Pigeons, young, have light red legs, and the flesh of a colour, and prick easily—­old have red legs, blackish in parts, more hairs, plumper and loose vents—­so also of grey or green Plover, Blade Birds, Thrash, Lark, and wild Fowl in general.

Hares, are white flesh’d and flexible when new and fresh kill’d; if stale, their flesh will have a blackish hue, like old pigeons, if the cleft in her lip spread much, is wide and ragged, she is old; the contrary when young.

Leveret, is like the Hare in every respect, that some are obliged to search for the knob, or small bone on the fore leg or foot, to distinguish them.

Rabbits, the wild are the best, either are good and tender; if old there will be much yellowish fat about the kidneys, the claws long, wool rough, and mixed with grey hairs; if young the reverse.  As to their being fresh, judge by the scent, they soon perish, if trap’d or shot, and left in pelt or undressed; their taint is quicker than veal, and the most sickish in nature; and will not, like beef or veal, be purged by fire.

The cultivation of Rabbits would be profitable in America, if the best methods were pursued—­they are a very prolific and profitable animal—­they are easily cultivated if properly attended, but not otherwise.—­A Rabbit’s borough, on which 3000 dollars may have been expended, might be very profitable; but on the small scale they would be well near market towns—­easier bred, and more valuable.

Butter—­Tight, waxy, yellow Butter is better than white or crumbly, which soon becomes rancid and frowy.  Go into the centre of balls or rolls to prove and judge it; if in ferkin, the middle is to be preferred, as the sides are frequently distasted by the wood of the firkin—­altho’ oak and used for years.  New pine tubs are ruinous to the butter.  To have sweet butter in dog days, and thro’ the vegetable seasons, send stone pots to honest, neat, and trusty dairy people, and procure it pack’d down in May, and let them be brought in in the night, or cool rainy morning, covered with a clean cloth wet in cold water, and partake of no heat from the horse, and set the pots in the coldest part of your cellar, or in the ice house.—­Some say that May butter thus preserved, will go into the winter use, better than fall made butter.

Cheese—­The red smooth moist coated, and tight pressed, square edged Cheese, are better than white coat, hard rinded, or bilged; the inside should be yellow, and flavored to your taste.  Old shelves which have only been wiped down for years, are preferable to scoured and washed shelves.  Deceits are used by salt-petering the out side, or colouring with hemlock, cocumberries, or safron, infused into the milk; the taste of either supercedes every possible evasion.

Eggs—­Clear, thin shell’d, longest oval and sharp ends are best; to ascertain whether new or stale—­hold to the light, if the white is clear, the yolk regularly in the centre, they are good—­but if otherwise, they are stale.  The best possible method of ascertaining, is to put them into water, if they lye on their bilge, they are good and fresh—­if they bob up an end they are stale, and if they rise they are addled, proved, and of no use.