Country Life Volume 19 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 Excerpt: ...Under the alien skies, Near the still streams. Will he awaken, Wake from his rest, When Spring has shaken Flowers on his breast? Will he with outstretched hands Cross the sad streams, Find those forgotten lands Where are no dreams? Mabet, Eeigh. It is not a little singular that the peacock, which was once regarded as so great a delicacy on the table that it was given a very notable place in the menus at ceremonial banquets, is now hardly considered as an edible bird at all. It is possible that in an age when bright colours were much the vogue the brilliant beauty of the peacock's plumage gave it even higher rank than it merited on a menu; but it is a great mistake to suppose that peafowl do not make excellent eating. An old peacock no doubt would be a tough morsel enough, but so is an old rooster of the barndoor kind. The peahen, however, and the peachicks of both sexes have a delicate flesh of fine flavour, and we do wrong to neglect them so entirely as we do at a season like the present, when no game is to be procured, except off the ice. On the principle that it is good to give both sides a hearing, we have printed a communication from Mr. Gray, the Scottish secretary of the Free Importation of Canadian Cattle Society, but he fails to make any effective answer to the arguments he tries to deal with. There are other diseases besides tuberculosis: (a) foot and mouth; (b) pleuro-pneumonia; (c) contagious skin diseases, all of which must be guarded against, and all of which take some time to develop. A quarantine of two months, such as is imposed on our pedigree stock, would be necessary, and this would kill the profits. Every individual pedigree animal sent from here has to be examined and to pass the tuberculosis test. American, i.e., States, cattle find t...