Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-09-03

a ton Of one drachn of chloride of zinc il
pint of water, or carbolic acid shoul'
! be used to destroy the diseased growths
and persevered i'll until sound parts ar
, reached, when the usual stimulant dress
;. ing NAV be substituted The sheel
should be kept on clean floor, covere,
,. or well busted with airslacked lime, or il
dry, clean, soft pasture, which shoul,
| be ploughed so soon as its use by tn
sheep is no longer necessary. imtricd'
Agricui'Wist.
. 4 Russian Wolf Hunt.
l A distinguished French writer. who ha
recently visited Russia. gives the follow
ing graphic description of n wolf-hunt-
n sport necessary i'll that country, to keel
down an animal dangerous, fromits mum
bers, to human life:
At an advanced period of winter, wheI
the wolves become furious for want oi
.. food. three or four hunters, each possess
ed of light, double barrelled gun, take
their places in what is called troika-a
species of drosky-drawn by three horses,
from which, and not from its shape, il
gets its name. The horse i'll the middle
is trained to run at a trot, and the Other
two ton its right and left never quit the
gallop. The former trots with his head
low, andis called the Snow-eater the
other two prance with their heads loose,
and are named the Furies. The whole
equipment, thus directed IL its course,
presents the appearance of fan. A
driver who can be relied upon conducts
the troika.
To the back Of the carriage Young
hog is attached to cord, or. for more
security, by chain, between three and
four feet in length 1t is quietly taken
in the vehicle to the entrance of the for
est where the chase is to proceed there
it is put on the ground, and the driver
incites the horses, which start of at Il
trot and gallop respectively, as We have
mentioned while the hog, little used to
such an amusement, raises cry which
scon degenerates into what may be called
a lamentation. At this noise the nearest
wolf shows its nose, and sets itself to
/ pursue the hog, soon followed by two,
then by three. and ultimately. at may be,
/ by fifty of its brethren. They all make
claim for the poor hog, and fight among
/ themselves to get at it some of them
/ stretching out TO ii blow OF their claws,
and others endeavoring to bite it. The
lamentations of the poor animal pass into
cries of despair, which arouse the wolves
in the deepest recesses OF the forest
they presently congregate from three
leagues round, and the troika is pursued
by whole troop OF them.
| Then it is that the urgent need of a
good driver is apparent. The horses,
which have an instructive horror for the
wolves, become intractable the trotter
IN the middle tries TO gallop, and the gal
| lopers to get the bits between their teeth
/ During all this time the hunters fire at
random, there beng no need to take
aim. The hog cries, the horEes neigh,
| the wolves howl, and the guns fires, pro-
ducins hldeous concert among them.
The equlpagc, the hunters, the hog, the
troop Of wolves are involved in whirl-
wind which scatters the snow all around,
Iuvhs nhe a cloud III storm dartlnJ
thunder and lightning.
If the driver is master OF the horses,
wild as they may be- all goes well but
should he lose command Of them, or
should the harness slip, or the troiku he
overset, it is all over. Next day, two
days or eight days after the debris of
the vehicle is discovered, with the guns,
the carcasses Of the horses and the large
bones Of the hunters and OF the driver.
Last winter, Prince R undertook
one Of these hunts, and it nearly proved
his last. He was, along with two friends,
at one of his estates, which borders on a
wilderness, and they resolved to have
chase of the wolves, or rather, it may be
said, to be chased by them. A large
sleIge was got ready, in which three per-
sons could move at ease three strong
horses were yoked 10 it, and it was in-
trusted to driver Of great experience
native of the district Each hunter had
n pair Of doubled barrelled guns and five
hundred ball cartridges, and their places
were so taken that the prince looked to
the back, and his friends each to side of
the sleigh.
At night they arrived at the ground, an
immense desert covered with snow. The
full moon shone brightly, and its rays,
refracted by the white surface, spread a
light like that Of day. The hog was at
tached, and the tram started. Finding
itself drawn on III spite of its efforts, it
raised cry, whereupon some wolves APP
peared-not many at first, timid, also, 7
and keeping at a great distance Gradu- /
ally their number increased, and they ap- /
preached the hunters, who commenced /,
by giving their troika an ordinary mo- !
uon, notwithstanding the trembling i'm /
patience of the three horses About /
twenty wolves came up, when the party /
found themselves near enough to begin .
the massacre. on went IL shot. and Il /
wolf fell the whole band appeared to .
get alarmed, ani diminished III number /
by about half. In fact, contrary to the /
general belief that wolves do not feed on
one another, seven or eight starving ones /
had stopped behind to devour their dead |
companion ; but the vacancy was soon
supplied. On ali sides howling replied /
to bowling, and all round were seen
pointed noses and eyes sparkling like /
carbunclcs. The animals were within .
gun-shot, and the hunters made run
ming fire but though every shot took (
effect, the band, SO far from being dimin- /
iNhtG, rather got larger 1t soon ceased |
to bc Il band, and became troop, the
close ranks Of which pressed ON the hun
tcrs. Their course was So rapid that they
seemed to fly on the snow, and so lightly
as not to make the smallest Hulsc. Like .
flowing tide, they approached unceas-
lngly, md did not retreat before the fire /
OF the three hunters, well kept up as it .
was. They formed an immense crescent /
at the back of the troikn, the two horns I
oi which began to get III advance of the /
horses, and the number Increased SO rap
IDLY that 1t actually seemed as II they
sprung out Of the Ground. There WAS
something fantastic in their Appearance, /
and 1t bccune quitc impossible to count +
henunbers now showing themselves IN II
desert where IT was IN general difficult To
see more than two or three in day. The
hog had ceased to cry, and had been taken
again INTO the sledgc, where, its cries re-
commencing, rcdoubled the boldIoss OF +
the wolves The firing did not cease.
and half the ammunition was now eX-
pended There renamed, perhaps, ubou:
two hundred balls. The two horns of
the crescent got higher and higher, and
threatened the formation of circle, in
closing slcd@e, horses and hunters.
Should any one of the horses fall, ali
would he over aud, already terrified,
they seemed t. breathe fire, and prnuccd
most furiously and wildly
What think you Of this, Ivan - said
the prince to his driver
why, don't much like it, p,nc,"
Are you afraid of anything
The wolves have tasted blood, and the
longer you keep firing, thc more will their
number Increase
"Wlnt do you advise
"lf you will allow it, piluc". shall
slaclcn the birdie of my horse
'Arr you sure of them
II shall answer for them
"And will you answer for us. toe.
Ivan made no reply, it being evident
that he did not wish to commit himself
He slackcned the bridle directinr ni the