334 



JOUBNAIi OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ October 8, 1871. 



his a supporter of hia strength ? Well, the last few mile3 the 

 road ran across a rabbit warren, and oh I the dog's delight then. 

 Never had he seen so muob game before ; never did he enjoy 

 such sport. " Babbits young, and rabbits old ; rabbits hot " 

 ■with running, "and rabliits cold" with fear, were around him. 

 The place was alive with them, and he quite forgot his long 

 journey. My readers can im-igiue my boyish delight — I kept 

 rabbits then — at seeing such a number of rabbits out feeding in 

 the moonlight, the games' they played, some out from their 

 nests for the first time; little rabbits, half grown rabbits of all 

 sizes, eating, playing, scampering, and racing-off as the dog ap- 

 proached. Bat, turning my thoughts to old times, I must call 

 up another scene connected with wire-haired terriers. There 

 was an old man I knew and loved to watch who was a rat-catcher 

 — a little old man, a bent old man, who looked more bent be- 

 cause on his back was always his bos of ferrets. He had a 

 hump on hia back, and I never knew he wore a loose old coat 

 ■where the bump ended and where the ferret-box began. He 

 wore a cap, I fancy of cat skiu, and he smoked so short a pipe 

 that my wonder was he did not burn hia nose ; I looked upon 

 that nose as a kind of salamander. On an autumn or winter's 

 morning I used to see this old man tramp off from the town to 

 the fen farms with his team of dogs, everyone wire-haired, 

 usually white with a touch of colour on eye and ear, one or two 

 might be black and tan. Now this old man was worth nothing 

 bat his dogs and liis ferrets, his clothes, pipe included, coixnting 

 for nothing ; but he would not sell one of those dogs. He kept 

 to one breed, and no one in that town could get one of him for 

 fear the breed should make another rival in his trade. Poor old 

 man ! a grim silent man, so different to the merry dogs that 

 ■were always with him. He waa full of employment, and I con- 

 nected him in my mind with the sound of tbe flail which I used 

 to hear for weeks and weeka in the fen barna. I distinctly re- 

 member that the old man's dogs were smaller and not as ■wide 

 in the head as those usually seen of the wire-haired breed. 



In now drawing to a conclusion my remarks on the "wire- 

 haired terrier, I would say, Why should not breeders take up 

 this dog and improve him ? Narrow his head by crossing with 

 a good coarse-haired but well-shaped fox terrier; both dogs 

 have the heart in them. Some fox terriers, the best of them, 

 have hair of such a texture as shows clearly that they are re- 

 lated distantly to the wire-haired. Cross these two; make a 

 pretty dog, not a large dog ; show auch dogs clean, and I venture 

 that, the eye being pleased and humanity being pleased by a 

 thick coat being again put on the terrier's back, auch a breed 

 would in time be a success — a prettier dog, neater in shape, 

 Btraighfcer legs, narrower head, with nice markings. The mous- 

 tache gives a quaint look, and the pluck being there, as it would 

 be, auch a dog would be popular, and the genuine old English 

 terrier, for such I believe the wire-haired to be, would be 

 worthily represented. — Wiltshire Rectob. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Oxford Poultry Show (T. L.). — Tho entries close oa the 12tli inst., as 

 you will perceive on reference to our list. 



Bantam Pullet Ailing {O. H. R.). — Give your pullet a dose of a tea- 

 spoonful of castor oil, and notice if her evacuations afterwards be green and 

 loose. If 80, repeat the dose at twelve hours' interval. Give her no com or 

 hard food, but soaked bread, oatmeal, and growing green food. 



Silver Pheasants {J. P., Highoatc). — There are but few buyers for a 

 Silver cock Pheasant or for hybrids. We should advise you to advertise 

 them, or to exhibit them as extra stock at some poultry show. 



Conditional Sale {J. Ashworth).— Yon had not absolutely purchased the 

 Silver Poland hen; she waa to be sent to you for approval. Before being 

 pent she won the first prize at Birkenhead, and thereby her value was in- 

 creased, a circumstance which neither you nor Mr. Fearnley the vendor con- 

 templated at the time the price was named. We therefore cannot consider 

 yon entitled to claim the hen either legally or equitably. 



Perry (H. Williams). — In making perry tho peara should be ground and 

 pressed exactly in the same manner as apples in the making of cider ; but 

 the reduced pulp should not be allowed to remain any length of time without 

 being pressed. In Herefordshire, or the counties in its vicinity, it has never 

 heen the practice to blend the juices of the different varieties of the pear in 

 order to correct the defects of one kind by the opposite properties of auother. 

 It is, however, thought more easy to find the required portion of sugar and 

 astringency, as well as flavour, in three or four varieties than in one; there- 

 fore, it is BUi^posed a judicious mixture of fruits affords a prospect of great 

 benefit. In grinding, tho pulp and lind of the pear, as in the apple, should 

 be perfectly reduced; and though no benefit ia said to he derived from the 

 reduced pulp remainiug some hours unpre-^sed, yet there is no doubt but, 

 where all other circumstances are the same, that portion of liquor will, for 

 the most part, be found the best which has remained the longest under the 

 power of the millstone. The juices of the pear and tlie apple are constituted 

 of the same component parts, but the proportions are different. In the juice 

 of the pear the tannin principally Ih predominant, with a less portion of 

 sugar, mucilage, and acid matter. Perry requires nearly the same sort of 

 nnanagement during the process of fermentation as cider, but it does not 

 afford the same itidicatione by which the proper time of racking it off may be 

 ascertained. The thick scnra that collects on the surface of cider seldom 

 appears on the juice of the pear, and during the time of suspension of its 

 fermentation the exjessive brigbtuess of the former liquor is rarely seen in 

 the latter; but. where the fruit ban been regularly ripe, its produce will be- 

 come moderately clear and quiet in a few days after it is made, and it should 

 then he drawn off from its grosser lees. To preveot an excess of fermentation 

 the same means are used as in making cider, oud the liquor is rendered 



perfectly bright by isinglass. For this purpose the isingla^B should be re- 

 duced to small fragments by pounding in a mortar, and afterwards steeped 

 twelve or fourteen huurs iu a quan'ity of liquor sufficient to produce its. < 

 greatest degree of expansion. In this state it muse be mixed with a few 

 gallons of the liquor, and Hlirred till it is diffused and suspunUed in it; and 

 It is then pouted into the cask, and incorporated with the whole by continued 

 agitatiun for two or three huurs. This process should be repeated till the 

 reqiiirtd degree of brightuess ia obtained, tho liiiuijr buiug each time drawn 

 off on the second or third day from its precipitated lees. About 1^ 02. or 

 2 ozs. of isinglass are generally put into a ca^k of 110 gallons at once. 

 Were its mode of action purely mechanical there could be no objection to a 

 larger quantity ; but it has also a chemical action on the liquor. It combines 

 witu, aud carries down, the tautiiu principle ; aud hence, iluiing the prucess 

 of hiiiug, the liquor is deprived of a large purtiou of its astriugency. This 

 substance is mobt readily diffused in liquors by bjiling; but by this it is dis- 

 solved and converted into glue, and its organisation, on which aljne its powers 

 of liuiug depend, is totally destrojed. But when perry can be made suffi- 

 ciently brown without it, it is better not to usu the isinglass, as the liquor is 

 rendered cxtremtly agreeable to the eye by it, but is thought to become more 

 thin and acid by its action. In tbe afier-mauagement of perry tbe method is 

 the same as that of cider; but it does not bear bitaaiious where it is exposed 

 to much change of temperature so well, and its future merit cannot be so well 

 judged of by its present state. In the bottle it almost always retains its good 

 qualities, and in that situation it is be.st to be put, if it remains sound and 

 perfect, at tho conclusion of the first succeeding summer. — {Household 

 Kiicyclopcedia.) 



METE0ROLOGICA.L OBSERVATIONS, 



Oaudbn Sqdabb, London. 



Lat.51^32'40" N. ; I.oag. 0' ti' 0" W. ; Altita-ie 111 feet. 



REMARKS. 

 30th.— Bain before 9 A.M., and after 9 p.m. at night, but very fine between 



those hours. 

 October 1st. — Rain all night; but fine morning, aud till 3.40 p.m., when it 

 began to rain, continuing mure or less all the day and night ; thunder 

 at ti.-lU and 7 p.m. 

 2nd. — Fine morning; mock sun E of true stm at 7.12 a.m., and W of true sun 

 also from 7-15 a.m. ; heavy raiu at noon for a short time ; fiiie double 

 rainbow at 5 p.m. 

 3rd. — Pine morning, and very pleasant day, though much colder. 

 4th. — Raiu commenced at 9 a.m., aud continued till noon; line afterwards, 



but cold. 

 5th. — Fine all day, but more especially so in the early part ; fine night. 

 6th.— Fuir morning, but soon clouded over, and the day was dull and cloudy ; 

 rough wind at night. 

 Cooler and a very wet week, the rainfall being nearly 24 inches. — G. J. Symohs. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— October 7. 

 Markets remain steady ; the supply of vegetables is, however, (ailing off, 

 the prmcipal attendance being on the Satui-days. Foreign Grapes large, 

 supplied with other descriptions of continental produce. 

 FEUIT. 



Apples i sieve 



Apricots doz. 



Ctierries "fe^lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 



Currants i bievc 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts 1'). 



Oobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse. . . . lb. 



Lemons V 100 



Melons eaoh 



B. d. B. d. 



Mttlberriea ^Ib. 



Nectarines doz. 



(Jrautjea ^100 la 



Pciicties doz. 8 



Pears, kitchen doz. ^ 



dessert doz. 1 



Pine Apples lb. t 



Plums. j sieve S 



Quinces doz. 



Kuspberries lb. 



Strawberries ^^Ib. 



Walnuts bushel 10 



ditto ^100 1 



B. d. B. d. 



a too u 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 8 



Asparagus t^ lOO 



Fruuch 



Beans, Kidney.... k sieve 



broad bushel 



Beet, Hed doa 



Broccoh bundle 



Brussels Sprouts i sieve a 



Cabbage doz. 1 



Carrutd buuoh 



CjpBicums ^ 100 



Cauliflower doa. 8 



Celery bundle 1 



Coleworts. . doz. bunches 2 



Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 3 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs buuoh 



Horseradish bundle 8 



B. d. s. d. 



0to6 

 





 1 







1 U 

 9 



Leoks 



L.uiLuoe dO£. 



MuduruomB puiue 



Mustard Hi Cress. .punnet 



umuuB bushel 



piokling quart 



Parsley per doz. buncbts 



Farsuips dua. 



Peas . quart 



Potatoes bushel 



3 toO 



U 9 







Kidney , 



Radishes., doz. baacbes 



tthubarb bundle 



Salaafy buudie 



.-jcor-souera bundle 



Sea-K^le basket 



Sbailots lb. 



Spiuacb bushel 



roin.itoes doz. 



rumipn bunoh 



Vegetable Marrows ..doz. 



U 







u u 



4 U 



2 



u 6 



