THE POINTER 247 



Interesting as the remarks of two such eminent sportsmen 

 cannot fail to be, they, especially Mr. Lort's, are too optimistic 

 in their tendency. Mr. Lort, alas ! fell latterly very much under 

 the influence of the dog shows ; and even Mr. Thorpe Bartram 

 seems to take it for granted that the trials have always brought 

 out the highest qualities of the Pointer. This is very far from the 

 case; for the fancy work at the field trials of past years was 

 only second to that of the shows. In fact, " Save me from my 

 friends " would have had to be placed as an epitaph on the grave 

 of the Pointer by this time, had not the Pointer and Setter Society 

 arisen, born of the embers of the Pointer Club in 1895. 



So far, this Society seems to be struggling manfully for the revival 

 of its breeds, and has already brought back some semblance of 

 reality to both the working and appearance of the public dogs, and 

 to the judging of them both at trials and shows Whether it will 

 persevere until a complete restoration is brought about, of course 

 remains to be seen. It has yet much hard work to do, if it is to 

 be completely successful against the malign influences of vested 

 interests, ignorance, and a Kennel Club that has in its Stud Book 

 unduly exalted mere looks. Anyhow, it has lately allied itself with 

 the Sporting Spaniel and Retriever Societies under the title of the 

 International Gundog League, to which in its work of general 

 reform all sportsmen will wish Godspeed. 



Our Society is trying to foster interest in Brace Stakes, which, 

 although they are the only ones that can lay claim to be held under 

 conditions at all resembling real shooting, were till lately looked down 

 on at public trials with profound contempt. It has made a sine qua 

 non that all winning braces shall have been run at least twice 

 in the Stake, thus lessening that undue amount of luck which 

 is such a blot on these institutions. It is also making efforts 

 to reintroduce into trial dogs good and systematic quartering of 

 their ground, an essential that had fallen into complete abeyance 

 at these meetings ; and it is seeking to impress on the judges the 

 necessity of penalising all dogs that, in their unrestrained eagerness 

 to push forward into the wind, leave game unfound on their beat. 



The reason for good quartering is, of course, to ensure the 

 dogs finding all the game on a given strip of country, and never 

 stumbling on any birds down-wind. Very much depends on 

 the dog's first cast on a fresh beat, which should always be directly 

 across the wind with the head inclined towards it. The head 

 must be carried high, as the body-scent floats in the air with an 

 upward tendency ; and, therefore, it is easy to perceive the advantage 

 of that " dished " formation of face which enables the Pointer 

 to gallop at full speed without constricting the muscles of his 

 throat. 



As regards the advisability of the backing dog remaining 



