The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1888-10-11
FARM, GARDEN AND
HOUSEHOLD.
Across the Atlantic.


There are several things IN winch the
government of England takes especial
pride and entire control, one of which Is
the building of their highways. Their
roads are what might be termed tirst
class, being far superior TO anything
had ever before seen; and when say that
the roads through many parts of England
average as good a. the best of our trot-
ting tracks, | think | do not eXagerate in
the least. They spare no money or labor
in building them, in fact, the cost, |
should say, is not taken into considera-
ton at all. The method of building the
roads is to lay the foundation with stones
weighing, perhaps, from one to five hun
dred pounds, putting ON for the next lay
er still smaller ones, and finally topping
out with crushed rock This crushed
rock is always kept in store and when
ever the road shows signs of wear, is ap-
piled, when it soon becomes pulverized
and acts something like our cement, Civ
ing hard aud even surface.
The Welch language is the principal
language spoken in Wales, yet all, or
nearly all speak English in broken
form however, the young people, es-
pecally those who are well to do, speak
the English language quite properly, for
the reason that the Welch language Is not
taught in thcischools at the present time,
but is simply kept in existence by it,
every day use, a the Welch all talk III
their native tongue when COnyersing
with each other Their school system l.
somewhat different from ours, although
the law is very strict in compelling all
scholars to attend school some SIX
months in year yet there are no free
schools, but every scholar has to pay
tuition of one penny per week. This
seems but triiling expense TO the pupil,
nevertheless there are very many scat
TERED through the province who do not
nave this small pittance to spare, even in
this country where the wages Of the la
boring class are at least nifty per cent
higher than in England; on this system
alone very many of the poorer class
would 90 without an education.
In doing business with a government
officer in England one encounters a great
deal of red tape in their business forms
they are very strict and are not likely to
vary much from their usual form for the
sake of the accommodation of others.
England Is a free trade nation and is very
much opposed to the United States system
of placing a duty upon all imported
goods. She has a surplus of goods for
sale but rather scarcity OF provisions
| for her numerous Inhabitants consequent
ly, she places no duty on the articles she
really needs, and those articles of which
she has an abundance or surplus She has
no need of protecting, for the simple rea-
son that with the cheap labor Of England
such articles are manufactured at so
small an expense that our nation cannot
compete with her.
iSh hn oh
are advanced by our people in favor of
protection, especially in regard to wages,
claiming that instead of lowering it
would tend to advance the price Of labor,
but everyone has a hobby for the adj
vancement of their own interest, whether
it is based upon truth or lctiOn.
one of the many things for which
Wales is noted is in the breeding of its
mountain ponies. These animals are a
wee bit of the horse specie, ranging from
nine to thirteen hands high and weighing
when fully matured, from 300 to 300
pounds. The most Of them are reared in
the toughest manner, being bred upon the
most sterile mountains where many OF
them remain the year round and during
the winter season frequently have to paw
through the snow one or two feet deep
for grass to sustain life. In the spring
VI me year lucy Cpnic ou. l,l'u III neSn'
Win iohs eoavs VI liair "h'cn naVuIe mas
PROVIDED 70 protect ehelii from inc M
clelhency OF tne weather aurlhs the coiu,
Ut pare oi Ihc season. incse mountain
ranges are o"neu ny ANU iorus' anu 'A-
. teno over Iu'Ie iarse lefIltory' mo
.,icsc e'oenS'Ve pastures 1he FARMERS 'ufn
.heli PONIES paving as.ipuiateu price per
iieau io' aiiei, Aeep; hey are caushe up
o .i' ye"l, az ,caae, anu ene youus
eil'llss are iiialheu usually III the ear
ooniet'ii,cs, however, iaIihei uriVes MS
ponles VI. inc iiiounealn anu heePs ehelii
.hloush tne "in'ei seaSon III leiu "'i'ire
the iaGliiC'es ior h'inS are inucn
"ce'ei 'n"u V'ip 'a'ieh mus lhey a'c