A HEDGEHOG SUPPER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1325, 12 March 1883, Page 2

A HEDGEHOG SUPPER.

We extract the following from a Welsh paperA-'gjSfc was; provided for Castle, on as it did of well 'not sleek—hedgehogs, of which thirty persons: partook, a'ncl if we are to believe our correspondent to the full " considered a rare dainty, equal to roasted ducks,": That it is a ''rare" dainty is at any, rate quite peculiar'in our notions as to what is edible or not, and the average ; Englishman, when he gets outside the region of mutton or beef, generally begins to eat in a suspeotingand incredulous manner, which would .bring a smile to the faces of most foreigners.; We -are insular in our ideas, and in many respects wo,should not copy the ones prevalent amongst those who live on the Continent, ; There can be no, objection to hedgehog as an article of; diet, but it would not be well to ! attack! for that reason'the rank of the tribe.: The hedgehog is.' insectivorous, and! destroys slugs, frog?, and small snakes,: and its only bad , liabit perhaps arises from its liking 1 fqr eggs, which it-willi, devour at "every opportunity, and is;: not, therefore a welcome visitor m game' preserves. It iq an ill wind l that blows! nobody good, and while the hedgehog: maybe thankful for that repugnance; which is felt towards himself, and a great many other eatable animals,'we', have, on the other - hand, the satisfac-i tion of knowing that the prickly brute is doing a good, work so long as he does ! not steal our pheasants' eggs. Whilst,, however, the supper at Romney Castlej was a somewhat peculiar one' for the ordinary people ; to partake of, the; hedgehog is a well-known and highly-; appreciated/1 nxury among 'gipsies in this country. Amongst; the. nomadic! wanderers who livein tents, the hedge-: hog is put in the ashes just as caught/ and'wben cooked, the armour all comes: off, and the " urchin " is ready for the l tin or wooden platter of the !

\.j| ffIGH|.PRI()Bp\POTJLTRT lOne'thousandlppnnds aterling according jdtythexEnglish'/Livo Sjook Journal, is what a lvalues ooise of his Coohiti. China'fowls at; and lie baa reoently positively refused one-tonth of that amount each, for some of them,: His establiahiuent -for-reaiinK v.theae.- valuable fowls isiu the vicinity of thecathedra! town of. Durham j* and is said to be . the most perfect thing of tho -kind in the whole of Ensland. There is one..thing, : in. the management of'bis poultry houses, which' is different to aiiy/ we rhavs -bofore; heird, :ofj'»i»d that is, ho makes the ..floor sand and. allowa no,roosts in .them., l'He.i fowls sit upon tlus:at..night, and lay their upon it by day. i-The-sand-ia taken away after becoming a lit tie soiled and replaced .with fresh, l For , heavy :birds, 'like the CoehlA/and especially those bred of the largest size as is the ;caße with Mr; Proctor's, this eand.roost is probably .the :best tiling for them, as it piovents crooked : breas's, and tetjds to keep the fowls 1 clear of ,lice.;< Grass,plots kept closely cut with tiie lawn mower'are here' for th'eini.to'riin' on and pick, shaded by trees from the hot sun,; : ;In ; winter the houses (are; /lighted arid warmed by large windows; and all. are well ventilated. The ground around is kept .dry by tile drainsge, and, thus, wintor and -summerj , everything ;is well arranged for hoalth and comfort.