278 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



We got one more deer that morning and then set our 

 faces toward the house, where we arrived about one o'clock. 

 After dinner we loaded our game upon the cart and set out 

 for Jim's, arriving in time to prepare one of the deer for 

 supper. 



The next morning I left Jim's house for the village, and 

 having been disappointed at not getting a buck among our 

 deer, nailed a fine pair of antlers on the head of the largest 

 doe before putting it on the sleigh. This proved a source 

 of no small amusement, as many ejaculations of admiration 

 were bestowed on the "fine buck" we carried — and the 

 fifteen miles between Jim's and the village passed all too 

 quickly. 



Years have passed since then, and many times have I in- 

 haled the balsamic air of the pine forests since I trod their 

 depths in company with Jim, but never have their emerald 

 reeds ret ponded more sweetly to the wind or their balsams 

 distilled a richer fragrance than on the day on which I 

 killed my first deer. Transit. 



ffaodhnd, ^mvn mid (§mdm. 



— » 



WINDOW, OR PARLOR GARDENING. 



» 



INTRODUCTORY-CHAPTER NO. 1. 

 "Here stood a shattered archway, gay with flowers; 

 And here had fallen a great part of a tower, 

 While like a crag that tumbles from a cliff, 

 And high above a piece of turret stair, 

 Worn by the feet that now were silent- 

 Monstrous ivy stems clasped the gray walla." 

 IN one of his novels of life in our great cities, Charles 

 Dickens graphically describes a narrow, dark street in 

 London — a place where the bright and beautiful light of 

 God's sunshine seldom penetrates the humidity of the Lon- 

 don fogs. Dark, damp, and uninviting, indeed, is the lo- 

 cality. The poor — the very poor — dwell in this place, and 

 in this very street hundreds of human beings are born, live, 

 and die, and yet never leave their dismal abode — but sel- 

 dom mix with any society save their own class. In this 

 wretched locality, with all its squallidness, its misery and 

 privations, there germinates the aspirations of a better, a 

 higher, a more glorious life. 



Stranger, let us pause before this old stone building. 

 Behold how the green moss tenaciously clings to its window 

 caps, iis copings, and embrasures. Now cast your eye far 

 up to those diamond-shaped windows. The windows are 

 small, and a few hours' sunshine — from one to three hours 

 perhaps in a week — illumines the darkness of this "Coin- 

 er's Court,"* and yet see how beautifully those rose plants, 

 the ivy, and carnations glow and bask in those few mo- 

 ments of sunshine. Aie they not lovely? The signet of 

 beauty is set upon the passi flora that with clinging tendrils 

 finds security and sustenance in its quiet recess, from which 

 it so gracefully depends. 



From those silent, inanimate blossoms of earth we turn 

 our eyes up to a second window, upon a level with the one 

 we have contemplated, and here, too, under circumstances 

 of still more abject poverty, a white arm extends in a bro- 

 ken teapot of earth a magnificent specimen of the gera- 

 nium in full bloom. Setting it caretully upon a shelf cut- 

 side the window, our fair owner carefully waters her pet 

 plant, and after contemplating the same with evident plea- 

 sure (for said she to herself, "how beautiful God has made 

 all things, even these flowers") she with a pleasant smile 

 closed the window and disappeared. 



How beautiful, how full of pleasure to our London 

 maiden was her one solitary geranium. What a lesson of 

 resignation, of quiet submission to outward circumstances, 

 does she exhibit. Contented with her lot, she takes thank- 

 fully what the good God gives her with a gratefulness of 

 heart. Well and truly could she appropriate to her own 

 condition the lines — 



"For though this cannot be our rest, 

 Life's roughest paths have still their flowers.' 1 



The least acute observer of Nature will find but few vio- 

 lets among the ruddy clover fields; neither do the harebells 

 and heather grow amid the fogs of London city as they did 

 in Shakspeare's time; yet here and there grows a plant that, 

 "standing like Ruth among the golden corn," not only re- 

 conciles us to the destiny of our lives, but introduces to us 

 from its humblest and most primitive state, its first rude 

 attempt, the costly, well-stocked jardiniere, the pride and 

 boast of Paris. 



Passing from the first and most primitive form of "win 

 dow gardening"— the solitary geranium in the hands of our 

 London maid— we would endeavor to make the following- 

 papers both practical and interesting. At the period of our 

 writing (1873) the subject of window and parlor gardening 

 may truly be called one of the fine arts. Every one, to a 

 certain extent, loves flowers, and many more would cultivate 

 them in their rooms if they "knew how to do so success- 

 fully," said one of our lady friends, and she added, "Of 

 what' use is it to try to do what you do not how know to 

 do? I readily admit it to be one of the most elegant, sat- 

 isfactory, and refining pursuits that a lady can find for the 

 development of a cultivated taste ; but still, while I may 

 love all the beautiful I behold in the wonderful sport of 

 plant life, I lack the true knowledge of how to cultivate, 

 how to produce these results." 



This question, with your permission, we propose to an 

 swer. This information, plain, practical, and easily to be 

 adopted to the various situations in which it is desirable to 



♦Coiner's Court is a dark, damp, short street in London, inhabited on 

 ita lower floors by poor citizens, rag pickers, &c, while the more eleva- 

 ted rooms are occupied by seamstresses and sbop girls, who, notliwitn- 

 fttaadiug ttwiE poverty, still auuutauwd a love of flower* and reflneinent. 



grow plants, together with the plants best adapted to the 

 different situations, will make the subject matter of two 

 or three papers in the Forest and Stream. 



And first we shall speak of the simplicity of window 

 gardening. From a very small beginning — some three or 

 four plants only — how much pleasure may be received; 

 how much real profitable instruction gained or imparted. 

 If the one solitary shell on the sea shore is but the mute 

 development of a great mystery, how much more so is that 

 tiny, living, growing plant you hold in your hand? How 

 great the mystery of its unfolding leaves; how grand the 

 design as exhibited in the pushing of the leaves from even 

 a bulb! As an evidence of its refining powers, one need 

 not visit European cities and villages to see its effects upon 

 the commonest peasantry. 



In Paris, before the late war, might be seen the grand- 

 est developments of window gardening, elaborated and per- 

 fected in all its parts by this mercurial people. One would 

 hardly expect to witness so intensified a love of flowers as 

 is here daily exhibited. The flower girls of Paris make 

 often not inconsiderable sums of money in a single season 

 by the sale of the violet alone, which they cultivate them- 

 selves in their highest perfection in their window ow jardens, 

 and in Paris it is not an uncommon thing to see as an ap- 

 pendage to the drawing-room of men of only ordinary 

 means a collection of very rare and beautiful plants. Here 

 in the windows of the parlors, shut off by an inside win- 

 dow, may be seen a miniature cascade of water flowing 

 down over rockwork which is alive with the lycopodium, 

 the ferns, and the cakas, all afforded at a very trifling 

 expense. In some instances rare and picturesque develop- 

 ments, which belong rather to the out-of-door depart- 

 ment of the landscape gardener, surprise and delight 

 one in our window gardens. From the most simple, rustic, 

 or plain crock beautiful flowers and star like ra} r s rise to 

 cheer and gladden the chilly months of winter. From the 

 more advanced and progressive works of the cultivation of 

 the orchid, the crocus, the tulip, and oxalis of many kinds, 

 our knowledge of the chemistry of the soils, and knowl- 

 edge of how to produce these beautiful flowers with ease, 

 give us a pleasant surprise. Said a lady, "Sir, I have raised 

 very fine hyacinth flowers in the spring, the result of your 

 teaching me to how to plant them in the fall." Now this 

 all appears very simple; indeed, it is very easily done if a 

 due regard to the details of the process be carefully ob- 

 served. Growing flowers under difficulty is shown by the 

 window garden process, and that, too, to great perfection 

 in the dampest, dirtiest, and most smoky portions of all our 

 great cities. We have numerous notes and observations 

 under our hand, which we shall use in illustration of the 

 feasibility of successful and also profitable window gar 

 den plant growing. 



In our next we shall speak of the simpler forms of win- 

 dow, ot box plant growing, and the few kinds best adapted 

 for the amateur beginner to commence operations with. 



Ollipod Quill. 



— * — 



Salem, Mass., Dec. 4, 1873. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: — 



I am gunning whenever work and weather will permit, 

 mostly after shore-birds and sea-fowl, using heavy guns and 

 a float, or as they call them south (in one instance, to my 

 knowledge), "a mean Yankee sneak-box." During the 

 past year I have taken several rare birds, and all within the 

 County of Essex. They are as follows, according to Coues: 

 The stilt sandpiper, quite rare; the buff-breasted do., very 

 rare; the curlew sandpiper, very rare and accidental from 

 Europe; the yellow rail, very rare; and also the mallard, 

 the hooded merganser, and the cormorant, {graculus carod). 

 I think I am in luck, as they make valuable acquisitions to 

 a collection which I have. I have also taken all of the cur- 

 lews, but never one weighing 3£ lbs., as C. B. writes fr?m 

 Moekhorn Island, Va. Tell him if he gets another Jack 

 Curleto as large as that I'll mount it and return the same to 

 him free of charge. I know that local terms confound 

 sportsmen more than anything else, but the Jack Curlew, 

 as I understand it, is the numenius Hudsonius or Hudso- 

 nian Curlew of Dr. Coucs, a bird somewhat larger than the 

 "greater yellow legs," and I never saw a " sickle bill" 

 which would weigh 3i lbs., and this bird is recognized by 

 everyone whom I know as the largest of the three species 

 of curlew found on our coast. Are "stiff tails " the "pin- 

 tail duck? And what are " broad bills?" Hoping to hear 

 from you through your paper as the happy medium of cor- 

 recting wrong ideas in the minds of brother sportsmen, 

 I am, yours truly, R. S. N. 

 W»^ 



DO SNAKES HISS? 



Editor Forest and Stream :— 



I have read with interest the question which has been 

 argued in your journal as to the habit of snakes swallowing 

 their young, but although I have seen the operation twice, 

 I did not care to mix in too rashly on the question, as I 

 wished to find out if there were more than one or two var- 

 ieties of snake that did this, for I do not think the habit is 

 common; and a better reason for saying nothing about it 

 was that I could give no information about what I had 

 seen. . 



The first time that I saw it was in Warren County, N.Y. 

 I was then a boy, and another boy who lived there said the 

 snake was a viper. We saw the young ones run down her 

 throat, killed and opened her and countedj&fteen young 



ones; but whether they were in her stomach or a pouch 

 designated for such purpose, we did not observe. 



The next and only time this subject ever came under my 

 observation was when crawling ashore after an involuntary 

 bath in the Grant River, Wis. I saw a snake swallow 

 several young ones as they took alarm at my presence, but 

 as my rifle was at the bottom of the river and my canoe 

 just vanishing bottom up around a bend, it was not a favor- 

 able moment for careful investigation. 



Having told what I don't know about^ one branch of 

 ophiology, I could easily go on and show my ignorance of 

 the entire subject, which I will admit; and so omit the 

 proof. 



I have made many experiments with snakes, both during 

 and since boyhood, to see if it were possible to make them 

 hiss. I began in faith, for I had so often read and heard of 

 it; but a few failures begat a skepticism which has eventu- 

 ally ripened into unbelief. 



• I have tried them in many States of the Union, and have 

 never yet heard a snake make a decided hiss, as a goose 

 does. A snake looks as if it hissed when it threatens with 

 its tongue, but such snakes, as it has been my fortune to 

 meet, have all persistently refused to hiss at me. I do not 

 wish to be understood as saying that an occasional experi- 

 ment with snakes, common to New York, Mich., Minn., 

 111. , Wis. , Iowa, and Kansas, has failed to prove it in my 

 case. 



The rattlesnake I have often tried, and when I pick up 

 some story of wonderful adventure with them, where "the 

 hissing was loud and terrific," I not only doubt the entire 

 yarn, but set the writer down as deficient in woodcraft. 



In Wisconsin there is a snake known as the bullsnake, 

 Coluber sayi, which I was informed was a "hisser," so I 

 captured one about five feet long and brought it six miles in 

 a bag made out of my shirt and some cord. I put it in a box 

 under the woodshed, being too tired to experiment that 

 night, but the women made such a fuss abont it that some 

 one killed it — women are so "queer." 



This was the only chance I ever had to try this variety of 

 snake — and this one did not hiss when captured. 



The belief that snakes do hiss seems to be so common 

 that it seems as if there must be a foundation for it some- 

 where, though I have failed to find it. Perhaps I don't 

 know how to make them do it; but I have poked, pinched 

 and burned them, and hung them up and pinned them 

 down, and if any of your readers will tell just what variety 

 of snakes will hiss, and under what circumstances they do 

 it, I will try and procure one and get some music out of 

 him. 



I never met any one who had experimented in this 

 direction, nor saw any mention of it in any scientific w r ork. 

 I have only found a firm belief that they hist>, which like 

 many other beliefs, is accepted because uncontradicted. 



Having started this question, I expect to hear consider- 

 able said on it; and hope to learn something about it, for I 

 am always open to conviction. Fred. Mather. 



♦ — 



Breeding Distinct Setters. — The most important 

 point in crossing different breeds of sporting dogs is to pay 

 attention to the qualities and education of their forefathers. 

 We never advocate the crossing of pointers with fox-hounds, 

 &c, so as to increase the strength and endurance of the 

 animal. All dogs so bred will invariably give great trouble 

 in their education, from an hereditary inclination to act the 

 hound instead of the pointer. There is quite variety enough 

 in the present breeds of pointers to improve your kennel if 

 you want any addition of bone, speed, or courage. We 

 saw a young pointer the other day, who was only just able 

 to run out alone, point, and indeed back, as steadily and 

 with as much certainty as an old dog, but this undoubtedly 

 would not be the case had there being any cross whatever 

 in his breeding. Always choose your crosses with dogs 

 which show the strongest instinct, and whose ancestors 

 have been remarkable for their scent on any given bird. For 

 instance, select your puppies whose parents had shown 

 most skill in trailing woodcock, or take a couple of setters, 

 each having a wonderful reputation, excellent nose and 

 strong scent for woodcock, breed them, and the first time 

 you take the puppies out, you will find almost to a certainty 

 when you see the little beauties working, that they are on a 

 woodcock trail. Originate this breed as it were, and stick 

 to it, and on no account whatever allow a strain of any 

 other dog to mingle with the original breed. When the 

 breeding in and in has arrived at the fourth generation, 

 procure and select with great care another young setter, 

 strong and unequalled scent, to breed from. By this you 

 will then have bred as perfect a breed of woodcock setters 

 as can be obtained in animal life. There is certainly no 

 class of dog in which this faculty is more decidedly shown 

 than in retrievers. Although a retriever is frequently of a 

 cross-breed, yet, if his ancesters for one or two generations 

 back have been well educated, and have had much practice 

 in retrieving, he invariably requires little, if any, teaching, 

 and appears to understand the whole of his business in- 

 stinctively. The breeders and teachers of dogs would 

 much facilitate their own labors did they pay more atten- 

 tion to the dispositions and habits of the parents of the pup- 

 pies whom they take in hand. One or two brace of per- 

 fectly broken dogs, pointing and backing without fault, is 

 a sight that must interest and amuse every person, whether 

 sportsman or not; yet, we prefer hunting our own brace of 

 dogs and seeing them look to ourself wholly for direction 

 and approbation. 



