... HIGH AND DRY ON THE SANDS OF MARGATE The collier Acrity was stranded recently by the unusually fast ebbing of the neap tide, her bows being firmly lodged on the beach, partly because she was heavily laden with a cargo of coal. In order to make sure of releasing her on the next tide, members of the crew dug a channel to seawards of the vessel and also beneath her bows. Holiday-makers were much ...

... ■WITiiTI THE three florins-- modern equivalent to the Queen's shilling-- changed hands with a silvery clink. A. prayer-book was produced. The tall, sad-eyed man in the blue serge suit placed his hand upon it and said, I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King George Sixth, his heirs and successors and faithfully defend His Majesty, his heirs ...

... TNVITATIONS to pay visits of inspection to well-known herds recently drew hundreds of acceptances, in spite of the fact that many of the visitors had to travel considerable distances. The English Ayrshire Cattle Breeders' Association arranged a visit to the famous Byton Herd at Wellington, by permission of Mr. W. H. Slater, attended by 800 people, and to the Charters Herd at the Manor and Home ...

... ENTRIES in many classes at the first post-war Peterborough Agricultural Society's show were larger than in 1939. Dairy cattle, pig, hunter and Shire classes were particularly well supported. The Championship of the heavy horses went to the Shire mare, Lymm Winnie, with a Suffolk filly in reserve. Among the lighter horses, Mr. W. H. Cooper's Beau Geste was the Champion Hunter. In the pig ...

... By OUR HORTICULTURAL CORRESPONDENT THE sweet pea-- deservedly known as the Queen of annual flowers-- is quickly coming into its own again after being almost exiled from our gardens for six years. The word almost must be emphasised for, even in war time, the real enthusiast never ceased to grow them and show them, although shows were, quite rightly, on a very modified scale. The cultivation ...

... HAMPSHIRE DOWNS are very much in the news these days with a bulk shipment of 1,000 pedigree ewes and 50 rams to Czechoslovakia the other week and other exports from Sir William Rootes, well-known Stype flock of this breed to the United States, South America, Uruguay and Australia. Sir William tells us that at the moment he has enquiries from almost all over the world. At the annual last week, ...

... By MR. G. H. FREER, Clerk of the Course, for the Manchester Meeting, deserves sincere congratulations on the manner in which he has framed a race for the Septem ber meeting on the fine Castle Irwell course. The race-- a 6 furlong event-- is the Yarn Plate, for two-year-olds, maidens at starting, got by stallions which were winners of a race of a mile and a half or over. The intention is clear, ...

... SHOULD the proposed form of bread rationing by weight not prove such a saving of wheat as expected, would it not be possible to ration all cereals on a price basis? That is, to follow the meat plan, an allotment of, say, 38. a week per head which could be spent as wished on bread alone, or bread and buns, cake, biscuits, oatmeal or other breakfast foods? This would overcome the fundamental ...

... , as had been anticipated, drew a large number of interested spec tators and 50,000 people had visited the grounds several days before it ended. It was not an agricultural show, but a demonstration of agri culture designed to tell non- farming people the story of life in the countryside and the problems which face those who are concerned with food production. Thirteen breeds of cattle as well ...

... ALTHOUGH entries in many classes at the Lincoln County Show the first since before the war were below the 1939 figures, the standard was generally high, notably so in the classes for Lincoln Reds and Lincoln Longwool sheep. The Show Championship for all cattle went to a Lincoln Red bull. Shire horses had some excellent representatives present, the Championship going to a filly with an unbeaten ...

... FROM OUR PARLIAMENTARY CORRESPONDENT Westminster, Monday, July I. THE debate in the House of Lords on Thursday on the cut in feeding stuffs and the future of agriculture, and its predecessor in the Commons, served the useful secondary purpose of examining the Government's record in their first year of office, for it is just twelve months ago that the country gave them such a decisive majority. ...

... MRS. MacDONALD, the young wife of Cap tain K. B. D. MacDonald, who served with the King's African Rifles in Burma during the war and is at present with the regiment in j East Africa, bought the farm of her dreams in March last year. She had worked on the land during the war and it was a particular thrill to find herself the owner of attractive Flowers Farm, at Redbourn, Herts, which her ...