366 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 27. 1869. 



special glance from the eye, which could not have ever been 

 had the friendeliip begun in the gayest scene the world ever 

 saw. Sorrow shared consecrates friendship. Also the sympa- 

 thising letter written by a friend to us when we are in trouble, 

 secures our hearts more than a thousand merry epistles, for 

 we then feel his value. Thus, too, I never knew Fanny's full 

 value until eickness became my guest. The dog was restless, 

 and would get into my room. By the way, I should have re- 

 marked that the had learned to knock at a door and gain ad- 

 mittance by thumping her short tail against it, making an ex- 

 cellent imitation of a tap, tap. Well, she, though repeatedly 

 driven down — she, the gentlest and most obedient of dogs, 

 would come up-stairs, and she would and did get into my room, 

 then on the bed, and there she would remain. But to describe 

 the scene further — to give a photograph of it, I must use the 

 words, the better words of another. Mrs. Browning, one, surely, 

 of the first poets of this century, both in heart and intellect, 

 once received from a friend, Miss Mitford I think, the present 

 of a dog, who became her faithful companion during some 

 years of ** that long disease, her life." Her account of the 

 attention and love shown to her by this dog during a severe 

 illness just portray Fanny's conduct to me under similar cir- 

 cumstances. Glancing at the silky beauty of other dogs, she 

 comes to her own, and says, looking at him — 



*' Bnt of thee it Bbnll be said, 

 This dog watched beside a bed 



Day and night unweary ; 

 Watched within a curtained room, 

 Where no sunbeam brake the gloom 



Round the sick and dreary. 

 *' RoBes gathered for a vase. 

 In that chamber died apace, 



Beam and breeze resigning. 

 This dog ttnly waited on, 

 Knowini; that when light is gone, 



Love remains for shining." 



How exquisite are those two last lines, and how true, as 

 thousands uf sick rooms bear witness. 



Then the poet goes on comparing the life of other dogs to 

 the life of her devoted dog. 



*' Other dogs in tbymy dew. 



Tracked the hares and fdllowed tbrocgh 



Sunny moor or meadow — 

 This dog only crept and crept 

 Next a languid cheek that slept, 

 Sharing in the bbadow. 

 •* Other dogs of loyal cheer 

 Bounded at the whistle clear. 

 Up the woodside hieing — 

 This dog only watched in reach 

 Of a faintly uttered speech, 

 Or a louder sighing. 

 •* And if one or two quick tears 

 Dropt upon his glossy ears. 

 Or a sigh came double — 

 Up he sprang in eaper haste, 

 Fawning, forjdling, breathing fast. 

 In a lender trouble." 



I must again break the course of the poem to note the 

 wonderful power and truthfulness of the last three lines of 

 this verse. No words ever, I think, so exactly showed the 

 different manifestations of love in trying to comfort, which are 

 peculiar to a dog. No artist could give them, for a painter 

 could not, of course, give motion, whereas the words can 

 and do. 



" Up he sprang in eager haste," 



active electric movement — 



" Fawning, fondling, breathing fast," 

 three kinds of motion so quickly following, consecutive, but 

 not co-existing, and then the finishing touch — 



*' In a tender trouble,'' 

 affection predominating, prevailing over grief. 



Then comes the poet's last descriptive verse — love perfect 

 and secure, and resting — 



" And this dog was satisfied 



If a pale thin hand would glide, 

 Down his dewlaps nloping — 

 Which he pushed his nose within, 

 Afler^platforming his chin 

 On the palm left open." 



No words of mine could so exactly tell Fanny's winning, 

 loying ways when I was on my sick bed, no words of mine could 

 half so well tell them. When I grew gradually better and 

 began to walk with a tottering feeble step, I was accompanied 

 by Fanny. Soon I had to halt — resting, then walking a little 

 farther ; Fanny paused as I paused, and walked on as I walked 



Fanny lived with us for many years, considering the short- 

 ness of dog-life. Her death was tragic. She was fond of a 

 gun, and did her part well in sport ; but, alas ! one wretched 

 1st of April, " dies ater,'' the contents of the barrel went into 

 the dog instead of the inferior animal. Even in djing she was 

 herself, for she raised her head, gave one look, which went to 

 the heart of the shooter. Her look said plainly, " I know it is 

 a mistake, and I quite forgive you." Oh ! that wretched 1st of 

 April ! what a flood of tears was shed ; what a household of 

 mourners we were ; but in vain the tears, the mourning — the 

 bright-eyed Fanny was bright-eyed no more, but she lives in 

 the tenderest remembrance of us all. Fanny was the last 

 of " my dogs." The last, at least, who has lived and died 

 with us, for I must not forget you. Dash, handsomest of liver 

 and white spaniels, faithful guardian of my home ; but you are 

 living, so you cannot have as yet a biographer. — Wiltshire 

 Rector. 



OUK LETTER BOX. 



Andalustan Chickens (H. L.).— We believe the breed to be "com- 

 posite," and therefore subject to return to the parts that originally formed 

 it. Black and white wonld be among them. You were prepared for it by 

 the letter of the seller, who very candidly told you what you might 

 expect. It is not uncommon for these lisht birds to get darker, and the 

 dark ones to become lighter, till they reach a neutral tint. 



Brahma Pootras Partly Featherless (J. B. C). — They eat each 

 other's feathers. We know, to our cost, there is no cure for it but giving 

 them their entire liberty, unless there be some satisfying food we have 

 not yet discovered. There is no doubt it arises from a morbid and 

 diseased state of body, and it is curious from the fact that the patients 

 stand stitl and submit to being plucked alive with as mtich patience as 

 though it were a pleasurable operation. They are also epicures in their 

 way. They be^in with the fluff— we suppose the Htifht down tickles their 

 palate— then they eat the hackle, and at last, *\fante de mieux," they eat 

 the saddle feathers. The only approach to a cure has been to rub the 

 bare spots freely with bitter ointment. 



Docks and Fo\\x3 Together {Parson's Wife). — Ducks and fowls to be 

 shown in June need not be separated, so far as soxes are concerned; but 

 Ducks and fowls must not be kept together either for their weU-doing, or 

 for exhibition. Their habits are too dissimilar. It is fairly open to 

 doubt whether the eggs are barren from the cause given ; but the risk is 

 so great at this time of year, we should advise you to change the cock for 

 another. If you have room enough for your chickens do not shut them 

 up. They require extra food because weight is essential, but it is too 

 expensive to feed a yard at that rate. If you cannot give them separation 

 and liberty, you must shut them up for a short time, or you must increase 

 your average feeding, and trust to beauty of feather and perfection of 

 condition to make up for any deficiency in weight. Goslings and duck- 

 lings may bo killed at from sixteen to eighteen weeks old. 



Address (S. Thorne). — We never state the address of correspondents; 

 all questions must be sent to our office. Every week we repeat a notice 

 to that effect. 



Hen's Feathers Brittle (P. J. TT.).— The plumage is worn out and 

 brittle at this time of year, and the nakedness you complain of is caused 

 by the attentions of the cock. Remove him, and the feathers will come 

 again. It is also akuost certain you would uot he a loser by the separa- 

 tion. 



Antwerp PiGEfiNS, &c. [St. EdmiLnd'i). — Do not feed your birds before 

 teaching them to fly; they will come home the better, and be rewarded 

 by a good feed. At the same time, let them uot fly on a long fast. We 

 fear your hen Pigeons have "rot feather;" let them have exercise, 

 variety of food, the bath, and separate them from their mates for a few 

 weeks. They should also have gravel, loam, salt, and mortar mixed, to 

 pick at. 



Grey Parrot (r<frm).— Feed your bird on Indian com well boiled, 

 biscuits soaked in milk, the latter not quite cold, difiereut seeds, nuts, 

 and any grain occasionally. Be sure to give no animal food, not even a 

 bone to pick. He should have gravel at the bottom of bis cage. We 

 recommend milk as above rnther than water. Do not over-feed or under- 

 feed, but notice what your bird takes ; fre&h food ia best. 



Canary and Rabbit Shows {H. BaU).~Yron\ your communication prog- 

 nosticating the decay of the shows we entirely differ. They are increas- 

 ing in uumlier and improving in management. Committees are more 

 careful in selecting judges than they were two years since. 



Pbeseuving Peas (S. A. X.).— Pick them when full grown, shell tbem, 

 dry them gently but thoroughly, and then store them in canvas bags in a 

 dry place. When required for use soak them in water for a few hours 

 until plumped up, and theu boil them. 



Silkworms' Eggs (CMHiV^Ziw).— They are of no use if kept until the 

 year folloT^-iug that in which they were produced. The price of the cloth 

 covers for our volumes is Is. each, or free by post 1«. 3d. 



Swarm Settling on the Ground {Car aim) —The queen doubtless 

 dropped ou the ground unable to fly. owing probably to some defect Inher 

 wings, and being there discovered by the bees, the swarm settled where 

 she had fallen. We do not fancy you did much good by adding to them 

 the cluster of bees in the bell-glass, since all, or nearly all, of them wonld 

 return to their parent hive the first time they quitted the new domicile 

 to which they had paid so invuluntarj' a visit. 



Wax jUoth [S. S. irarc).— In the Woodbury, and indeed in every descri])- 

 tion of moveable comb hive, nothing is easier than to effect a cure by lift- 

 ing out the frames, examining the combs, and destroying all the larvre of 

 the wax moth. We are, however, inclined to believe that the colony is 

 really suffering from foul brood, which is a much more serious matter. 

 We should be the better enabled to judge of this if you would give particu- 

 lars of the history of the stock, and we should also be glad if at the same 

 time you would communicate your address. 



