Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-08
MILDRED RusSELL's LETTER.
THE AUTUMN IN SCOTLAND.


p.,,,,es- Grou-e- shcosInr- The Partrsdse Sea-
.a.--A Hszssr-As fatcres'iss Ceremsps-
ansiaulsses- Superstition.
fs,ec,s, correspondence Of the Dispatch.l
FoBrARsHIRE, October, 1885.
Politics are red-hot In Scotland ct
The present moment. Many celebrated
members of Parliament have been max
ing tours and delivering addresses 10
view Of the approaching elections in
November. Most Of the people are on
the Liberal side indeed, there seems to
be only one Conservative in these parts,
and he is a young man who is securing
the country with the illusory hope Of
getting himself elected in preference to
the opposition.
The weather has been sounding
warning note Of departure, the tops OF
the high bills are sprinkled with snow,
and the short Scotch summer is thing
of the past. The heather is FROST
bitten, but still gives a purple tinge to
the moors, especially when the sun
shines. The bilberry bushes, the
Scotch equivalent for huckleberry, that
grow in masses amid the heather, have
turned brilliant crimson, so that we
have plenty of coloring still. From
an ornamental point Of view the bilber-
nv Is more successful than when its
fruit is under Judgment, for the berries
have preponderance Of skin and pips,
but not much juice. We are
told that in fortnight all
the leaves will be off the trees,
bat we can scarcely believe
that, for at present very few have
fallen. For some days past the sports
men have taken to driving the moors to
get few last shots at the grouse and
black game, and for this purpose they
have had butts built here and there on
| the moors they want to drive. They
take with them q dozen or more men
and boys, carrying white flags on the
end of sticks, and, placing themselves
behind the butts, they shoot the birds
as the attendants force them towards
the guns by waving the flags and
shrieking. The hallooing Of the boys
| is deafenipg. 1t is now the vacation at
the village school, and some Of the
scholars are being employed on the
moors. Most of them prefer the occu
patton to going to school.
EXPENSIVE SHOOTING.
Forfarshire is said to be a favored
part Of the country, and boasts of con
tanning most of the combined advan
tages scattered through Scotland, anC
which have made her famous. Noun
tain, moor, and lowland, river AMI
forest, are within her borders, and afiort
variety of pursuits for the sportsman
whose purse is long enough and who's
skill and endurance are great enough Il
enjoy them. 1t is said that ever,
grouse costs the proprietor Of shoot
iDg-ground s5, aud every deer $500.
have not heard any estimate for othe
game. Those persons-and there ar
many both owning and rentin
moors-who have more grouse thai
tleir households can consume o
they can present to their friend
sell them to game-dealers. Tn
birds fetch about fifty cents apiece, bu
afterwards they are sold again in Lon
don and other markets for muc
higher price, as every one knows witt
tries to buy them. There are two kind
Of hares here-the blue hare, foun
high up on the hills, and the brow
hare, found lower down-and these LAT
ter are the better-eating. Rabbits ar
also plentiful, but the country is by n
means overrun with them, as in som
parts. Black game are to be had onl
in small numbers as compared t
grouse, which, it is said, always driv
them away. They are much inferio
for the table, and are also nc
such good sport in the fiel"
Wood pigeons are plentiful, but hard
get at. A gentleman told us that it wa
possible to shoot them easily by placin
a decoy on one set of stocks and shootin
from behind another. If the bird
killed are not picked up at once Other
congregate in focks and can be fired a
but must say this seems rather ba
barous.
PARTRIDGES.
In the low-lying lands the sportsme
are now shooting cartridges, and occi
sionally they come across woodcoc
and snipe. In the woods are cape
cailgie, dark-brswn or nearly blaC
bird as big as medium-sized turke.
said by some not to be good for eatinI
but we had young one cooked, whiC
we all tasted, and thought by no meal
, to be despised. Partridge-shootin
, which is declared by law to begin Il
/ LIST of September, does not begin
, earnest in Scotland till the LIST Of o
tober, on account Of the backwardne
, of the growth of the birds and Of Il
, lateness of gathering in the crops. J
. wheat to speak Of is grown here, as Il
! summer is too short and too coo
| and the oats and barley are only ju
beginning to be reaped. The spor
h mems eyes have been for fortnig
r past turned anxiously to these latte
f and they have kept wondering and wo
4 dering when they would be ready to
4 cut. The cartridges are shot most
q in the stubble-felds and in the turniI
n these latter being their covert after {
n grain is reaped. The turnip-fields ne
q US have heavy crops on them and a
n bright green, conspicuous plots in t
q midst Of the reds and yellows Of t
v rest of our autumn landscape. Amo
v many fine trees the birch is mt
% abundant, and, with its trunk me
70 than half white, its graceful
4 liage, and the long, shaggy moss
,e its branches, it is conspicuous a
ID pleasant object. The oaks are sms
l. but the cypress, yew, larch, and
y grow remarkably well here, both as
1. height Of stem and thickness Of be
n We often see large frog jumping abe
"a in the woods il has peculiar yello
,e ish-brown color-much paler than a
re- | ever saw before.
it SUPERSTITION.
n The main body Of the people are
II markably intelligent, but there is
r innate foundation of superstition Il
a crops out continually, and is principa
in connected in launching LOYALTY with