290 BRITISH DOGS 



an accepted indication of high breeding, and a sign of probable 

 excellence. 



"Idstone," who was a great admirer of the Irish Setter, says, 

 writing in 1872: "They have been jealously protected from any 

 mongrel crosses for many years by their native breeders." On the 

 other hand, Mr. Edward Laverack, writing in the same year, says : 

 " So highly do I value the true blood belonging to the Irish, that 

 I have visited Ireland four times for the express purpose of ascertain- 

 ing where the true blood was to be found, with a view to crossing 

 them with my Beltons. I very much regret to say that, after all 

 my trouble and efforts, I found that this magnificent old breed 

 has degenerated, owing to the carelessness and negligence of the 

 Irish in not having kept it pure." 



Mr. Laverack must have been singularly unfortunate, for certainly 

 the " magnificent old breed" has been kept practically pure, though 

 not so detailed in tabulated pedigrees, which were not a requisite 

 of dog-breeding success in pre-show days. The excessive value 

 placed on pedigrees now may easily lead to degeneration, if not 

 corrected by other and yet more weighty considerations. The 

 wiry form, the endurance, coupled with general smartness and stout- 

 ness of constitution, which have hitherto characterised the Irish 

 Setter, and so largely contributed to make it a favourite with 

 sportsmen, may be easily lost by a blind confidence in pedigree and 

 the honours of championship in the show-ring. 



That " blood will tell " is, however, undeniable, and most of our 

 present-day winners, like those of the past, owe much of their 

 excellence to the old kennels, wherein stud books were rarely kept. 

 The blood of the celebrated Palmerston is strong in many of our 

 best dogs to-day, and perhaps the most typical, and certainly the 

 most beautiful, of his numerous progeny was the late Mr. J. J. 

 Giltrap's Champion Garryowen (Fig. 62), whose pedigree is given to 

 show what a short distance even the most celebrated dogs go back. 



f Grouse (Evans of Dungannon) 

 fOld Shot ..A 

 Palmerston...-! [juno 



[Kate (no ascertained pedigree) 



(1,728) 

 Garryowen 

 (8,262) 



(York (Major Smith's) 



Belle I ( Grouse ...{Shot (Sire of Palmerston) 



[Bella ...J 



[Kate I. 



For the uses to which he is generally put the Irish Setter is 

 admirably adapted. On the mountains where grouse are scarce, 

 and unfortunately getting scarcer yearly, his speed and persistent 



