Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1892-12-03

tricAles down the sides of the tunbler be
chemically Ramined, it will be found to
be contaminated By animal AMI other
eItiuvia, which are difTused in the at.
mosphere. II vapor or moisture does
not exist In the air, scent cannot exist
there. II evaporates in an Instant, and
expands into space. The atmosphere is.
therefore, In the best condition for hold.
ing good scent when it is saturated to
It's utmost capacity.
1t IS only when the air is colder than
the surrounding objects, and is saturated
with moisture to its utmost capacity,
-hat the vapor becomes visible to the
eye. Under these circumstances we see
i! from the breath and body of heated
animals, as the horse, for instance, dur
ing chase. It also rises from wells.
rivers, ETC., and is visible. 1t NAV be
said, then, that scent can be seen under
favorable circumstances. The vapor. or
fog, rising from horse, when heated,
is nothing but odoriferous fluids which
are called scent, and in this case it is not
only perceptible to the eye, bat the par
ticles are 50 gross that they are recog-
uiZed By our olfactorles Who can doubt
tnat, under these circumstances, the
scent is ''breast high" to the hound, and
most favorable for sport! AS before OBJ
served, when the atmosphere is fully
saturated with moisture, so that it can
contain no more, the ascending particles
Of vapor are condensed, and deposited
IN the form of fog.\
The condition of the atmosphere most
favorable to scent, according to my OBJ
servation, is thick fog that passes oil
with a cloudy sky, and l will venture the
assertion that there have been more red
| foxes killed in Georgia under thick
fox than under any other atmospheric
! condition. For then the moisture Of the
air. loaded, as it has been shown to be,
with scent, is absorbed with great force,
and in large quantities, by the earth and
the pores of almost every substance, and
is nc. given out again until a change in
the temperature or dryness of the air oc
.urs. Different soils and materials ab'
serb moisture in different degrees; ane
these situations, aud those substances,
that best retain moisture, will be foune
to hold the best scent.
It will be observed that I consider
moisture indispensable to scent. In
deed, the two terms are almost synony
nous. Moisture may, and does, exis
without scent; yet scent cannot exls
without moisture; for it is a moist vapo
itself, having a great affinity for mois
ture The air having SO great capacit
for imbibing scent, until it is fully sat
urated, very little Of it is taken up b.
the soil or other material, unless
comes in actual contract with the AMI
NAL. In contac. absorption is instanta
neous. by capillary attraction. Tni
explains why it is that thick cover o
weeds and grass affords a better seer
tha the same soil and situation deprive
Of these substances. There is nor
moisture to retain the scent, and tn
weeds and grass gather side scent, b
absorption, as the animal brushes again
them. The reason why one kind Of so
will hold better scent than another
due entirely to its humidity, or eapacit
to retain moisture A rich, alluvial so
affords better scent, and retains moi
ture longer, than a porous, gravelly sol
In por Gus soil the moisture sinks al
the scent goes with it. Who has a
5 seen the pnilosophic cid hound press
nose into the porous earth, to catch t
faint particles Of buried scentl