The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-04-30 00:00:00

LAND RECLAMATION IN FRANCE.

About two years ago an extensive undertaking of
land reclamation was commenced in the vine district
of Arcachon through the enterprise of two gentlemen
—M. Ernest Perry, the well-known Senator, and
M. Decanville, of the model farm at Petit-Bourg.
The soil formation at Arcachon is of a sandy nature,
and it appears that vines on sandy land are not
subject to be Attacked by the phylloxera, which is
causing such destruction among the vines in the
Bordeaux district. It is the intention of these two
gentlemen to demonstrate the success of vines on these
immense tracts of land at present covered with the
"Pines Maritimes." The method of reclamation
adopted by M.M. Ferry and Decanville is similar to
that practised by the Duke of Sutherland in Scotland,
and it has proved, as far as has been tried, a great
success, 300 acres of vines having been planted the
first year.
M. G. Jullien, a member of the well-known and en-
terprising family of that name in Lyons, is making
prepgrations to commence a larger land reclamation
near Miramas, in the Marseilles district. Through
the kindness of the Duke of Sutherland M. Jullien
has secured an inspection of his property and a
favourable report by his Grace's land reclamation
agent. This reclamation is to be undertaken entirely
by steam-driven implements, modifications of the
Sutherland inventions. The first order for the ma-
chinery, amounting to about £4,000, has been secured
by an English house, and M. Jullien expects to com-
mence actual work on the Ist of July next. It is
understood that a large company is being formed in
Marseilles for the reclamation of waste lands in France
generally.

MR. BRIGHT ON LIBERAL WORK.
The following letter from the Right Hon. Tgohn Bright
M.P., was read by the Hon. F. S. A. Hanbury Tracy, M.P.
at a Liberal meeting held at Newtown, Montgomeryshire
the other night :
"Dear Mr. Hanbury Tracy,—lf I were in your
neighbourhood, I should be glad to go with you to
meet the members of your Working Men's Club at
Newtown. I hope you may find the club well sus-
tained and prosperous. Wales has done much for the
Liberal cause, and England and Scotland, and I hope
Ireland too, have reason to be grateful to the intelligent
constituencies of the Principality. When I speak
of the Liberal cause I mean the cause,which is repre-
sented by increasing freedom at home, and by justice,
honourable dealing, and peace abroad. In the triumph
of this cause no portion of the people have a greater
interest than that which is most directly connected
with your club. I hope your members will make
themselves acquainted with the history of our country
during the last two centuries, and especially since
the accession of George 111. In this last period
of 120 years they may trace the fruits of
the two systems of Government, the Tory
and the Liberal. The Liberal Government has
made some blunders, but their policy and career have
been marked by great and wise concessions, and by
many services to the people. The possession of power
by the Liberal party since the passing of the Reform
Bill of 1832 has made a beneficent revolution in the
nation, and there is yet great work for that party to
do. I hope your Welsh constituencies will attend
carefully to their registration of voters, and that they
will -find themselves at the next general election as
powerful as they showed themselves last year.—With
every good wish for the friends you are about to meet,
I am, very sincerely, yours, JOHN BRIGHT.

" BOARD " AND RESIDENCE IN ONE.—A
Funny Folks.
HERALDIC CRESTS.—Crests are merely the tops of
helmets. Warriors in ancient times distinguished
themselves by particular devices on that prominent
article of dress. Nations also, and cities, had their
respective --emblems :—Athens an nwl, the bird of
Minerva; Rome an eagle; the Saxons a horse; the
Goths a bear, &c. We find them also in Scripture.
The standard of J'.)seph was an orc ; of Dan was
.e,n
eagle; of Judah a lion; of Reuben a man. But
heraldry, or bereditary family arms, only grew, into
a system during the middle' ages. 'lt" had its origin in
Germany, where to this day titles of distinction are
more in vogue than anywhere else. It cannot betraced
ba3k farther than the Crusaders. Since the time of
Henry the Second the three lions have adorned the
arms of England, but they were occasionally used
before that, each king having his own device, inde-
pendent of any heraldic sciences. Now it is all done
by rule. Alfred first used the lion; Canute, the three
lions; and William, the Conqueror, two lions.