246 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICXJIiTUBB AND COTTAGE QAEDENER. September lo, 1874. 



ance, very soon nnmberB of dogs will be around the strangers — 

 the thin, the thick, the young, the old, the light and active, the 

 heavy and wheezy (the last always ill-tempered), the hold, and 

 the timid. Why, the place at once swarms with dogs, especially 

 since the reduction of the tax. Now I will venture to say 

 further, that by f»r the great majority of these dogs are terriers, 

 either rough or smooth, either well-bred or ill-bred, or of mixed 

 breed, but the terrier blood is predominant. Occasionally an 

 ill-marked Dalmatian is seen; also, if you keep a good look-out, 

 dog-loving reader, you will sometimes see a dog you may think 

 extinct — viz., a turnspit. Spaniels there will be, retrievers, 

 pointers, sheepdogs, and even a greyhound or two, but the 

 greater number will be terriers, or terriers in part, as bull 

 terriers. There are many reasons for this. The terrier is a dog 

 of a convenient size — not over-large, so as to require a great 

 deal of food or much space ; not so small as to want to be carried 

 or protected in any way. No : he can take care of himself, fight 

 his own battles, find his way about by himself; he will eat 

 anything, and do well on almost anything. A plucky vigorous 

 little dog, his race is a numerous one. 



Terriers abound, and will abound— uulike Persian or Angora 

 cats, of which there are many pure specimens kept, and now 

 and then one sees a half breed, and then the race is merged into 

 the common and lost. The long-haired eat does not alter the 

 English cats ; he does not leave his mark upon the feline race 

 in this country ; he would soon be stamped out but for the care 

 of amateurs. Not so the terrier. " I will live and I will thrive," 

 seems to be the motto of that energetic little dog. 



But there is yet another reason for the great abundance of 

 terrier dogs in England. Rats abound, yea, superabound, and 

 the terrier is a dog of utility in this respect — he is a rat-killer. 

 Eats, I said, superabound. In the London warehouse, in the 

 country outhouse, on shipboard, in rural granaries — everywhere 

 is that pestilent, food-destroying, abhorrent little animal the 

 rat. A London warehouse fell down towards the Thames a few 

 years since. What was the result ? The river for some yards 

 was at once black with rats. A farmer pulls down his wheat- rick 

 to dress the corn. As the rick is removed layer by layer the 

 vermin retreat lower and lower; then at last out they run, and 

 the farmer who is wise has his own and his neighbours' terriers 

 at hand to catch and kill the pestilent vermin. Some man with 

 a turn for making calculations has estimated the annual cost to 

 this country of rats — what a tax they lay upon us— and the sum 

 is an enormous one. There need be no wonder, then, that 

 terriers are kept extensively, bad they no other recommendation 

 than this that they are sworn foes to rate. Then the pluck the 

 little dogs show in facing the vermin ! How a fierce bite only 

 makes them keener after their prey ; also their thorough enjoy- 

 ment of the fun— it is their sport, their pastime, their supreme 

 pleasure. All is done, too, from love of the sport, not for love 

 of their bellies, for they do not eat rats. No master of hounds 

 enjoys fox-hunting more than a terrier enjoys rat-hunting. How 

 appreciative of the fun is that little nose of his, sniffing at the 

 rat-holes in a wall ! I never see him there without thinking of 

 Buffon's shrewd and true remark, " A dog's nose is his third 

 eye." 



A terrier, rough or smooth, wire-haired or fox, black-and-tan 

 or white, Scotch or English, is the general dog of utility because 

 he is a rat-killer, and rats abound everywhere. The terrier is 

 also a good guard and a good follower. This latter is much to a 

 man who likes a canine companion. A dog with too much bull 

 is a stupid dog in following his master, and at the first sharp 

 turn raises his heavy head in the air, and very probably loses 

 his master. Not so the better-nosed terrier ; he keeps his head 

 to the ground, and invariably finds the way his master has gone. 

 Never have I known a terrier — and I have kept many — lose 

 himself. He will find his way from a large town (say Bath) back 

 to his country home readily, though it be miles away. Well is 

 he named terrier, for with his nose to earth he finds his way 

 about the earth's surface. He has no fear at entering the earth 

 after fox, or weasel, or rat, or any other vermin. Very large 

 dogs reqtrire very large premises, or they are unpleasant to the 

 nose and injurious to health. Very little dogs are troublesome 

 because of their weakness, timidity, and smallness, and require 

 much attention. They must have a loving mistress to see after 

 them ; but the terrier needs no park kenuel to be stowed away 

 in from people's noses, as any number of large dogs must be ; he 

 also needs no petting, though he likes it well enough. Like 

 middle-sized men, terriers are the most useful. Not the big 

 guardsmen or the dainty dapper Light Dragoons are the strength 

 of the English army, but the common line regiments composed 

 of middle-sized men. So of terriers generally. 



In future papers I hope to speak of the different varieties. I 

 hope to call up from an unerring memory iu fancy matters the 

 terriers of a past age, and to depict the terriers of the present 

 age. The terrier is the Englishman's prime favourite. Witness 

 the fox terriers who at all shows are so numerous as to be them- 

 selves a show. He stands midway in size between the large 

 and the small — the dangerous from their strength, and the 

 tronble-causing from their weakness. — Wiltshire Kectob. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Hambubgh PULLET3' LEGS "WEAK iJ. A.). — You do Dot give Sufficient Ih- 

 formation. You should tell us how the biida aje lodged and fed. Much 

 depends on that. Weakness is often the result of bad feeding in youth. 

 Someiimes it is caused by unnatural and stimulating food, sumetinies by 

 damp and bad flooring to the houses in which they roust. If the birds are 

 in strung condition we advise you to purge them freely with castor oil, say a 

 table-spoonful every other day for a week, and then give bread and ale freely. 

 We can say nothing about the Dorkings for want of information. We ahiUI 

 be happy to give you all in our power if you will enable us to do so. 



Dark Brahmas White-feathered (.4. P.).— If your Dark Brahma is a 

 larger and better-shaped bird than his opponents, a judge is not justified in 

 withholding a prize from him becauee he has white feathers on his breast. 

 The original and the best Brahmas we ever had, had white epota on the 

 breast. Any plumage maybe was-hed with soap and water applied with a 

 flannel, but fowls running in the country should not want it. We shall be 

 very glad to see your account. 



PouLTRY-HorsE Perches (7*. C.).— Youi perchcs should be made of a fir 

 tree or other tree, 14or 18 inches in circnmference, sawn in half, and the round 

 part put uppermost with the bark on. Ihey should he within 24 inches of the 

 ground, ajia should rest on side pieces or supports, but should not be fastened 

 down, a3 they are easier to clean when they are moveable. 



Spanish Cog kerel's White Feathers IResurgam).— It is no detriment 

 to the Spanish c ocktrel to have a white feather in the flight. They are all 

 hatched with it, but they moult black. Pull them out. We have not yet 

 seen a schedule of the Crystal Palace Show. 



CoTTiNGHAM Siiow. — The following is a corrected list of the prizes 

 awarded to cage birds; — Yelloiv or Norwich Canary (twelve entries). — 1, T. 

 Neil, Beverley. 2. W. Forth, Pocklington. Belgian orHalf-bred Canary (ten 

 entries).— 1, W. Forth. 2, L. Meinecke, Hull. Any other Variety of Song 

 Bird (five entries).—!, W. Needier, Hull. 2, L. Meinecke. Marked Canary 

 (ten entries). —1, J. Downs, Beverley. 2, F. Preston, Hessle. Canary of any 

 Variety (twelve entries).— 1, Taylor & Clarkaon. 



Linnets (H. B.).— The Grey and the Redpole Linnets are distinct speciea. 

 Brent's " British Song Birds " details their management and that of Canaries. 

 You can have it from our office by post if you enclose twenty postage stamps 

 with your address. 



Disposing of Silk (S. E. i;.).— Unless reeled so as to suit the require 

 mens of the manufacturer — that is, so a s to form threads by reeUng off 

 several cocouus together, you will be unable to sell it otherwise than as floss. 

 We cannot say where you can flud a market for it. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Sqitarb, London. 



Lat. 51^ 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0' 8' 0" W. ; Altitude 111 feet. 



REMARKS. 

 2nd. — Fine all day ; very fine and calm at night. 

 3rd. — Slight shower iu the morning; fine afternoon; wet evening and night ; 



occasional thunder. 

 4th. — Two or three showers, but Gdc afternoon and evening. 

 5th. — Pleasant day throughout, morning and evening very fine; wind rather 



strong and cool. 

 6th. — Fine early, bat rain before 9 a.m. ; a cold rainy day, scatce any sun at 



any time during the day. 

 7th.— Wet early, dull at U p.m., dne In the middle of the d^; but wet erening 



aud night. 

 8th.— Dull showery day, but warmer than during the last few days. 

 A regular autumaal week, verj- cloudy and damp. — G. J. Stmons. 



OOVENT GARDEN MARKET.— September 9. 



Markets rather dull. Supply ample, both English and foreign; outdoor 

 Peaches and Nectarines being very plentiful. All descriptions of Plums are 

 very abundant this season. 



