Sec. 13.] WILD AND TAME ANIMALS OF THE FARM. 259 



Application. — Have you .a dog ? Then keep him in a dog's place, and 

 watch him. If you athnit !iim to undue familiarity, don't forget that other 

 folks will still think him to be but a dog. If he has a shaggy coat and turn- 

 up nose, these will not entitle him to the privilege of following you to 

 church and disturbing the worship of the entire congregation. 



Though he may be as nice and sensible as his fond master or foolish mis- 

 tress, it is not very probable the preaching will do him any good. The intel- 

 ligent fellow might be allowed the pleasure of trotting across the floor, and 

 barking his approbation at the occasional flights of the preacher's eloquence, 

 were a dog's gratification more imjiortant than the people's edification. 



Hence, in conclusion, I would say, Beware of dogs! and what I say to one 

 I say to all. Beware of dogs ! 



Finally, to the sexton, or that good brother who raises the tunes, I would 

 say with e!n2)hasis. Beware of dogs ! and if those canine interlopers persist 

 in coming to the place of worship, just take them out and cut off their tails 

 close to the cars." 



290. Rabbits— To Prevent Gnawing Trees.— The American Hare, commonly 

 called Rabbit, is common to all the Atlantic States and Canada. It is used 

 for food by most people, but abhorred liy others. Although clothed in a 

 tliick coat of soft, whitish-gray fur, the skin is not valuable, because it is too 

 tender to be serviceable, and the fur is not much, if any, better than cotton, 

 for such purposes as fur, separated from the skin, is used for. These animals 

 are prolific, and generally prefer to live in and about farms that have been 

 suffered to grow up badly to bushes. Tliey do the most of their feeding at 

 night, and farmers generally do not feel any dread of their mischief 

 Kurserymcn do ; and so do those who plant young orchards near where rab- 

 bits abound. "When hunger presses them in winter, they will gnaw apple- 

 trees with tender bark so as to destroy them. Young nursery trees are often 

 cut ofl' by rabbits so smoothly that one not knowing how it was done would 

 suppose it was by a knife. 



To j)rcvent the depredations of rabbits, English nurserymen dip rags into 

 melted brimstone, ami fasten them about among the trees. The remedy 

 mentioned in 278, to prevent mice, is reconmiended to keep the rabbits 

 away. Some pei-sons have daubed their trees with grease scented with some 

 offensive odor, and found that rabbits would not touch them. Some have 

 plastered them with fresh cow-dung. A very good remedy is to offer a 

 bounty for every I'abbit killed in the neighborhood. 



Where trees Iiave been injured, it is a good plan to bind up the wound 

 with a plaster of clay and cow-dung, made plastic enough to adhere well; 

 this, when firmly bound on, will often save a valuable tree. 



Domesticated rabbits, if suffered to run at large, aro very ornamental, par- 

 ticularly if of the finest fancy sorts, but they are sometimes un|>leasantly 

 mischievous. Where they can be conveniently kept under ro^t^lint, we 

 have no doubt they can be made as profitable as poultry or other small farm 

 Btock. In England, rabbit-breeding is (piito a business, and men of wealth 



