262 MODERN TRAINING. 



to their respective Derbys, or puppy stakes, to on, or after, 

 January i of the year prior to that in which the trials are 

 run; hence a puppy which has the full age allowed by the 

 limits may be about twenty-three months old when he runs. 

 This concedes a very mature age to a puppy, but it has been 

 found necessary to grant a very liberal limit for various rea- 

 sons, namely, with young puppies, the running is a spiritless, 

 wearisome affair; many puppies do not develop their instincts 

 or working powers during their first season, therefore the 

 test would be of no value, for they might be poor perform- 

 ers in their first season and good or superior in their second 

 season; it is impossible, in extremely hot seasons, to give a 

 puppy sufficient training, before the trials, to show his real 

 merits; many good puppies cannot be more than half trained 

 under these circumstances; and last, but equally important, 

 a narrower limit to age would cut off an important number 

 of entries. A puppy, whelped on or after January i, will 

 be too immature to run in the trials of the same year, hence 

 it is a waste of money and effort to attempt to run him. 

 He will be about eight months old, assuming a full age, 

 when the open season begins legally; but nature, in the South, 

 effectually closes the season till there are a few sharp frosts 

 to kill the dense growth of weeds, grass, and other cover; 

 and till the cool days of the fall begin, which is in October 

 or early November, no training of any importance can be 

 done previous to this time, the hot, sultry days, scarcity of 

 water and poor scent preclude all possibility of improving 

 work. Puppies which are overworked under such circum- 

 stances cannot be gotten to the nice condition, the dashing 

 spirit and energy, of a puppy trained during the previous 

 season. The one season puppy must be worked to the ex- 

 tent of his capabilities to give him training and experience, 

 whereas the two-season puppy needs only such field work 

 as will develop him to the highest physical condition. An 



