The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-02-21 00:00:00

FOOD PRODUCTION.

Oa the abuvo subject, The Times has published the fol-
lowing letter :
Sir,—on the 6 h nit. lon kindly published a letter
from me reeptcting food production by ladies, The
numerous letters I have received in consequence show
that there is a widespread interest in the movtment
throughout Great Britain, so that the founders of the
Aaociation for the Promotion of Minor 1'o:A Pro-
duction hope they triy be a!,la to organize rtn instilu•
tion where a complete training ctn be given to worsen
in poultry reariLg, bee keeping, horticulture, &c. In
reference to the importance of one branch of the
work, I venture to bring bofore you some statements
extracted from La Prance of the 91 mat, giving
statistics which have just beon issued by La Sacid
d'Agriculture de Caen of the results of poultry.keep-
ing in France. The bulletin of the society states that
40 millions of fowls are kept. which produce poultri
for the table valued at 158,5(0 000 f., or £6,340,G00,
and 400),000,000 (qnatre ot eggs. At the
low comontation of 6 centimes each, these eggs are
worth £9,600,000. Hence the total realiztd by poultry.
rearing in France is stated to produce an incame to
the breeders of no lees than 400, OjO,OOOL, or £15,940,000
sterling, thus showing that the intelligent practice of
one of the branches of the work of the association,
which can easily be carried on by women, may be„,e
an important factor in the national wealth,--I am,
Sir, yours truly, ISABEL THORNE.
Soutbover Grange, Lewes.

The Duke of Cambridge on Tuesday presented the
commlgaions and prizes to which Gentlemen Cadets at the
Royal Military Academy at Woolwich had become entitlt d.
In addressing them at the close of the presehtation he
warned them that they had difficulties as well as honours in
their path. This was an age of science arid progress, when
general officers, far advanced In their profession, were
obliged to move with rapid strides to keep pace with it.
Young officers just „t„ing upon their duties would do well
to bear this in mind.

THE DISTRESS IN IRELAND.

Air. Parnell has addressed a large meeting at Balti-
more at which he stated that the donations for the
political object of his visit to America amounted to
15,C00 dole., and those for the relief of the distressed
to between 70,000 dolt+. and 80,000 dols.

The Philadelphia Commercial Exchange have re.
solved to appoint a committee to collect breadstuffs for
the relief of the distress districts in Ireland.

The Catholic churches of the diocese Of Chidago
have contributed 15,000 dole., and the citizens of that
city 10,000 dole, towards the fund.
The Legislature of Wisconsin have offered Mr.
Parnell the use of their Chamber of Assembly for the
purpose of delivering an address in reference to the
ol jects of his mission to the United States.
The members of the Manitoban Legislature have
contributed 10 dohs, each to the Irish Relief Fund.
On Saturday last the fund of the Noe York Herald
amounted to 200,082 dole., at which time the aggregate
American collections amounted to 557,400 dole.
Collections in aid of the Irish Relief Fund were
made in most of the Roman Catholic churches in
Canada on Sunday. The Hon. J. McDonald,
Canadian Minister of Justice, announced on Monday
that the Governor-General would send a message to
the House advising a vote of money in aid of the fund
for the relief of the distress in Ireland.

Among subscriptions recently received by the Lord
Mayor of London are £2lO from the nshmongers'
Company, £52 10s. each from the Vintners' and
Haberdashers' Companies, and £155 is., being the
result of a morning performance kindly devoted to the
fund by Mr. Augustus Harris, the lessee of the Drury
Lane Theatre.

In acknowledging the receipt of a seventh remit-
tance of 22,000 from the Lord Mayor of London, the
Duchess of Marlborough mentions the fact that in a
country like Ireland, where political and religious dif-
ferences prevail to a great extent, it has been the good
fortune of the oommittee of her Relief Fund to find,
with but one or two most sad exceptions, a spirit of
harmony and conciliation influencing those who are
working under them.
At a meeting of the Newry Board of Guardians on
Saturday the Rev. Patrick Kiernan, of Jonesborough,
stated that 4CO families were in a state bordering on
starvation. The board, satisfied that extreme distress
existed in many districts, resolved to request the Local
Government Board to place the union on the list of
distressed unions.

The Duke of Edinburßh, as Admiral Superintendent
of Reserves, has, the Standard says, issued orders to
the Coastguard on the west coast of Ireland to take
charge of any relief stores and provisions that may be
deposited with them, and to lend every assistance in
conveying the relieving officers to the islands off the
coast.

The Mayor of Dover has forwarded a third con-
tribution of £lOO to the Duchess of Marlborough's
Fund.

At a meeting of the Duchess of Marlborough's
Committee on Monday it was announced that the
amount received up to the present for the relief of
the Irish distress.was £52,789, while the expenditure
was £20,727, exclusive of £lO,OOO to be paid for seed
potatoes.

The Superioress of the Convent of Mercy, Bslly-
shannon, writes :

" I scarcely expected to get donations, and when I wrote
about an appeal I intended soliciting contributions of old or
new articles of clothing and bed covering, or materials to
make them. One of the causes of the poverty here is that a
source of employment, at which poor girls used to earn well
some years ago, viz., muslin embroidery, is now gone out so
much that by even working hard they can only manage to
get one penny per day. I saw a piece lately of twenty
yards, and on inquiring what would be the payment.
I was told for the entire piece only one shilling 1
Some ascent people who are ashamed to beg or take
public relief have come to make known their wants
to us, and asked us to give them work. We have com-
meneed on a small scale to give some, but we have
neither materials nor funds to continue to extend as
we would wish. It has ocourred to me that some Eng-
lish drapers might give a dozen yards of calico, tweed, or
flannel, or a few pounds of yarn gratis, who would not give
a donation. Parcels might be sent direct to us, or in care of
a lady who has kindly promised to take the charge aid
forward, Mrs. Hewitt, 11, Argyle-road, Kensington, London,
W. In our visits to the homes of the children's parents we
have seen the great want of clothes and bed covering, and
In some cases it would be impossible for the children to
attend school, unless we supplied them with food and
clothing. We received a grant of £25 from the 'Duchess of
Marlborough's Fund to provide breakfast and clothing for
the poorest children, but this sum is .inadequate, the appli-
cations are so numerous, and we cannot apply It to any other
purpose."