94 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



all winter. When you have finished soaping them, in about 

 ten minutes give them a swim or rinse, to get the lather off; 

 their coats will then look as sleek as though you had oiled 

 them. During the winter, once or twice a week, have them 

 brushed well, from head to heel, with the same kind of root 

 brush mentioned above; give the exercise as directed, and 

 you will see dogs, in coat, muscle, and health, that will 

 please the most fastidious sportsman and fancier. 



If these instructions are carried out to the letter, you can 

 dispense with your medicine-case. If you can not keep, 

 feed, and give your dogs your personal attention, you had 

 better not keep any. Never forget to permit your dogs to 

 have free access to grass; they use it for any ills they may 

 have.* 



In regard to x>reparing your dog for a bench show, each 

 exhibitor has his own way. I am aware that much is done 

 in the way of doctoring coat, etc. ; but if many exhibitors 

 would pay more attention to exercise and developing of the 

 muscle, you would not see so many fat, flabby, undevel- 

 oped dogs, in bone or muscle, of all breeds of field dogs, at 

 shows. I like to see them enter a ring before me in perfect 

 race-horse order, as hard in muscle as it is possible to get 

 them; not looking like they were too weak to stand, or so 

 fat that one would suppose they were for the butcher. 



I will here describe a hunt I participated in one Septem- 

 ber, about nine years ago, with several friends. I left Bal- 

 timore, Maryland, my home and birth-place, about the 28th 

 of August. We started for the prairies of Iowa, five hun- 

 dred miles west of Chicago, on the Chicago & North- Western 



* Among the prominent owners, breeders, and importers of Gordon Setters 

 in this country, may be mentioned Dr. Samuel G. Dixon, 2015 Chestnut street, 

 Philadelphia, Penn ; M. D. Baillie, Arlington, N. J. ; Beaumont Kennels, 159 

 West Thirty-fourth street, New York City; W. S. Hammett, Philadelphia, 

 Penn.; H. F. Smith, 1954 North Eleventh street, Philadelphia, Penn.; Meadow - 

 thorpe Kennels, Lexington, Ky.; J. L. Campbell, Sincoe, Ontario, Canada; J. 

 B. Blossom, 938 Prospect avenue, Morrisania, N. Y. ; Fred P. Kirby, 135 South 

 Eighth street, Philadelphia, Penn-.; 8. R. Norton, Lemont, Cook County, 111.; 

 Playford Kennels, Buffalo, N. Y ; Dr. I. T. Norris, box 764, Baltimore, Md.; 

 Dr. Myers, New York City. ED. 



