A Collection of Interesting and Instructive Lessons, Intended as a Sequel to the Economic Instructor (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. 1832 Excerpt: ...about the middle of the month. When pinched by hunger, it will eat the young tops of turnips, but beech mast is its favourite food, and before the old beech woods in the southern parts of the island were so much thinned, the multitudes of stock-doves that annually resorted thither, probably from Sweden and the north of Germany, were almost incredible. They might be seen, like rooks, in long strings of a thousand, or more, directing their evening flight to the thick woods, where they were shot in great numbers by the fowlers who waited their arrival. Salmon now begin to ascend the rivers in order to spawn; they are extremely active fishes, and will force their way almost to the source of the most rapid streams, overcoming with surprising agility cataracts and other obstacles to their passage. There are several salmon leaps, as they are called, in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, at which numbers of fish are taken by nets or baskets placed under the fall, into which they are carried after an unsuccessful leap. v2 The farmer endeavours to finish all his ploughing in the course of this month, and then lays np his instruments till the next spring. Cattle and horses are taken out of the exhausted pastures, and kept in the yard or stable. Hogs are put up to fatten. Sheep are turned into the turnip-field, or in stormy weather fed with hay at the rick. Bees require to be moved under shelter, and pigeons in the dove-house to be fed. Picture of the Seasons. Early Rising. Up quit thy bower, late wears the hour, Long have the rooks caw'd round the tower; O'er flower and tree loud hums the bee, And the wild kid sports merrily. The sun is bright, the skies are clear, Wake, Lady wake, and hasten here. Up maiden fair, and bind thy hair, And rouse thee in the breezy air: The...