The fowling-piece should be put by clean, oiled, and the barrels corked or stopped, and with the hammers upon the pivots. It should be kept in a cloth or woolen case, in a dry room, and, when not in constant use, occasionally rubbed with linen dipped in olive oil. The inside of the barrel should be frequently oiled, the oil being immediately wiped out with a dry cloth wrapped round the cleaning rod. Neat’s-foot oil is best for the lock, and linseed oil is recommended for the stocks, but it is so offensive that we prefer olive oil. Large-grained powder is generally stronger than small-grained. It is well to be cautious that the grain is not so large as not to fill the nipple freely, or misfires will be the consequence. Powder which suits one gun may not suit another; the larger the bore of the gun, the larger should be the grain of the powder. An instrument for trying the strength of powder should not be trusted to: the best trial is with the gun in which the powder is intended to be used, and there can be no better target for trying the comparative strength of different powders, than an unbound book fixed firmly against something solid. The heavier and harder the metal of which shot is made the better.[5] ----- [5] As shot is numbered differently by different manufacturers, we give the number to the ounce of the sizes to which we have referred: A. A. about 40 A. — 50 B. B. — 60 B. — 75 1. — 80 2. — 110 3. — 130 4. — 180 5. — 220 6. — 270 7. — 350 8. — 600 9. — 1000 10. — 1700 CHARGING THE FOWLING-PIECE.