12 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



good only if produced whilst there is an R in the 

 month. Early spring weather exercises a very 

 beneficial influence over all animals — beasts as well 

 as birds — their frames being invigorated by the 

 cold ; and we are told that Swedish peasants dip 

 their chickens in cold water as soon as they have 

 escaped from the egg-shell, which unceremonious 

 process they aver renders them impregnable to the 

 attacks of roup and other diseases common to 

 poultry kind. Upon one point we are satisfied by 

 long experience, that foxhound whelps born in 

 February and March are decidedly superior in 

 constitution, frame, stoutness, and straightness of 

 limb, to those making their advent into this wicked 

 world at a later period, and consequently better 

 able to contend with the distemper. So thoroughly 

 convinced were we upon this point, that unless 

 whelps could be produced from the most favourite 

 dam before the middle of April, we preferred 

 passing her over until the next season, to breeding 

 a litter out of season. 



As to the selection of whelps, some of which 

 must be destroyed unless there is a foster-mother 

 ready to take them, there exists a diversity of 

 opinion among.st professionals — some contending 

 that the lightest will prove the best ; others that 

 the mother ought to be left to make her own 

 selection ; others deciding (as a toss up) by heads 

 and tails ; others again by colour. It has been said 

 that " a good horse cannot be a bad colour/' but 

 there are, in our opinion, horses of some colours 

 which never can be good, i. e., not so good as those 



