One of the greatest advances made by the Mongol owner and particularly the "small owner"—and it is an advance all the more extraordinary in a primitive people like the Monigols—is: the arrangement that foals jate dropped as early as possible Jatter the winter snows clear from the ground, so that they can put in, as much growth as possible before the next cold season. They get thus the full benefit of the richer' milk. from the mare and actual—spring and summer warmth on the back does its bit in nature's scheme of development and protection. These breeders evidently have _Tearned from nature what Sir J. Ewart endeavours to teach his
rich keep at hand he- naturally'
finds quantity. of "Where the young
feeds' himself well and proceeds to read. out and extend his Li directions, whereas if his growth is not forced on at first-and there is, not an-overabundant supply of food, as hig age advances he will natural ly become stunted." acAgain one may quote the same ive either the old China hand or or, who, without, intending to
the new chum any particular lesson unpen the Tartar or even the Siberian pony, has succeeded in doing so by Inferenee and goes much further nan the ordinary China racing hand might imagine in Killing the parrot-ery of "Horse, horse," of which we have heard so much in the last two Years:—"The colder the latitude in which "he resides, the smaller in stature he will be." Siberia is infinitely colder than Mongolia and the ponies from that region, following the above quoted law of nature, must ipso facto be smaller.. The tame applies to° the cosiness of the higher altitudes of the mountain birds, and low on the horizon we spy several long skeins. Grabbing our guns, we wait in breathless excitement. Luck is with us. The unsuspecting geese come on. Our guns blare forth as they pass over-lung into confusion, the his id parting to right and left. An indescribable cackling breaks out, but soon they are all well beyond The western side of the lake proves no great success 20 we do hot stay there long. - We recross the Ike and have another go at the pheasants on the east side.
Thus we spend our time during the days of our holiday. Every day is not so good as the first; one or two are better; but the life! The glorious mornings; the long walks, when one is fever. on the alert, gun ready for! instant ation; the pleasant hours spent basking in the sun under some thicket or brush covered bank; the tramps over the hills, when only hare are to be found and shot; the smell of the damp copses, of the few small pines; the singing' and chirping of the birds; the sight of the flocks of mynas' and starlings as they crowd from one tree to another all whistling and calling; the zest]
for one's meals; the exquisite pain of tired limbs; and at last the comfort of bed—these are the things that count. These are the things that all may have, and with the added zest of the chase, the thrill as one brings down one's bird with a well directed shot, make the Christmas or New Year holiday in China something to be re-
Too'soon it is over. Back we go to Soochow and the station, satiefied because we carry with us the goodly bag of half a dozen Pheasants, a dozen couple of snipe and quail, a dozen ducks and teal, three or four hares, two geese, and a deer; dissatisfied because we must go back to the grindstone. Cheery greetings come from friends who have also been shooting. All are: gathered together "on the station platform. at Soochow. We compare notes: exchange accounts of our experiences. Boarding the incoming train we return to Shanghai and the drudgery of the office. Tenderly we put, away our guns. We pa: the 3 and, bit by bit, we slip back into the rut, yet. dream sometimes of those glorious days in the open country.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.