BREAKING AND HANDLING. 325 



purchaser in such a manner that he can perceive a delicacy 

 of balance which is superior to all others. 



In purchasing a gun, due regard should be paid to the 

 weight of powder and shot charges which are to be used in 

 it. Different charges require a special boring to perform 

 at their best. Besides, every gun has its individual pecul- 

 iarities and will shoot one certain load tetter than any other 

 and such as a matter of course, is the best load for it. Some 

 guns will shoot all sizes of small shot well, others only one 

 or two. The best load can only be determined by repeated 

 trials. Two ordinary felt wads or one thick one over the 

 powder and a card board wad over the shot is all the wad- 

 ding necessary for ordinary shooting. In early shooting, 

 many good field shots use but one felt wad over the pow- 

 der, and it appears, from the successful results, to be amply 

 sufficient. 



For chickens, No. 8 shot are fine enough early in the sea- 

 son. In September and October y's and 6's can be used to 

 advantage. For snipes and woodcocks, p's and ID'S are 

 good. For quails, 8's and p's, the former size being used 

 after the birds get strong and heavily feathered. In cold 

 weather, when strong and well fed, quails will often fly a 

 long distance before falling, when hard hit with 9*8 or ID'S, 

 and occasionally with 8's, hence the former do not give the 

 uniformity in clean killing that the 8's do. 



There are several important items of information con- 

 cerning the carriage of dogs which are very advantageous 

 to know before starting on a long railroad trip with dogs in 

 charge. Always give the preference to a road that runs 

 through trains, even if the rates are higher. Changes of 

 cars are very inconvenient and sometimes occasion un- 

 necessary delay. Nearly all roads refuse to assume any- 

 responsiblity for dogs, or their handling or baggage. They 

 are carried simply as a matter of courtesy. If there is a 

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