RABBITS, IN SEVERE SEASONS. 



jn(l,i:;m('iit, to leave nature to her own enjoyments, for it is just sueli a spot of 

 " capabilities" as wouUl rniu any common purse in a few months after the attemi)t 

 nt elian<rc was commenced. The road ascends, by i^radual curves, a steep whose 

 top is crowned by a modern mansion well hunjjc with ])ictures, including portraits 

 of ce]el)rities, and busts of the divinities who preside over poets' residences. The 

 view from this " ]>cak" is all that poets could desire ; river, rocks, trees, and 

 waterfalls, with many of the most celebrated sites and scenes of the Ilifrhlands, 

 "West Point (which also lies at your feet, at Wodencthe), Newburgh, General 

 Morris's house, on the opposite side of the river, and numerous traditionary nooks, 

 conspire to fill the mind with memories and retrospections — those liap])y occupiers 

 which tlie traveller in the long; inhabited regions of the old world so lovingly dwells 

 ui)on. 



AVe found the author of " Lines to my Mother on leaving Europe" in better 

 health than we had been led to expect. lie soon pro])OKed a promenade to his 

 cataract, and an inspection of his fine trees. The hemlocks and the waterfall are 

 all the letters from Idlewild have described them to be, and lovely additions to 

 this highland home ; in fact, Jvst tlie things one would most covet. They come 

 out in such bold relief in the poet's description, that we found ourselves quite at 

 home among them, and felt as if perambulating some well recollected scene. The 

 place is worthy of a poem, and a continual poem it seems to be to Willis. 



RABBITS, IX SEVERE SEASONS. 



BY ALLAN W. CORSON, MONTGOMERY CO., TA. 



I AM always pleased to see the birds, rabbits, and even the musk-rat, rogue 

 though he be, in my garden and nurseries, and occasionally give them " aid and 

 comfort" when necessary, more es])ecially by endeavoring to prevent the gunners 

 from destro3'ing them ; and, therefore, rabbits are rather more numerous about 

 those grounds than in some other places, and, excepting in rare instances, they do 

 very little injury. 



In the last severe and long-continued cold weather and deep snow, I placed 

 ap])les, cabbage-leaves, and other vegetables, in places that they frequented, but I 

 had a few large apple-trees which got their annual trimming during the deep snow, 

 and the branches or spray remained on the snow, being dillicult to collect and take 

 away. Upon passing through the garden, I found on the surface of the snow 

 rabl)it tracks in great abundance in the vicinity of the trimmed trees, with well- 

 beaten rabbit roads from tree to tree. Upon close examination, I discovered that 

 the buds on the cut branches had been eaten, and especially those on fruit-bearing 

 spurs, and that, after the trimming of the trees, the other provisions had been 

 almost untouched, they evidently preferring the apple-buds. 



To their enemies, who would destroy them because they are sometimes obliged 

 to injure young trees and plants in order to subsist, and to their friends, who desire 

 to preserve them alive in severe seasons, I recommend the providing them with 

 thinnings and prunings of branches of orchard-trees, which are abundant at such 

 times ; then I believe they will not injure those who regard them as enemies, and 

 they will be preserved to give pleasure to their friends. 



