358 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



eatures was a small fernery and aquarium united together, 

 the peculiar features of which, with the whole manner for 

 arranging the same, will make the subject matter of an- 

 other paper on the fine effects that can he produced by 

 window plant cultivation. 



We introduce the subject of aquaria and fernery united 

 in this place to show the exceedingly valuable and indis- 

 pensable requisites of water and air for all plants grown 

 in a room, where the air is always more or less dry from 

 the use of gas and coal fires. If you desire to place a small 

 aquarium, of the oblong or globular form, in your box now 

 under discussion, you can do so provided you do not make 

 it too large of itself. Your box being three feet wide, you 

 can so arrange your plants as to give ample space for a 

 little rock arch of say one foot in height from the top soil 

 of your box. Upon these supports (bits of rock cemented 

 together with hydraulic cement, I made mine) you then 

 place an aquarium fourteen inches long by eight wide, and 

 ten inches in height, covering the bOvtom with white and 

 colored pebbles and small shells to the depth of one inch, 

 and you have a very nice little affair; and the best of all 

 is, it does not cost much, and will be found a well-spring 

 of pleasure and a source of much instruction for the 

 younger branches of the family. Little boys and girls soon 

 learn to love plants and flowers, and often little boys will, 

 at sight of a little natural history toy, carry his recollec- 

 tions back a whole year, and name the species before him 

 and where he last saw one of the same kind. A little boy 

 of only two years and eight months of age, upon my pre- 

 senting him with a toy turtle, arranged upon a magnetic 

 needle, which gave it the appearance and motions of life, 

 exclaimed, "Grandpa, I saw one in the fernery last sum- 

 mer." 



Having your aquarium ready for the water, you will 

 plant in the same one or two small roots or sprigs of the 

 ■caUisneria spiralis, which easily roots itself among the 

 pebbles at the bottom. The other water growing plants 

 you can sparingly introduce if you choose as confer co', to 

 run over the rocks in the aquarium. You can with much 

 benefit to yourself consult the manufacturers and dealers in 

 aquariums as to the kind of plants and fish you need, and 

 often half an hour's talk with an intelligent man is sugges- 

 tive and valuable. This digression, however, is incident- 

 ally introduced for the benefit of those who would try their 

 hand at embellishments at this stage of the window box 

 rather than being a part of the box arrangement we pro- 

 posed at the outset for our window box, which is only a 

 simple box with advanced improvement, our object being 

 to lead all who are disposed to be our pupils to think and 

 originate for themselves under our suggestions. 



Some box cases I have seen made a specialty for the bulb 

 alone, and from the centre of just such a box of earth a 

 small granite rock arose, of the size of a peck measure, 

 and six or eight inches in height. The hyacinths were ar- 

 ranged in a semi-circle around the box, the highest plants 

 nearest the glass, and the next highest next the outer row, 

 and so on, much care being had in the nice adjustment and 

 harmony of color in the blooming. At the base of the 

 little boulder in the middle were placed on each side a root 

 of the English violet and the various kinds of cr icus' in 

 all their splendid variety, from the magnificent ' cloth of 

 gold," the "royal purple," the "Persian," and "or.tre mer' 

 to the humble "smelling ray." They were? intermixed with 

 some ten or more of the tulip tribe, the low blossoming 

 paroquets, and at the corners some few stalks of the single 

 blooming varieties lent a charm to the whole, of which a 

 written description fails to convey a very definite idea of 

 the rare and beautiful treasures of a very simple and easily 

 arranged window box. In the progress of our papers on 

 the subject of window gardening in all its many forms and 

 numerous adaptations to the parlor, the drawing room, and 

 the small conservatory we shall show that it is always the 

 safest and best path to knowledge to lake the simplest, 



Having your box all ready you can proceed to fill it with 

 such plants as you may desire to see grow and blossom 

 about you, but do not expect to create anything wonderful 

 in a month or a year; but you may create a most wonder- 

 ful and pleasing effect in your cozy sitting room, and 

 though the wind and storm rage without, and a misty veil 

 of rain or snow holds in icy thraldom the out-of-door 

 world, all is brightness and beauty, an almost tropical 

 clime, and the odor of sweet blossoms within. 



Among the plants much loved by our lady friends will 

 be found the well known, much used smilax, (Medeola as- 

 paraooides). This plant is too well known to need a par- 

 ticular description. Every child knows its rich, wavy, 

 glossy foliage. It is a bulb, and originates at the Cape of 

 Good Hope, where it grows in great abundance, requiring 

 a rich, rather sandy, clean soil, and is not at/all reluctant 

 to drink considerable water. Its flowers are of a whitish 

 green. The smilax easily adapts itself to almost any sit u- 

 tion, and will grow in a not very sunny position. It is also 

 a good plant for trailing among rock work. 



Gllipod Quill. 

 -**. .«. 



The State Park.— In the message of Governor Dix, 

 appears the following, in regard to the State Parks: — 



"Near the close of the last session of the Legislature, the 

 Commissioners of State Parks made their first annual re- 

 port, in conformity to a direction 'to inquire into the ex- 

 pediency of providing for vesting in the State the title to 

 the timbered regions "lying within the counties of Lewis, 

 Essex, Clinton, Franklin, St. Lawrence, Herkimer and 

 Hamilton, and converting the same into a public Park.' 



Their report contains important views and suggestionsin 

 regard to the preservation of the forests in this mountain- 

 ous district for the supply of water and timber. 



They came to no conclusion in regard to the main object 

 of their inquiry, but recommend, until the question can be 

 further considered and decided, that the wild lands now 

 owned and held by the State be retained." 



Referring our readers to a thorough examination of this 

 most important subject, which appeared in a former num- 

 ber of Forest and Stream, we trust that His Excellency 

 will further the recommendation made by the Commission- 

 ers of the State Parks, and aid it by his personal and official 

 influence. 



mml 



CLEANLINESS OF KENNELS. 



WE shall shortly publish a description of the fox 

 hounds of the north and south, their number, man- 

 agement, mode of training, feeding and breeding, compil- 

 ed by the most eminent gentlemen of America. In order 

 to lay before our readers a short description of the manage- 

 ment of the kennel we quote from a clever writer, named 

 R. T. Vyners. "In some kennels where strict economy 

 or, as it should be more appropriately termed, parsimony 

 ijs the order of the day, the hounds have no beds allowed 

 tjhem on their benches during the summer months; but it is 



ibad system. In the first place the kennels do not smell 

 , alf so sweet as when they are allowed beds, which can be 

 iemoved as often as occasion may require, nor can the 

 vermin be kept from getting into their coats half so easily, 

 as when there is a little straw to shake the sulphur upon, 

 moreover, hounds by continual lying upon hard boards, not 



Infrequently become quite bare upon their backs and 

 lbows which lias an unsportsman-like and unsightly ap- 

 pearance, (where straw is too dear and precious an article 

 to be wasted, cuttings of spruce, and scrub oak make an ex- 

 cellent substitute, especially the spruce, as it has a tendency 

 to brighten the coat and keep the hounds in strong health). 

 Ticks as w r ell as fleas are a sad nuisance in some kennels. 

 They are always the effect of idleness, filth and neglect, 

 and nothing can be easier than to eradicate such pests from 

 all sorts of kennels if the feeder will set to work in a pro- 

 per manner when he first perceives the evil to break out. 

 Pointing up all cracks and crevices to the fullest extent up- 

 on the sides and ceilings and two or three whitewashings 

 with hot lime and water, will perfectly eradicate the intru- 

 < ers, provided that when the hounds again return to their 

 sleeping kennels, their coats are free from vermin. Pre- 

 vention is always better than cure;alittle sulphur sprinkled 

 upon the beds will prevent the vermin from ever breaking 

 out again, unless the hounds are allowed to pick up ticks 

 and fleas Avhen shut up in strange places, or the kennels to 

 become saturated with filth and dirt under the benches t or 

 in the remote and dark corners of the kennel. The estab- 

 lishing a good and free system of ventilation is a thing not 

 half sufficiently attended to in kennels and stables." (Most 

 cjf the diseases of dogs that occur we are inclined to be- 

 lieve may be traced to a neglect of the cleanliness of the 

 kennel, either that or insufficient drainage. Ed.) 



, 4 



Fox Hounds of Florida. — The first fox hounds ever 

 brought to Florida, were from a celebrated "pack" owned 

 on the estate of the "Marquis of Berresford," in England, 

 Sir Reginald, (subsequntly Marquis) of Berresford came to 

 America and opened extensive indigo plantations, on the 

 bank of the St Johns river in East Florida, at a place still 

 known as Lake Berresford, in the beginning of the last cen- 

 tury, and like all Englishmen yearned for the most noble 

 sport of his far off home. "Deer Stalking," as it existed in 

 Florida, was new to him; and not being fraught with 

 (.hanger, lacked that tone Avhich foxhunting alone can claim. 

 Anglo Saxons love "fair play," as the hunter must give as 

 much attention to saving his own neck, as he can to secur- 

 ing the "Brush',' and the chances are sometimes decidedly 

 against "Nimrod." 



Unfortunately for the foxhound of England, the Marquis 

 spon discovered that the fox of Florida wouldn't run half 

 a mile before he climbed a tree, and foxhunting was aban- 

 doned reluctantly, the dog remained, however, and through 

 neglect they rapidly mixed with the cur of the country, 

 and the blood has become extinct. Lord Halifax then 

 conceived the idea of importing foxes, and actually tried 

 tlpe experiment. 



But to-day there is no dog kept in Florida for the fox- 

 chase exclusive^. We have a lively and exciting substi- 

 tute, however. When Ave want a foxhunt we can get up 

 vbry pretty sport by calling out a pack of deer hounds; we 

 run our fox sometimes half an hour, he climbs a sapling, 

 we overtake bin and shake him out, the dogs take after him 

 a tain. 

 [We might introduce Missouri foxes, but hunting our 

 "climbing fox" is not foxhunting at all. J. A. M. 



New York, Jan. 10, 1874. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



Having read an article in last week's Forest and Stream 

 on " Can Dogs Reason?" I will relate sn incident that came 

 under my own notice; although whether it was reason or 

 instinct on the part of the dog, I leave you to determine. 



In the fall of 1871 the Captain and I were tramping 

 around the prairie about two miles from Fremont, Neb., 

 and with the assistance of the Captain's pointer, "Dick," 

 picking up a stray "chicken" every little while. A pecu- 

 liar "point" of "ducks" some distance off, called our atten- 

 tion to him; he would make as beautiful a "point" as lever 

 saw, when suddenly he would throw up his head, turn it 

 in different directions, and appear to be drawing the scent 



from all around; then he would give two or three bold 

 steps forward, but the Captain's "steady Dick," "steady" 

 would again bring him down to a point. The best, descrip- 

 tion I can give of his actions, is, that he said as plain as 

 dog could say: "there is game here, but you need not waste 

 your ammunition, I can attend to it if you'll let me go in," 

 which we finally did, by going in all together on a double 

 quick, when up went a prairie chicken, but in less time 

 than it takes to tell it "Dick" had it fast. 



On examination we found the chicken had one wing- 

 broken and one thigh badly shattered by shot, and from the 

 condition of the wounds we judged it had been done within 

 two days, but certainly not on the day Ave were out. 



I've had great respect for "Dick" evei since, but I can't 

 understand yet how he knew that bird was wounded. 



Luke TRirp. 



A Brave Dog. — From the Columbus 8m of Georgia, we 

 take the following: — 



"There are few observant ones who have been long in 

 Columbus who have not noticed the large, intelligent, and 

 splendid dogs belonging to Messrs. Chas. Heyman, Henry 

 Averett, and W. R. Brown. Their progenitor has a history. 

 At the battle of Spottsylvania Court House Mahone's divis- 

 ion of Confederates, in which was Gen. A. R. Wright's 

 brigade of Georgians, was charged by tremendous lines of 

 Federals. The attacking party was repulsed with terrible 

 loss. In front of the advancing columns was a large dog, 

 who advanced ferociously and barking to our lines. Not a 

 gun was pointed at him. Of all the terrible odds advanc- 

 ing, eleven to one, only this dog got over the Confederate 

 breast- works, and he was captured by some members of the 

 City Light Guard, of the Second Georgia Battalion. He 

 was brought to Columbus, loved his Southern master bet- 

 ter than life. His progeny embrace the smartest dogs in 

 the country. The Yankee-southern dog died here some 

 months ago at a good old age." 



A Doo Tracing Stolen Goods. — At Leeds on Monday 

 a piece of woollen cloth was stolen from a cart, and on Tue." - 

 day it was recovered, and the thief captured in a singular 

 manner. A dog "was observed pawing the ground on a 

 piece of land attached to a bobbin manufactory, in White- 

 hall road, shortly after two men had left it, and the watch- 

 man employed on the premises, suspecting something was 

 hidden, made a search, and found the cloth. The place 

 Was watched, and the thief caught in the act of searching 

 for the cloth, and committed for trial. — Land and Water. 



— The old-fashioned stag-hound is extremely rare; how- 

 ever, they possess in Florida a magnificent specimen of this 

 nearly extinct breed of hounds, as the following from the 

 Tallahassee Floridan, will satisfy the most incredulous: — 

 : " During the recent camp hunt on St, James Island by 

 some of our citizens, an incident occurred which is perhaps 

 without a parallel in the annals of hunting, and deserves to 

 be recorded. A large buck, closely pursued by that famous 

 stag-hound, Old Ring, belonging to Mr. Hopkins, took 

 water, and headed right out to sea; the dog without hesita- 

 tion boldly followed him in his voyage over the 'dark and 

 treacherous waves.' They were Avatched with intense in- 

 terest by the hunters until each was a mere speck upon the 

 surface of the sea, .and until they were finally and totally 

 lost to view. After some time, when it Avas supposed that 

 both dog and deer had found a watery and perhaps a bloody 

 grave, in mortal combat, or been devoured by sharks, a 

 small object was discovered, which proved to be old Ring 

 returning from his long swim, much exhausted, but reach- 

 ing the shore in safety. But to the greater surprise of the 

 spectators, after a time the deer also appeared in sighr, 

 making right for shore, on reaching Avhich he Avas shot 

 doAvn by one of the hunters." 



Origin of the Expression "A Wild Goose Chase."— 

 The author of the old book entitled the "Gentleman's Rec- 

 reation," published some two hundred years ago, in speak 

 ing of the manner in Avhich horses Avere matched in racing in 

 former times says that "first, then, the old way of trial was, 

 bjy running so many train scents after hounds, this being 

 fpund not so uncertain and more durable than hare hunt- 

 ing, and the advantage consisted in having the train scents 

 laid on the earth most suitable to the nature of the horses. 

 Now others choose to hunt the hare till such an hour Avas 

 prefixed and then "to run the Avild-goose chase," which 

 because it is not known to all sportsmen, I shall explain 

 the use and manner of it. The "wild goose chase" received 

 its name from the manner of the flight which is made by 

 Avild geese, Avhich is generally one after another; so that 

 the tAvo horses, after the running of 210 yards, had liberty, 

 Avhich horse soever could get the lead, to ride Avhat ground 

 he pleased, the hindermost horse being bound to folloAV him 

 Avithin a certain distance agreed on by the articles, or else 

 t<j> be Avhipped up by the tryers or judges, which rode by, 

 and which ever horse could distance the other Avon the 

 match. But this practice was found by experience so in- 

 human, and so destructive to horses, especially when two 

 gpod horses were matched, for neither being able to dis- 

 tance the other, till both were ready to sink under their 

 riders through weakness, oftentimes the match was fain to 

 be draAvn and left undecided, though both horses were 

 quite ruined. This brought them to run train scents Avhich 

 Avas afteiwards changed to three heats and a straight course. 



— Mr. Anguste Belmont has entered two colts for the 

 grand prize of Paris of 1875. 



—At a meeting of the stockholders of the Monmouth 

 Park Association Mr. John Hoey Avas elected president and 

 Mr. D. M. Hildreth vice president; these gentlemen to ap- 

 point the stewards. 



— The race meeting at Monmouth Park Avill commence 

 on the 4th of July next and continue one Aveek. The pro- 

 gramme will bp published in a few days. 



