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DAHLGREN GUN, named after a naval officer in the service of the United States government, is the result of a careful series of experiments on the construction of large ordnance. One peculiarity consists in having relatively less metal in front of the trunnions, and more behind, than had hitherto been customary. Dahlgren guns, made to fire shells or hollow shot, have been introduced to a considerable extent in the U. S. navy.

DAH'LIA, a genus of large perennial herbaceous plants of the natural order composita, sub-order corymbiferæ, natives of Mexico. All the varieties in cultivation in our flowergardens, of which not fewer than 2,000 have been carefully enumerated, are derived from two species, D. variabilis and D. coccinea, and chiefly from the former. Few plants manifest so strong an inclination to sport and produce new varieties as the D., and florists have also obtained many by the artificial fecundation of one with the pollen of another. Dahlias were first brought to Madrid by Spanish botanists in 1789, and were soon introduced into England, but did not become well-known in English flower-gardens till about 30 years after. The name was given in honor of Dahl, a Swedish botanist; but because another genus of plants had received the same name, an attempt was made to change it to Georgina, which is sometimes used on the continent, but D. universally prevails both popularly and among botanists in Britain. Among the most essential characteristics of a fine D., according to the estimation of florists, are a fullness of the flower, a perfect regularity in the shape of the florets, and the absence of an eye or disk; and florets of the disk, as in other "double" corymbifera, having assumed the appearance of florets of the ray. Dahlias have tuberous roots, which contain a considerable quantity of inulin (q.v.), and are in use as an article of food in Mexico. It was at one time attempted to introduce them into cultivation in Europe for the food either of man or of cattle; but the taste is nauseous to European palates, and even cattle do not readily eat them. Dahlias are often cut down in the northern parts of Britain by early frosts, in the very midst of their flowering; and their tubers require to be taken up for the winter, and stored in a dry place out of the reach of frost till spring. They are propagated by seed, by cuttings, and by tubers. The finer varieties are sometimes grafted on more ordinary stocks.

DAHLMANN, FRIEDRICH CHRISTOPH, professor of history and political science in the university of Bonn, was born, May 17, 1785, at Wismar. His earlier studies in Copenhagen and Halle were devoted to archæology and philology; but his attention was subsequently directed to the study of politics and the history of the middle ages. The results of his diligence appeared in his Vita Ansgari, his Researches in German History (2 vols., Altona, 1822-23), his edition of the Dithmarsh Chronicle (Kiel, 1827), and other works. In 1829, D. was appointed professor of political science in Göttingen, where he published (1830) his valuable work on the Sources of German History. Banished in 1837, by king Ernest of Hanover, on account of his protest against the abolition of the Hanoverian constitution, he went to Leipsic and Jena, where he wrote his historical masterpiece, the History of Denmark (3 vols., Hamburg, 1840-43). In 1842, he became professor of history at Bonn, and took a prominent part in the political affairs of Germany after the movement in 1848, heading the constitutional liberals, who were unfortunately too reasonable to be successful. At the close of the struggle, he returned to his academic duties, to which he devoted himself till his death, 5th Dec., 1860.

DAHLONE'GA, a t. and co. seat of Lumpkin co., Ga., 60 m. n. n.e. of Atlanta, in the midst of a gold-mining region, remarkable chiefly for the mint established there, 1835, and abandoned in 1871. The pop. in 1880 was 602. Dahlonega, Indian Taulau-neca, is an anglicized Cherokee name meaning dollar-yellow, in reference to the gold coinage.

DAHOMEY, an independent state of Guinea, Western Africa, extending along the coast from fort Badagry on the e., to the river Volta, which separates it from Ashantee on the west. Its limits have not been precisely defined, but it is usually regarded as extending back to the Kong mountains. It will thus lie between lat. 6° to 8° 50 n., and long. 0° 30' to 3° e.; its breadth being about 200, and its length 180 miles. D. is for the most part a vast plain, rising with gentle ascent from the sea towards the Kong mountains, with offsets of which it is traversed in its most northerly parts. Although it has no river of any importance save the Volta on its western boundary, it is well watered by springs and streams; and the soil, a rich, red-colored clay, almost quite free of stones, is extremely fertile. Magnificent trees clothe the hills in the n., and maize, beans, and peas grow in splendid luxuriance on the plains, as well as yams, potatoes, melons, limes, oranges, pine-apples, and other tropical fruits; cotton, sugar, tobacco, and indigo are also raised. The scenery is described as exceedingly varied and beauti ful. Lions, tigers, elephants, hyenas, and enormous snakes of the boa kind abound. The Dahomans, who came into possession of this tract of country about the beginning of the 18th c., are for the most part tall, well formed, and intelligent, and, for an African race, singularly honest, and far advanced in agriculture. With the exception of a few Mohammedans, whose religious belief is in no way interfered with, they are all pagans, and practice fetish-worship. The king is the most absolute of despots. Wholesale murder is one of the chief features in religious and state ceremonies; but, according to capt. Burton, who visited D. in 1864, the number of the victims has been greatly exaggerated. Still, as many as 500 human victims are sometimes sacrificed at one

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"grand custom;" the present king immolated that number at the death of his father. Of the regular army of 15,000, about 2,500 are Amazons (devoted to celibacy), who are the most effective soldiers, but exceedingly ferocious. The revenue, until recent years, depended greatly upon the sale of slaves; but the vigilance of the cruisers employed to prevent the traffic has reduced this source of income materially. Hence the monster slave-hunts which periodically took place are now comparatively rare. In 1876, the coast of D. was placed under a strict blockade by Great Britain, on account.of an outrage on a British subject, for which the king of D. refused satisfaction. Pop. 180,000.-ABOMEY, or AGBOME, the capital, is situated about lat. 7° 30′ n., long. 1° 40' east. It is stated to be 4 m. in circumference, is surrounded by a ditch and clay walls, pierced by six gates, in each of which are two openings-one for the exclusive passage of the king, the other for his subjects. The houses are mostly of one story, built of clay, and thatched. There are no regular streets, each house standing within its own inclosure of clay wall. There are three palaces belonging to the king here, which differ little from the other houses, save in their greater size. Farms are cultivated within the city. Pop. about 20,000. The port of D. is Whydah.-See Forbes's Dahomey and the Dahomans; Burton's Mission to Gelele, King of Dahomey; Skertchly's Dahomey as It is (1874).

DAH'RA, a district of Algeria, once inhabited by the Ouled-Riahs, a Kabyle tribe. It has acquired a melancholy celebrity as the scene of a frightful massacre perpetrated by the French in the month of June, 1845. The district contains immense caverns. In these the Ouled-Riahs, hotly pursued by the French under col. (afterwards marshal) Pelissier, took refuge. They were ordered to surrender their arms and horses, and were promised, in return, life and liberty. On their refusal, fascines were made up, kindled, and placed at the entrance of the caves. Thrice col. Pelissier sent a flag of truce, exhorting the imprisoned Kabyles to accept his terms, but in vain-the last messenger being received with a discharge of musketry. The fire was therefore again kindled in all its intensity, and gradually the cries of agony from the interior of the caverns ceased, until nothing broke the dead silence but the occasional crackling of the green wood of which the fascines consisted. When the caverns were examined, about 600 dead bodies were found scattered here and there; but it was calculated that in all (including those who afterwards died and those who could not be got at), about 800 had been suffocated by smoke, or gored to death by the maddened cattle whom they had brought with them into their fatal asylum. The news created a great sensation in Paris. Marshal Soult, then minister of war, formally condemned the deed; but marshal Bugeaud, the governor of Algeria, affirmed that Pelissier had only acted under positive orders.

DAILLE, or DALLÆUS, JEAN, 1594-1670; a learned Protestant divine, tutor to the grandsons of Plessis Mornay, and the author of a number of controversial works. He was president of the last national synod held in France in 1659.

DAIMÏE'L, a t. in Spain, in the province of Ciudad Real, twenty m. e.n.e. of the city of that name. It is in general tolerably well built; it has several squares, and its principal streets, though unpaved, are wide and comparatively clean. Its chief buildings are the churches of San Pedro and Santa Maria-the former a Doric, and the latter a Gothic structure-a town-hall, and a hospital. D. is environed by fine public walks and gardens, and has manufactures of woolens, linen, blonde lace, etc. Pop. 10,000.

DAI MIO, the official title of the feudal lords of Japan, having almost independent rule in their special provinces or districts; but modern changes have brought to an end their privileges and authority in the direction of the consolidation of the empire.

DAIR-EL-KA'MAR, or DEIR EL-KAMR, a t. in Syria, and the capital of the Druses, about 13 m. s.s.e. of Beyrout. It is situated on the edge of a deep and picturesque glen of Mt. Lebanon, the banks of which and the slopes above are richly clad with mul berries, olives, and vines, which are cultivated in terraces by an exceedingly industrious population. On the opposite side of the glen stand the ruins of the palace Bteddin, formerly the residence of emir Beshir, who, for more than half a century, from 1788 to 1840, ruled over the Lebanon with a strong but impartial hand. Pop. of Dair-el-Kamar about 8,000.

DAIRY, all that concerns milk and its management on a farm; or the place or house where the milk is kept, cheese made, etc. (The old word dey, the milkmaid who presided over the deyry or dairy, is probably allied to dug, a teat, and to Lat. duc-, to draw, or milk; in Polish, doic is to milk; and in Sw. deja is a dairymaid.) Throughout the best cultivated districts, both of England and Scotland, the growing of corn and green crops, and the rearing and feeding of stock, were at one time to a considerable extent carried on in conjunction with the dairy. This mixed system of husbandry, though it may have reduced the farmer's risks, has gradually decreased. In many districts of the country, however, such as some parts of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, the midland counties of England, and in Cork and neighboring Irish counties, great attention is still given to milk-cows, and dairy produce pays the bulk of the rent.

The selection of cattle of a sort profitable for the dairy, is a point of the first importance. Certain breeds have long been famed for their milking properties; at the

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head of these is generally placed the Ayrshires. In proportion to their small size, and the limited amount of food which they consume, they yield a large quantity of rich, good milk, and have been long and justly prized by the dairymen of Glasgow and other Scottish towns, as well as latterly by those in several districts of England, and Highland portions of Scotland. With all their superb milking properties, however, they are comparatively worthless as feeders or beef-producers unless crossed with the Short-horn. Some Ayrshire cows have been known to give from 18 to 20 quarts of milk daily, and yield 14 lbs. of butter per week. The cows of the Channel islands also stand in high repute. The elegant, deer-like Alderneys are kept, more especially in England, by those who prize rich milk, and many landed proprietors and farmers have one or two amongst their herds to impart a higher color and richer flavor to the milk and butter. Alderneys frequently give 16 quarts of milk daily, and 8 or 9 lbs. of butter per week, while instances occur of their yielding as much as 12 or 14 lbs. The small Brittany breed, scarcely larger than goats, have also been brought to this country, and are profitable for gentlemen's families, and where only one or two cows are kept. These breeds are, however, in little favor with those who, besides dairying, look also to the breeding of profitable grazing-stock, Some families of the Short-horns unite, with size, substance, and aptitude for fattening, excellent milking properties. Short-horns, or animals with a large infusion of Short-horn blood, constitute the bulk of the handsome and high-priced cows seen in metropolitan markets, and long preferred to all others by the London dairymen. Throughout the n. of England, such cows were in favor, and were used by the late Mr. Horsfall, whose excellent papers on dairy management, published in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, should be read by all interested in this subject. With his liberal dietary, fifteen to twenty cows daily average, for seven or eight months, ten or eleven quarts of milk each, producing a pound of butter. The original Short-horns, in the hands of the Brothers Colling, Mr. Bates, the Earl Ducie, and other earlier breeders, were excellent milkers; and even at the present day certain families are to be found still retaining their ancient character. Of late, however, many breeders of our more fashionable and prize-taking Short-horns have devoted their undivided attention to early maturity, flesh, and quality, neglecting altogether the milking properties. This, in some respects, is to be regretted. Prize stock of this and some other breeds give no more milk nowadays than fosters their calves, and some of them, indeed, make a poor job of that. Many of the animals are thus never milked by the hand. Herefords are not particularly famed for dairy purposes. The blood-red, plump Devons are more remarkable for the richness and butter-producing character of their milk than the quantity of it. The ancient Long-horns, once common in the midland counties of England, and prized for their milk, have mostly given place to more handy, symmetrical breeds. The old black Fife, or Scotch horned cows, included some famous milkers in their day, but scarcely any of them are to be met with now. The polled Angus, the Galloway, and the West Highland cows have a fair quantity of milk of remarkably fine quality, that of the West Highland breed in particular. The small Shetland breed produces an astounding quantity of splendid milk, and so do the Kerry and some other Irish cows.

Good milking animals of every breed possess certain qualities in common, which guide the farmer in profitably recruiting his dairy-stock. They have neat, tapering, well-placed heads; large, prominent, bright eyes; small and rather narrow necks; light fore-quarters; oblique rather than upright shoulders; large and shapely udder, well under the belly; largely developed milk-veins; a pliant mellow skin, well covered with soft silky hair; thin tail, with a good brush at the end of it; small and fine below the knee. Öf great importance, also, is the fact of the animals being descended of parents possessing good milking qualities, for certainly no property is more distinctly hereditary. The milk of small and young cows is usually richer than that of larger or older animals. From four to eight is the most profitable age for the dairy-cow; after that, the milk is poorer; the animals eat more food, especially during winter; and, moreover, become less profitable when dried for feeding. The stock is usually recruited by heifers bred on the farm, which are generally preferred to those bought in. Of course in the larger dairies about Glasgow, the w. of Scotland, in the midland and southern counties of England, and in America, the cows cannot be all, or nearly all, bred and reared. Many must therefore be bought in, though they seldom turn out quite so well as the others. Heifers should not be put to the bull before they are two years old, and the milking properties of the animals will not be fully developed until they have had a second or third calf. Red and roan are the favorite colors.

In no department of the farm are carelessness and irregularity more injurious and ruinous than in the dairy portion. To produce large quantities of good milk, it is absolutely necessary that the cow be supplied with the materials which conduce to a great flow. These briefly consist of albuminous materials and phosphates for forming the caseine, and oily matters for producing the butter. In the ordinary or ancient dietary of cows, these materials, especially during winter, are seldom present in sufficient amount to produce, without waste, a copious flow of good milk. Cows fed on meadow hay, when producing from 12 to 16 quarts of miik daily, require something more than even 20 lbs. of turnips or mangold to sustain them. A still greater falling-off in flesh and fat-a constant robbing, in fact, of the materials of the body to supply the secretion of milk-is

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