TO HIS GARDExNER 95 



and desire he '1 let me know how he came to suffer ... in my 

 house without orders from me, and in short that he ""l let me 

 understand the whole of that story, which must have brought 

 a very ugly reflection upon me, as if I had been capable of 

 being concerned in or so much as conniving at an abominable 

 fraud. It has vexed me heartily, such things being what I 

 think worse than Robbing upon the Highway. I dare say no 

 more for fear of getting into a passion.^ 



These frosts must have checked the fruit trees heartily. 

 They '1 have killed seeds of Weeds, and Eggs of Vermin,^ and 

 have mellowed open ground but severe upon any young 

 tender plants now above ground or not out of reach of the 

 frost. 



I desire you ""1 be careful this year in keeping an exact 

 account to whom you give Eggs of my Wife's Hens, and 

 prefer any upon my ground who will be careful of them. 

 Give none to any out of my ground except to Gentlemen who 

 may ask them, without acquainting me. I hope you and 

 Robertson have none but fine Cocks, if you have, you '1 spoil 

 my Wife's Breed. Take the best care you can. I beg you '1 

 part with them presently if you have any not every way very 

 fine. My Wife's Cocks will serve all the hens in the yard till 

 young ones rise up some months hence. Let me know what 

 Cocks you and he have Also if my Wife has any Cocks or 

 Hens not of the very finest kind. All white feathers and Legs 

 with large tops or muft and how many both Top'd and Muft 

 and the ages of each. It is now time to be preparing for a 

 true right Breed and to throw off the Rubbish which will 

 spoil all. If none but of the very finest were left among my 

 Wife's your's and Robertson's, neither of Cocks nor Hens, 

 then all the Eggs would be equally good and equally wished 

 for over the Country. But either of you taking a foolish 

 fancy that a bad Cock of a Stunted kind not half so good for 

 eating (the chief use ^ that fowls are for) don't Crow so well 



^ This letter illustrates the emphatic use of capitals ; in this case perhaps due 

 to strong feeling and the peremptory mood. 



2 Insect pests. 



'•* The mainstay of the larder in olden times. Burt says that they were so 

 thin that the breast-bone of one might be used to carve its neighbour. 



