1882.] 
AMERICAS' AGRICULTURIST. 
487 
AND HIS RABBIT. — Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
THE DOG 
Few have time to acquire such skill with 
the gun as to readily bring down the whir¬ 
ring partridge, or the deftly darting wood¬ 
cock. Every farmer’s boy, however, can bag 
his rabbit after a moderate amount of prac¬ 
tice. And it is indeed most exhilarating sport 
as the fleet-footed little creature, suddenly 
startled from a brush-heap covert, clears the 
ground at ten-feet leaps, and closely followed 
by the dog, gradually enlarges his circle 
"until the fatal shot has stopped his course. 
Though so innocent in appearance, so grace¬ 
ful in movement, the rabbit destroys your 
frees and vegetation, and .is legitimate game 
for the gunner's bag. Let the lad who has 
toiled hard during seed time and harvest 
have his day of sport. Buy him a valuable 
dog like the one, for example, in the engrav¬ 
ing, which will retrieve the game and be his 
companion through field and thicket, adding 
to the excitement and enjoyment of the 
hunt. Your boy won’t leave you for town 
or city if you will study his enjoyment 
somewhat in this and other ways. Give him 
dog and gun and fishing tackle, while your 
daughter has her bow and target, her croquet 
and lawn tennis. Is it surprising that the 
farm boy or farm girl tires of monotonous 
life, and craves another, when the city cousin 
comes laden with these means of enjoyment? 
How well we recall our boyish longings for 
a dog! “It would not answer,” father said, 
“to have one on the place; he would do 
more harm than good.” But when, after 
much entreaty, Rover came, how our young 
heart bounded, and how cheerfully and 
cheerily with our new friend and companion 
we went down the long lane into the clear¬ 
ing, and brought the cows home that night. 
It costs as much to feed a blooded dog as a 
cur; so purchase a good animal while you are 
about it for the boy—useful and ornamental. 
