17 OCTOBER 1908, Page 27

In the "Victoria History of the Counties of England" (A.

Con- stable and Co., £1 lls. 6d. per vol.) we have two first volumes, Rutland and Herefordshire, the first to be completed in two, the Beoond in/our volumes. "Rutland," says the editor, "covers so

small an area that it is difficult in dealing with its history not to trespass over the borders." This is specially true of the natural history articles. The county possessed no religions houses of any importance. The case is other with schools. Oakham and Uppingham are well-known names in this province, and Upping- ham, thanks in part to the greatness of Edward Thring, stands high. "Thring's appointment as head-master of the school is as important as any event in the history of the English public schools." Hereford offers a subject as large and varied as any county of England, a few excepted. Its position on the Welsh border, for instance, makes its political history important. Then its agriculture is of special importance. It has the unenviable distinction of being one of the hop-growing counties. In 1905 it had 6,851 acres under this crop, an increase of 904 on 1878 (the first year for which returns are available).