The English Setter 135 



previous class was mated with a poorer one. The majority having decided that 

 Barton Tory was the best dog in the show, we of course voted for him and his 

 better mate, only to find ourselves once more in the minority, the defeated toy 

 and his inferior mate getting the most votes. Several similar experiences fol- 

 lowed, and we have ever since eschewed judging specials in mixed company. 



The gems of Mr. Vandergrift's kennel were in the excellent collection 

 of bitches, including Queen's Place Pride, Queen's Pride, Queen's Flora 

 and one or two others. At the same time it was not all plain sailing for even 

 this good kennel for Mr. G. C. Thomas, Jr., of Philadelphia, was also 

 in the ring with his Bloomfield kennels, which shortly included Mallwyd 

 Sirdar, Stylish Sergeant, Dido B., Mepal's Queen B., Pera, and others. 

 Mr. Thomas was the better stayer of the two exhibitors, the Vancroft 

 kennels being given up the following year. It looked lately as if Mr. Thomas 

 was also preparing to go on the retired list, but fortunately it is not so, for 

 at the close of 1904 he purchased from Ben Lewis his entire kennel of 

 English setters and the latter will keep out of the breed, only showing for 

 Mr. Thomas for a year from the date of sale. 



Mr. Barry, of Rye, is another of the standard sort, holding to his own 

 course in storm and sunshine, keeping good setters to look at and good to 

 shoot over, and breeding a little on lines that promise well, but no one will 

 gainsay that the stick-fast-to-type is Doctor Hair, and too much credit can- 

 not be given him by all who value the perpetuation of an old breed in its 

 purity of type for his consistent course for so many years. 



At no time since the early eighties has prospects for the English setter 

 looked more favorable than at present. Show committees are giving exhibi- 

 tors better judges, and whatever fear there was of offending field trials men 

 has been overcome. Even if we do occasionally have a judge who speaks 

 of two types and thinks it right to put one of each in the prize list, he does 

 not do it to any extent. If a man will not judge to one type, the type he 

 believes to be correct, he has no business in the ring, for he is obliging some 

 exhibitors at the expense of others and against what should be his immovable 

 opinion and verdict. 



PEDIGREE IN FIELD TRIALS DOGS 



There seems to be far more misconception as to which line of blood we 

 are more particularly indebted to for the excellence of the dogs bred for 



