signs of easinesl. Best steers were quoted at $7 50 to $8.

Western Cattle Markets Receipts were light in the west and prices held steady to firm with a fair clearance made. Winnipeg had few butcher steers good enough in quality to top at $8.50 and the bulk of the sales were made around £8. Stockei‘ trade was light with best grades at $5.50 to $6.50. Calgary was steady to stronger and had good to choice butcher steers up to $7.75, with one load of feedlot steers at $5. Prince‘ Albert had one butcher steer sale at $6.50. Saskatoon quoted best steers at $6.50 to $6.75, with odd heavy kinds up to $7.25. Vancouver was firm with good butcher steers at $7.50 to $8 and local feedlot ma- .erla.l at $8.10.

United States Market

There were no sales or Canadians at Buffalo. Recent quotations on medium to good Canadian steers at St. Paul ranged from $9 to $10.50 and medium to good cows $6.50 to $7.

50.

Exports Ito the United States during tllle period December 26th to December 31st were 964 beef cat- tle, 244 dairy and 165 calves, making the totals for the year 1940 128,48! beer cattle, 15,014 dairy and 73,458 calves. The 1939 exports were 178,- 102 beef, 13,000 dairy and 80,173 calves. Exports of beef cattle from October 1st to December 31st, under the fourth quarterly quota totalled 39,731 heed, compared with 87.301 head in the corresponding period of 1939.

._i i-i

Calf Market Steady

There was no change in the calf market. Toronto solo choice veais up to $12 on a short run and Mont- rell was on a. basis of $11.50 to $12 for good veals with one individual at $12 50 Winnipeg was about steady with top veals at $10 to $10 50 and Calgary paid $7.50 to $8 for best veals. Edmonton was firm with the bulk of the good calves at $8 to $9 and od-d choice kinds at $9.50. There was some advance at Regina where top venlers sold up to $9. Saskatoon was film wi-t-ll most good veals at $8 to $9, and Vancouver had com- mon to medium vealers at $4.50 to $7.50

Hog Market Unchanged

Hogs held a level of $11 for grade B-l dressed at Toronto and $11.25 alive, while Montreal continua at $11.35 dressed and $8.50 alive fed and watered and up to $8.75 off trucks. Winnipeg was unchanged at $10.10, with premiums paid on cer- tain shipments and Calgary was steady at; $9.75. Fdmontoil was firm at $9 80, while Prince Albert paid $9 75, Saskatoon 11.53 $9.75 and Vancouver $10 50 to $10.75.

Lamb Prices Steady

The Toronto lamb market con- tinued steady at $11 for gcod ewes mid ivetlttrs with small lots at $11.25. Those prices ilvere about 75c per c-wt , hifzliei- tlinn those in effect at the end of i939. Montreal sold lambs ungrndd at $8 50 ti» $9, with s:mc good lamb plckeil out up to $10. Winnipeg was about steady with tops at $9.25 and Cal- gary sold good lambs at $8.50 to $8.75 Edmonton ivos filmer ivitu most of the good lambs at $8.25 to $8 75. Prince Albert had one lot at $8. while there ilvcre no rllcrp or lambs offered at Regina. Only two lambs were on offer at Saskatoon and bf0il“.1l-L $7 5U and Vancouver had no offerings. Iii the Malhimes. choice lniilbs old at $0 alive or $19 on the dressed basis.

'on0mic reasons seem to D0111; to a revival of interest in this source of potash. Ashes of good qumity, un- mixed with sand. dry and un- leached. have an average content of 5.5 per cent potash. Dr diluti- found; azld in addition some 2 per cent of phosphoric acid mid from 20 to 30 p21‘ cent of carbonate of lime, making them lli a sense a complete fertilizer and useful for correcting soil acidity. a condition detrimental to most farm crops.

It has scmeilmes been fifififl-"Pd that hardwood ashes are supewor to those from softwood. but Dr Sr.utt's analyses do. not bear out that statement. However, it. was found that the ashes of twigs and boughs were much richer in potash than ashes from trunk woods. From 25 to 60 bushels of wood ashes per acre, lie calculated, will furnish 60 to 1Z0 pounds of potash the latter an ample dressing for even very light soils (They are not needed on heavy cluv lo ms illl"i may even be harmful). ‘Their ap- plication is best 116121265 to i\ m- c» damp day in spring. on the plough- ed land w-liere they must be incor- porated by a thornuzh 1!1\.‘1‘0Vti'.1Z For turnips, when mixed with one- third to one-half their weight c bone meal. the." 1‘""Y6 "”“""5 satisfactory. says Dr. Shutt; an he concludes that there iize few crops on light and unveil)’ 5°11‘; or on roul- vegetable looms, iilll! will not be materially benefited flcui the application of wood italics.‘ A neighbor taught nle a lvrlziicle about weed ashes that I tit ovice out into operation oil my oelinlf. The ashes are stored iii a buct-et “I the back porch for a day or two. till the fire. u any. has died 011l-

(IUARIYAN

I CONSERVATION I

a wean: COLUMN or rruicnosi. ormious or nu VITAL ISUEB AFFECTING rm: uses AND annals or NATURAL azsomrcla a! an. minnow Jaivirma

anew

FINISHING THE MAMMALS

KILLING WHOLESALE Man the Destroyer

es o, the re tile group do- miAniteduthe animaf world--on the earth. in the air, and in the sea. Ym this dominance came to an end; and the great reptiles were eliminated in a way we can never full_ understand. They were suc- cee ed as “lords of creation" by the mammals, once almost as widespread and dominant as the reptiles, and now clearly being ex- terminated—but in a way W6 61m understand. for it is we ourselves 211/110 are causing their extcnnina-

on.

scientists state that the fur trade is definitely bringing to a c105; the Age of Mamma s. If the fur trade alone is so powerful a menace, then the end must indeed be near, for the fur trade is only one of several mighty forces that are visibly combining to annihilate mamznalklnd. Occupation by man of more and more of the environ- ment available for mammals contributing heavily to their ex- termination. Hunt ng has reduc- ed big game species everywhere so greatly that they exist only as wards of government. Bounty payments slay their thousands, and "control” cornpai s their millions. while "vermin" estructlon has in view the absolute elimination of predators; and, carried on with- out cessation, in some CPIRCCS its object. is almost achieve .

Trappers and hunters should be interested to conduct their activi- ties so as to ensure a. continued supply of the animals on which they depend for livelihood. or for "sport"; but ignorance, selfishness and greed among professional trappers .lnd ‘sportsmen’ prevent positive steps toward this end. men" against harmless creatures The false propaganda of "sports- men" against harmless creatures is instigated largely by the gun and ammunition manufacturers, and is abetted by the state game commissions. Hunters now pursue small animals that men a genera- tion ago would have scorned to call "game";.and are wiping out many of the small creatures of the woods and fields.

"Vermin" control provides no in- centive for the perpetuation of species; its proponents would hail with great satisfaction the death of the last predator on earth: and “vermin" control is the most in- excusable of all the inimieal fac- tors now pushirig our small ani- mals into oblivion. The worst of- fender is the federal government. The US. Bureau of Biological Sur- vey, a bureau of the Department or Agriculture, has blackened the history of the United states with a stain of wastefulness of our rich fur resources. and of wan-ton cruelty toward our valuable wile" creatures that finds no parallel ti; the history of the relation of men and animals.

This pamphlet discusses the im- pending fate of medium-sized ani- mals. those below the size of "big game”, concerning the destruction of which public conscience is at least partially awake, and those above the size of mice and the like, which are too small to inspire the savagery, or too cheap to ex- cite the reed of men. It deals largely wth fur animals, includ- 111g small game, as oppressed by trappers, hunters and game keep- ers. The plight of our fur-bearers is desperate. The little animals who are our friends are vanishing from our countryside. This pamph- let will serve a high purpose, in- deed. if by it any are induced to heed the cry of rapped and suf- fering wild creatures.