han
cows or sheep in proportion to their bulk.

187. Of all animals rabbits are those that _boys_ are most fond of. They
are extremely pretty, nimble in their movements, engaging in their
attitudes, and always completely under immediate control. The produce has
not long to be waited for. In short, they keep an interest constantly
alive in a little chap's mind; and they really _cost nothing_; for as to
the _oats_, where is the boy that cannot, in harvest-time, pick up enough
along the _lanes_ to serve his rabbits for a year? The _care_ is all; and
the habit of taking care of things is, of itself, a most valuable
possession.

188. To those gentlemen who keep rabbits for the use of their family (and
a very useful and convenient article they are,) I would observe, that when
they find their rabbits die, they may depend on it, that ninety-nine times
out of the hundred _starvation_ is the malady. And particularly short
feeding of the doe, while, and before she has young ones; that is to say,
short feeding of her _at all times_; for, if she be poor, the young ones
will be good for nothing. She will _live_ being poor, but she will not,
and cannot breed up fine young ones.

GOATS AND EWES.

189. In some places where a cow cannot be kept, a goat may. A
correspondent points out to me, that a Dorset ewe or two might be kept on
a common near a cottage to give milk; and certainly this might be done
very well; but I should prefer a goat, which is hardier and much more
domestic. When I was in the army, in New Brunswick, where, be it observed,
the snow lies on the ground seven months in the year, there were many
goats that _belonged to the regiment_, and that went about with it on
shipboard and every-where else. Some of them had gone through nearly the
whole of the _American War_. We _never fed_ them. In summer they picked
about wherever they could find grass; and in winter they lived on
cabbage-leaves, turnip-peelings, potatoe-peelings, and other things flung
out of the soldiers' rooms and huts. One of these goats belonged to me,
and, on an average throughout the year, she gave me more than three
half-pints of milk a day. I used to have the kid killed when a few days
old; and, for some time, the goat would give nearly or quite, two quarts
of milk a day. She was seldom dry more than three weeks in the year.

190. There is one great inconvenience belonging to goats; that is, they
bark all young trees that they come near; so that, i