24 THE SPORTSMAN'S VADE MECUM. 



out every second day only, and feeding him on the best and 

 strongest food. However, for general purposes, three brace 

 of dogs are sufficient, and, when not often used, two are 

 plenty ; but no one ought ever to have less than two brace. 

 It may be managed by always going out with a friend, he 

 keeping one brace, you the other ; he shooting to your dogs, 

 you to his. For my part, give me three brace of my own, 

 and let those be the best shaped, strongest, best bred, anr 1 

 best workers there can be. That is my weakness, and to 

 achieve this I yearly sink a sufficient number of dollars to 

 keep a poor man. But all this is digressing most fearfully 

 from the nursery of young pointers and setters. 



BITCH IN USE. 



By receipt on a subsequent page, you will see how your 

 bitch is to be brought into use. We will suppose her 

 well formed and well bred. If faultless, put her to a dog 

 nearly equal, if you cannot get one equal. Save the dog 

 pups which will take after the dam. It is well understood 

 that by breeding from young bitches you have faster and 

 higher rangers ; and this also reminds me to say that no 

 bitch ought to be bred from till she is full grown, that is to 

 say, till she is two years old. Many people breed at twelve 

 months, but it is wrong. The bitch is not full grown, and, 

 consequently, the puppies are poor, weak, and miserable. If 

 the bitch has faults, find a dog of the same appearance as 

 her, while he excels in those points she is deficient in. 

 The bitches are partakers of his qualities. Are you short 

 of bone, nose, size, form, temper, look for the excess of these 



