THE MASTIFF IN THE IQTH CENTURY. 153 



displayed between 1820 and 1830, after which his strain was 

 kept up and improved much by the talent and fancy of Mr. 

 W. J. Thompson, who writing to me May I5th, 1873, 

 remarked : " The Kirklees blood would never have been so 

 " well preserved or suited with crosses but for my own exc r- 

 "tion, etc." 



Again April i8th, 1873, Dorah and her sire Tiger were a 

 cross from the Waterton blood, and they crossed with nothing 

 only through my own interests ever since. 



As a breeder, Crabtree had not the advantages of more 

 recent times, no shows at which he could see better specimens 

 than his own, or at least specimens superior in som,! poi its 

 to what his o\vn breed were ; he had not the advantage of 

 emulation, aroused by fellow competitors, whose critical eyes 

 c^uld detect and mention faults, no ideal standard to breed 

 up to, beyond what his own judgment might suggest, and his 

 successes depended on good natural judgment, and by taking 

 advantage of obtaining a cross at any time when he saw a 

 specimen that took his fancy. Holdsworth's Lion for head 

 and general character, fortunately a pure bred dog on his 

 sire's side at least, and YYaterton's Tiger for size. 



John Crabtree was no mere ignorant keeper, constantly 

 associating with real gci.t \ . who : e U .-it 3 

 during the shooting season, aist 1 .. ly n ,,ci i ; ^ r,n-' 

 he understood wh^t cio^b \\LIX aiai sh< i;la b-.. a;- \ve;i 

 man of his date. While Mr. \\ yc. ham was tciuaii a.t A >. iv c^, 

 he had two Alpine mastiffs brought uvcr to him m lo-^ . y 

 the late Mr. Chas. Lia.Lciimg from Switzerland. TLu& \ r;.l 

 tree had an opportunity of ccirpanng the Alpmo . .. u e 



