Valuable Hints. 203 



refer for breeding — that came from a soft-coated family. I 

 could name several champions that I would not have used 

 with a view to establishing a race of true wire-haired fox 

 terriers if I had been paid to do so. I can show ten 

 terriers, at the time I write this, that have sound natural 

 coats, and there is not a single wire-hair that I am breeding 

 from that has not a fair percentage of smooth blood in it. 



" Knavesmere Jest, sire of Meersbrook Bristles, had not a 

 really good jacket, but he was well bred, and in the pro- 

 duction of Meersbrook Bristles he was given a smooth bitch, 

 so that Matchmaker, by All Bristles ex Oronsay Value (also 

 smooth), has but 25 per cent, of wire blood in him, yet even 

 from smooth bitches he produces 50 per cent, of wire-hairs. 

 Both Richmond Victoria and Matchless are out of Hall- 

 garth Vic, by Flass Forager, by Claude Duval — Flass Folly, 

 smooth on both sire and dam's side. Then Raby Top 

 Knot, the puppy that won his championship at Harrogate 

 at seven months old, and was runner up for the 500-guinea 

 Dholpore Challenge trophy already alluded to, is another 

 illustration of my argument, for he in reality cannot have 

 above 10 to 15 per cent, of wire-haired blood in him, yet 

 he has a perfect coat. For my own use I keep any good 

 smooth and wired-haired bred bitches. Such generally 

 have bull-terrier like coats, very short and close. 



" I have, so far as my kennel is concerned, enough 

 material to attain the object I have in view; in fact, with a 

 air amount of luck I can almost guarantee the coats of all 

 that are rough coated being correct in length, hardness, 

 and texture, and I may add such do not require much more 

 attention than the smooths." 



Mr. Raper concludes his practical and valuable remarks 

 by stating that were judges to pay more attention to the 



