Beagle Measurements 245 



"I have no use for the 'sturdy little hound' that 

 we hear so much about to-day. He can't lug his big 

 bone and mop coat through the cedar swamp to suit 

 me worth a cent. I am not giving you theory, but 

 sad experience. Personally I have no use for the 

 rule of thumb in judging dogs, but contribute the 

 figm-es to keep the pot boiling." 



Mr. John Caswell, Master of the Round Plain 

 beagles, of Prides Crossing, Massachusetts, then 

 has something to say on the measurement question, 

 and begins by asking if there has ever been a perfect 

 hound bred? "One may be bred for Maryland; 

 another for Long Island, and yet another for 

 Northern New York and Vermont. There are dif- 

 ferent requirements for each place. 



"The careful worker must give way to more 

 flashy type, with forward drive, when hunted on 

 white hares, while the small hounds cannot last with 

 the 15 inch ones at the same game. Now, if each 

 master breeds for the requirements of his country, 

 I fail to see how any absolute rule of measurements 

 can be laid down. Every prize won in the ring is 

 won by comparison; the best hound in the ring at 

 the time of judging should be first. Should the 

 judge fancy one type more than another he natur- 

 ally leans to that type. 



"The measurements of some of the best hounds 



