The Beagle 655 



shows. The breed is noticeable in another respect and that is the number 

 of individual fanciers who breed good dogs, so that we have advanced to the 

 position where importations have become very scarce. The result is better 

 values for home-bred dogs, as will always be the case when an end is put to 

 the sending of money to England for dogs to beat the American-breds. 



When Mr. Kernochan gave up his beagles some of the best of them were 

 secured by Mr. Higginson of the Middlesex Hunt, near Boston and Mr. Cas- 

 well of the Round Plains hunt, also a Boston institution, but it cannot be said 

 that they had much influence in the improvement of the breed and dogs now 

 winning have little of their blood. 



The most successful dogs now being shown are bred from later impor- 

 tations, mainly from those of Mr. H. T. Peters and Mr. Rockefeller. The 

 former with his Windholmes and the latter with his Rock Ridges have raised 

 the standard very much over even what was accomplished by Mr. Kernochan, 

 and these gentlemen are now showing dogs of their own breeding which 

 equal anything they have imported. In addition we have many who breed 

 on a much less extensive scale and yet manage to get a share of the prizes at 

 even our best shows. Mr. Ernest Lester Jones, of Madison, N. J., Mr. 

 Saxby, Mr. Shallcross and many others that might be named are always to be 

 reckoned with as formidable opponents in the show ring as well as at the 

 beagle trials where they compete. Mr. Barnard of Bryn Mawr is another 

 whose entries are frequent and whose success must be gratifying when the 

 severity of the competition is considered. Upon his shoulders now depends 

 the upholding of interest in the beagle in the Philadelphia district, which was 

 at one time the centre of the fancy. 



Perhaps it would be better if the Windholme and Rock Ridge kennels 

 were not so strong and so divide up the winning a little more than has been 

 the case of late years, but so long as all rely upon American-bred dogs 

 there is an element of equality which does not exist in breeds where 

 the winners are purchased abroad at prices beyond the means of all but 

 the wealthiest fanciers. No true fancier objects to being beaten by a 

 fellow breeder, for that is very different from having one's efforts discounted 

 by the expenditure of several thousands of dollars in the purchase of a 

 foreign-bred dog. 



The National Beagle Club of America, which took the place of the or- 

 iginal American English-beagle Club is the one which takes care of the show 

 section of the fancy as well as the holding of the most important of the many 



