THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
■with the difference that the horse having the weight of his 
rider to carry in addition to his own, greater speed was 
acquired in him ; yet, without a sacrifice of substance. 
We have said, that all the qualifications of the hack are 
desirable in the hunter, hut it is rarely they are so possessed ; 
for out of a stable of a dozen hunters it is doubtful whether 
we can find more than two really good hacks. One, perhaps, 
may he too sluggish in his slow paces; another may trip iu 
his walk, though safe enough in his gallop; a third may be 
an indifferent trotter, or may have too short a neck, or may 
carry his head too straight, or too low. Any of these defects, 
though unredeemable in a hack, may yet exist in a hunter, 
accompanied with’sucli marked excellencies as to render the 
possessor a first-class animal. 
Strength, speed, and bottom, are the three cardinal virtues 
in a hunter; but these virtues may all he neutralized if the 
animal is either of a restive disposition, or of a hot, or irritable 
temperament. Of the two faults the last is the worst, in¬ 
asmuch as it is incurable; for although an irritable horse 
will often make an excellent hack, or single-harness horse, 
he is perfectly useless as a hunter; for not only will he con¬ 
trive to do three days’ work in one, and thus require, perhaps, 
a fortnight to recruit, hut he wearies the rider's arms in 
pulling at the bit, and endangers his head in rushing under 
the houghs of trees, or his legs in passing through gate ways. 
The rider may esteem himself fortunate if he arrives home 
with merely the loss of a hat, or the skirt of a coat. 
A restive or bad-tempered horse, on the other hand, may 
to n great extent he cured, by a good rider firmly resisting his 
evil propensities; for to sit a restive horse, is in great measure 
to cure him; and it is notorious that some of the most 
troublesome young horses have turned out the best hunters. 
A disposition to kick other horses is one of the worst vices 
of a hunter, as there are so many opportunities offered for 
the indulgence of the vice when a number of horsemen 
crowd together in a narrow lane or path-way, or at the “ finish." 
A celebrated sportsman having an excellent mare with this 
unfortunate propensity, used when riding her to have a 
large label pinned to his back, on which in large letters was 
written, “she kicks.” It is not every one that would have 
the same consideration for his friends, or, haring it, would 
submit to the singularity of such a mode of caution. 
A hunter, therefore, is required to be steady and quiet with 
hounds, to have a good, though not too light a mouth, so 
as to bear a little pulling occasionally, which will ease and 
support him in a run; and this, with speed, strength, and 
bottom, will render him a valuable animal. It is extraordinary 
what large prices some hunters will realize; but it is only 
after some brilliant run that such sums are obtained. The 
writer has known an ordinary looking horse supposed to be 
bought dear at l'-10, afterwards sold for .£100, then £150, 
again for £200. Another little animal, at fifteen years old, 
has lately realized £150 at a public auction; nnd these prices 
are very moderate as compared with the more aristocratic 
sums of £100, £000, and £800, which have sometimes been 
given. 
Although the rarity of the possession of a combination of 
extraordinary qualities will often command such prices, yet 
we must observe, that there is no mistake so great as that 
frequently made in giving a very large sum of money for a 
horse, whose great reputation has been earned by such long 
continued services, as totally to incapacitate him for their 
further repetition. IV. C. Spooner. 
VEGETABLE COOKERY. 
Those who reside in the country can vary their dinners 
in a pleasant manner, by attending to their gardens, and 
having a succession of vegetables; and even in towns where 
vegetables have to be purchased it is still a piece of economy 
to have them. I do not mean to recommend such as are 
expensive, but the commoner sorts, such as carrots, turnips, 
parsnips, and onions; these are sold at a low price, and, if 
nicely cooked, they will be much relished both for breakfast 
and supper. Potatoes I need not recommend, they are 
fully appreciated, but still a few hints as to the method of 
dressing these universal favourites may not be useless. 
How much more comfortable it must be for those who go 
from home each day early in the morning, to follow their 
different callings, to have a nice hot mess of fried vegetables 
for breakfast instead of merely bread and butter, or bread 
[April 11. I 
and cheese ; the vegetables, if seasoned with pepper and salt, 
and fried in a little grease, will be most palatable, and will 
at the same time materially lessen the baker’s bill. I ob¬ 
serve many people who possess gardens are very ready to 
give to the pigs the vegetables that are not required for the 
dinner table, apparently forgetting that there are other meals 
to be prepared, and that although bread and butter are very 
good things, yet a change is always desirable, and that even 
in cookery “variety is charming.” Where there are servants 
to provide for, vegetables will be found very serviceable; and 
the cook should be told to prepare some each day, particu¬ 
larly for the supper table. 
Those who are able to gather their own vegetables should 
be careful to do so before the sun has shone long on them ; 
they should also be used as fresh as possible. If they are 
obliged to be kept, put them into the cellar, or in some place 
where the sun cannot reach them; and put them on the 
bricks or the stone floor, not on the shelf; on no account 
should they be kept in water, ns it makes them insipid and 
unwholesome. Cabbages, cauliflowers, brocoli, and all vege¬ 
tables in which insects are liable to remain, should he thrown 
into cold salt and water before boiling. 
Boiling Potatoes. —There is some attention required in 
boiling all vegetables, potatoes not excepted; cooks very 
often imagine such is not the case, and the consequence is 
that potatoes are constantly sent to table badly dressed, 
either crisp and indigestible or else boiled to pieces and 
full of water. Almost all sorts of potatoes are improved by 
being boiled “in their jackets;” they must be put into cold 
water (which is not the case with the generality of vegetables), 
into which a spoonful of salt has been put; when the water 
boils pour a little more cold water into the saucepan, in order 
to check it, and let it remain on the tire till a fork will pierce 
the potato easily; then strain the water off, and let the sauce¬ 
pan remain by the fire for ten minutes or a quarter of an 
hour, when the potatoes will have become dry and mealy. _ 
Roasting Potatoes. —A most excellent way of dressing 
them for supper is to bake them, or roast them as it is some¬ 
times called; an oven by the side of the tire answers best 
for this purpose, but it can be well managed in an American 
oven hanging in front of the fire ; they take nearly two hours 
to do them sufficiently, but then they require no watching, 
merely turning them at the end of the first hour. Eaten 
with a little butter or fresh dripping they make a very 
favourite supper dish, particularly with cliildren. 
Fried Potatoes are also very nice; the best plan is to j 
boil more than you require for your meal the day before, and 
when half done take a few out of the saucepan, and the next 
day they will be firm enough to cut into thin slices, which | 
are to be put into a frying-pan in which there is some boiling ! 
dripping ; fry them tiU they are nicely browned, and before | 
putting them on the dish sprinkle some pepper and salt over i 
them. ! 
Hashed Vegetables. —Potatoes make a nice dish if 
mashed up with any cold vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, ' 
cabbage, spinach, or onions; therefore, save any vegetable 
which may be left from the dinner, mix them well together 
with some salt and pepper, and either put the mixture iu the 
oven until it becomes very hot, or fry it. 
Onions are most wholesome, and very sustaining. The 
poor should always be encouraged to plant them in their 
gardens. The large onion roasted in front of the fire, or 
fried in shoes, is very good. 
Jerusalem Artichokes may be parboiled and fried with 
the onions, using plenty of pepper and salt. Jerusalem arti¬ 
chokes require a very short time in boiling—a quarter of an 
hour is generally sufficient; their skins must be removed 
before they are put into the saucepan, and immediately they 
are soft enough the water must he strained off, or they will 
be watery. 
Garrots are very nutritious, and where it is possible they 
should be constantly seen on the table. Old carrots require 
boiling a long time, sometimes nearly two hours; half an 
hour is sufficient for young carrots. When you have a piece 
of boiled meat for your dinner always put the carrots into 
the same saucepan ; it materially improves their flavour, and 
they become very tender. Carrots and parsnips must not be 
peeled before boiling, but merely scrubbed with a brush 
(kept on purpose for such work) and well washed. 
Turnips require peeling. They must be put on in boiling 
