FOREST AND STREAM. 



423 



The lettet alluded to as published in Fobbst AhdStbkam 



of Nov. 18 -was written some months ago, am 

 by the well-known writer on canine matters, Mr. Arnold 

 Burgee, advocating the ruffed grouse as the best bird to break 

 dogs on. I differed in opinion so widely as to make the asser- 

 tion that it is the worst bird for the purpose. One cannot al- 

 ways select the game, but whatever the game may be upon 

 which the young dog receives his initiatory lessons, he should 

 first be well yard broken. When well yard-broken he will, 

 at command, "hie on," drop to shot and signal, come to heel, 

 and retrieve. Everything in addition to this that is taught in 

 the yard, such as "loho," quartering to hand, etc., saves 

 much patience and more precious time when in U, 

 First, and constantly, teach implicit obedience. ±h< 

 muBt fully understand the meaning of a command, and then 

 obey without hesitation or delay on his part, or repetition of 

 the command by his master. Teach him not only to drop in- 

 stantly, but also in good form; and he should retrieve without 

 mouthing or dropping the bird, always holding to tianel until 

 receiving the command to deliver. My own dogs are exceed- 

 ingly gentle, are very easily taught, and I have obtained great 

 perfection in them. Upon seeing them perform in the yard 

 many sportsmen have asked the pertinent question, ""Will 

 they do all this in the fieid?" I reply, " Yes, if they have 

 heen well taught and have learned perfectly the lesson of 

 obedience, they will do all this and much more after the little 

 ■experience which is needed to teach what can be learned by 

 no other means. As a practical instance of the result of the 

 system of breaking that I advocate and adopt, I will cite a 

 young dog that I have initiated on game the present season. 

 He was broken on woodcock and ruffed grouse, but for 1 he 

 sole reason that I was obliged to give the first field lessons in 

 covert and on such game, or not at all until another season 

 Me had already well learned all that 1 desired to teach him in 

 ttlie yard, and a few days devoted to his education in the field 

 •- uilieed to render him a very superior dog on the game men- 

 t'n rneo, rivaling the older and experienceddogs with which he 

 was worked. I shall hope to give hirn a varied experi 

 the open, another season. Had circumstances permitted, I 

 should now he shooting along the banks of the Mississippi 

 .River, and perhaps iu the good company of "Guido " and his 

 friends, who would he well p.' cased by the natives in which 

 1 have the merited pride of breeder, breaker and owner. A 

 friend at ray side who has shot over dogs for many consecu- 

 tive years, and has had much experience with ruffed grouse, 

 entirely coincides with me in opinion as regards their fitness 

 for the breaking of young dogs ; and furthermore adds, that 

 when cock shooting, if the dogs find ruffed grouse he immedi- 

 ately calls them to heel, not allowing them to hunt the birds, 

 hut walks in and flushes. And his dogs have very superior 

 noses and unexcelled staunchness. But after a dog has been 

 well broken on.other game, then break him on ruffed grouse, 

 and in some localities good sport may be had without your 

 dog acquiring bad habits. 1 have studied the habits of ruffed 

 grouse, not only as a sportsman, hut as an ornithologist, and 

 well know how varied are their habits (as well as those of 

 other birds) in various localities. Ruffed grouse are very 

 abundant in Massachusetts, and probably nowhere will they 

 e better to dogs. The covert is generally favorable to this 

 purpose, and also favorable for the sportsman, yet Massachu- 

 setts sportsmen will do well to first break their dogs on ether 

 game, unless they are to be used only in covert shooting. 

 And when, Mr. Editor, a correspondent asks what dog to get 

 .for partridge (ruffed grouse) and rabbit (hare) shooting, "do 

 not, f pray you, recommend a setter or pointer for such a 

 purpose, To such uses and no other may they never be called 

 sis long as spaniels exist. Evbbet Smith. 



Not. 30, 1878. 



. .a.^. 



THE MINNESOTA FIELD TRI'ALS. 

 Letter pbom Hon. Wm. Mulliken, One of the Judges. 



Editou Foeesk and Stream: 



liavi ng read the statement of Mr. Rowe in his paper regard- 

 ing the circumstances wherein I read the rule to him during 

 the Minnesota Field Trials, and said statement being wholly 

 untrue, I desire in my own behalf a space in your columns in 

 order to give your many readers the true history of the case 

 as it occurred. 



Nellie, handled by Mr. Sanborn, and I think Maggie May, 

 by Mr. Waddington, were down. Five birds were flushed 

 and settled some distance ahead of the dogs in the edge of a 

 dry slough, there being a small patch of hazel brush on the 

 right as we approached the locality where the birds went 

 down. When we got into the slough"Nellie came to a stand in 

 good cover, aud alter waiting sufficient time for her to estab- 

 lish her point, being next to Mr. Sanborn, who was on my 

 right, I requested bim to allow Nellie to flush the bird. Mr. 

 Sanborn ordered her on, and she worked upon Ihe trail two or 

 three rods, and then, instead of finding a bird, threw up her 

 head and commenced roading to the right, making a circle 

 and crossing the trail she had been on, came in front of Mr. 

 Whitford, who was on the left, Mr. Davidson being in the 

 centre. "While Nellie was in front of Mr. Whitford "Mr. Da- 

 vidson, in walking up, flushed a bird some distance from 

 Nellie and to the left of the trail where she had been working. 

 Nellie, at the time the bird was raised, was roading with head 

 up, giving the judges no evidence that she was on a scent. 

 Myself and Mr. Davidson at once gave Nellie a false point, 

 whereupon Mr. Whitford dissented in language I do not de- 

 sire to repeat. Mr. Whitford and Mr. Sanborn claimed the 

 bird that Mt\ Davidson flushed was the one that Nellie pointed, 

 and we had a hot controversy about it. At this stage of the 

 proceedings Mr. Rowe, who Bad been riding in the judges' 

 wagon for two days (saying he was placed there by Mr. 

 Lincoln as " signal officer "), said to Mr. Sanborn : " Sanborn, 

 if that was my dog 1 would take her up." 



I then asked Mr. Rowe what business he had to interfere 

 in the matter, and if he knew the rules governing the field 

 trials. The remark he made to me I do not now recollect, but 

 it was so ungenllemanly that I was compelled by duty to read 

 him part of rule 8, which is as follows : "No spectators are 

 allowed nearer the handler of the dogs than seventy-five, yards 

 to the rear. No spectators or others shall make any remarks 

 about the dogs or judges wilhin hearing of the judges; such 

 persons so offending- shall be expelled from the ground by the 

 judges, who shall order the special police to eject such per- 

 sons offending." 



After much controversy between the judges it was decided 

 to give Nellie a point iu order to heal the disturbance, on the 

 ground that the bird that Mr. Davidson flushed " might have 

 been " the bird she had pointed, while there were four more 

 birds known to have gone down in the immediate vicinity. 



Regarding my apology to Mr. Rowe his statement is en- 

 tirely outside of the facts. He came to me on Friday evening 



just before I left the camp and requested me to leave my tent 

 on the ground over nigh; for his accommodation, which was 

 freely granted. 1 then said to him : "I hoped he had no 

 hard feelings for what had occurred in the field that morning,"' 

 and he said be bad none. This is the only apology I made, 

 and I will qualify it under oal h 



It is notoriously known by all who attended the field trials 

 that Mr. Rowe was very officious for a reporter, and entirely 

 out of bis proper place during the whole field trial. When 

 not riding with the judges he was arm in arm nn more than 



ion with one of the judges. Especially when 



Countess Royal aud Nellie were down. 



I am glad to bear witness that the representative of the 

 Forest and Stream knew his place and kept it in such a 

 gentlemanly manner that it met the commendations of all wdio 

 saw him tread prairie and stubble. 1 have endeavored to 

 keep out of this field trial controversy, and should have done 

 so had not Mr. Rowe made statements regarding me that are 

 utterly false. Wm. MmxiKEk. 



ACKLEY'S DOG. 



Bedford, Ohio, Dec. 14, 1878. 



Editor Forest anti Stream: 



The death of "Old Sport," and the " Law of Trespass," as 

 contained in late nutnbers of Forest and Stream, remind me 

 of a sporting incident that occurred many years since to mv 

 partner, the late Prof. H. A. Ackley. He was Shooting 

 ducks iu the marshes of Sandusky Bay, and had an excellent 

 retriever, that would retrieve all the ducks that fell, no mat- 

 ter who shot them. There was another person shooting from 

 a point of land not far from where Doctor Ackley was shoot- 

 ing. Ackley *s dog beat to Acidey's pile of ducks all the 

 ducks that this fellow knocked down, which so angered him 

 that be informed Ackley, that if his dog took any meire of bis 

 ducks be would shoot the dog, Ackley replied, "Ifyon shoot 

 my dog I will shoot you : I do not want your ducks, hut I 

 cannot prevent my dog from retrieving all the ducks that fall." 

 Pretty soon the fellow dropped another duck, and A.ckley's 

 dog " went for him," and the fellow blazed away at the dog 

 and Ackley blazed at the fellow. The manner in which that 

 fellow humped himself satisfied Ackley that he had better be 

 off ; so, gathering up his ducks he put out for his buggy and 

 horse, which were back a short distance. Ackley delivered 

 horse and buggy to the livery man in the town of Sandusky 

 and took the little steamer for Cleveland. The next clay after 

 a man called at our oilicc, saying he had been out shooting 

 duel; the day before with a friend, who had carelessly shot some 

 Email shell into bis body, and he wished to have thorn taken 

 out. We took them out, eleven shot iu all. "What is your 

 charge, gentlemen ?" " Twenty dollars." He paid it, not 

 knowing that one of the firm of Ackley & Garlick, was that 

 "friend'' who had lodged those shot in him. 



Our bill of items was, ten dollars for digging out the shot 

 and ten dollars for thai, scamp shooting, though not killing, 

 one of the best dogs I ever saw. 



Very trufy yours, T. Gahliok. 



Tennessee Field Trials for 1879. — The Tennessee Sports- 

 man's Association have fixed the time of their next Field 

 Trials for 1879 for December 1, at Col. Overton's farm, near 

 Nashville. 



Canine Ovariotomy.— Editor Forest and Stream and Rod 

 and Gun: As W: W. T., in your issue of Dec. 19, 1878, re- 

 fers to a letter written by "M. B.," in reference to some 

 articles on ovariotomy and had the honor of having printed 

 in the Country, I feel called upon to answer him on account 

 of my interest in all that relates to canine pathology. To his 

 direct question " How to recognize the ovary when you see 

 it," I would reply : The ovary is a small botly ranging from 

 the size of a pea to that of a bean, according to the age of the 

 subject, aud in shape resembling the latter. W. W. S. will, 

 if he has read the Country carefully, see that, I lather doubt 

 the practibilily of "M. B.'s" procedure, which doubt is 

 confirmed by further investigations. To W- W. S's. inquiry, 

 " What relation of position does it (the ovary) bear to the 

 uterus itself I" I would simply refer him to my original article 

 and suggest that before he sacrifices a well bred pup he 

 practice "upon a dead cur of low degree. The operation itself 

 is very simple, and provided an opening is not made of Buf- 

 j ficienl size to afterward be followed by anemia or protrusion 

 of the bowels is rarely if ever attended by any untoward re- 

 sults. If any further information on the subject of spaying is 

 desired none will give it with greater pleasure than 



Mouioan. 



A Spaniel Suoklinq Two Pigs.— A correspondent of an 

 English contemporary writes: "The other day, while walking 

 in the country a few miles from Reading, my attention was 

 drawn to a most singular incident— namely, a Spaniel bitch 

 suckling two young pigs. The owner, living at a small home- 

 Htead at Kuowl Hill, informed me that all the spaniel's pups 

 had recently heen destroyed, which appeared to greatly dis- 

 tress the mother. It happened about that time that asow had 

 a litter of pigs, and she shortly afterwards died, consequently 

 the little ones would have shared the same fate had not 

 succor come to them by the timely assistance of the spaniel, 

 who, of its own accord, took the place of the sow, and is now 

 suckling the pigs." 



Poisoned. — A liver colored cocker spaniel belonging to 

 Isaac H. Folger, Esq., senior editor of the Brockton, Mass., 

 Advance, was poisoned Dec. 7th at Nantucket. The dog was 

 pure blooded, an excellent, retriever, thoroughly trained and 

 would perform a variety of tricks. Mr. Folger has offered a 

 reward of fifty dollars for the detection of the poisoner- He 

 has also placarded Nantucket with dodgers reading as fol- 

 lows : 



DOO Toi:;: 



One of thom lives in Nantucket. I balieve dogs go to heaven. 

 If they do not it is unfortunate for the cur who poisoned Snyder, 

 Saturday. l)eo. 7, 1878. The puieonav betrays hia Ki'itt every lime 

 he talka about it. Isaac H. Fojjjkk. 



Brockton, Deo. 31, 1878. 



—Jilt, pure Laverack, property of A. F. Huston, Coates- 

 ville, Fa-, whelped six pups on 17th instant, by Carlowitz, 

 two dogs and four bitches. 



—The setter bitch Fanny Ellslei- (Rob Roy-Pickles), belong- 

 ing to H.R. Bostwick, of Atchison, Kansas, whelped, on 

 December 15, eight puppies— three dogs and five bitches, by 

 Topeka, iian., Kennel Club Brussells (Leicester-Dart). 



—Dr. Edward J. Forster's Daisy (Shot-Nellie) whelped, 

 16th 1 leremher, 1878, two dogs and four bitches, by Adams' 

 champion field trial winner Drake. 



—Mr. .T. P. Bigelow, of West Boylston, Mass., claims the 

 name of Lno for his red Irish Better bitch puppy whelped 

 July 13, out of Hosmer's imported Rose, by Moore's Sancho. 



—Mr. J. P. Bigelow, of West Boylston, Mass., writes that 

 his native English setter bitch Rumpus, winner of first prize 



at Worcester National Dog Show, May, '78, whelped Dec. 

 17th two dogs and four bitches, sired by Brewster's Don, of 

 ifulber Adams' Rock stock. 



— E. Lavislette, of Binghamton, N. Y., claims the name 

 Pat for his red Irish setter "pup. 



THE NOM DE PLUME "MOHICAN." 



BROOKLYN, N. T., Dec. 13, 1878. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



" lline ear Is open and my Heart prepared, 

 The worst is worldly loss thou canst unfold ; 

 Say, Is my kingdom lost?" 

 la your issue of December 12, 1S78, I noticed a communication on 

 " Canine Skin Diseases— Eczema." 



Jn regard to the nom de plume of " Mohican," 1 would say that I nave 

 had possession, adopted and used It for the last three years or more, to 

 the several articles communicated by me to the Forest and Stream. 

 There appeared in a Chicugo paper in the year 1S76, a communication 

 from me entitled," The American Shooter Fifty Yeara Ago," and beara 

 my How dc plume, " Mohican" (the above article appeared in that jour- 

 nal for several weeks in succession) ; also to several communications 

 on express charges on dogs, in which I upheld the American Express 

 Company as the only express to be patronized by the sportsmen and 

 breeders. These articles drew forth communications favoring my Ideas 

 from M. Von Cuiin, Esq., Delaware City, Del., and several others, 



1 thlok 1 have the full right to withhold and adopt the nom de pluvie 

 of '• Mohican," and shall use it to any of my future articles which shall 

 appear from time to time In the sporting papers. But If your corres- 

 pondent, "Mohican," can show and prove his prior right, I am willing: 

 to forfeit the same, aud not before. 



Communications published and signed "Mohican" are supposed to 

 lie from me, and if there are more than one by that name It will be apt 

 to lead to misunderstanding. 1 would request, your correspondent, 

 "Mohican," in a gentlemanly way, to adopt another flam deplume. 

 " it you Osnj mo, lie npon your law I 

 There is no force in the decrees of Venice— 

 I stand for judgment ; answer, sfinll I have it?" 



Joseph B. Fisher (Mohican). 

 "We have not the slightest doubt that our correspondent will 

 do so at once.— Ed. 



jUachting und Ranting. 



THE BRITISH YACHT FLEET. 



THE wonderful growth as well as the peculiarly prefer- 

 ences of popular taste among the British yachting 

 public is shown in strong light by some figures recently 

 published by the London Field. The total number of yachts 

 in 1850 was 503, consisting of 372 cutters, only 76 schoon- 

 ers, 45 yawls, 7 of other rigs, mostly luggers, and but 3 

 steamers. By 1804, the numbers had swelled to a total of 

 895, including 574 eulters, 307 schooners, 54 yawls, 27 of 

 other rigs, and 33 steamers. In 1878 there were no lessthau 

 1,883 yachts regularly enrolled, and with those of which no 

 records are available the fleet may be set down as having 

 attained a total of 3,000 ! These are divided as follows ; 

 754 cutters, 338 schooners, 328 yawls, 25 of other rig, aud 

 383 steamers. What is most remarkable, at least in the 

 light of our own experience, is the fact that even as far back 

 as 1850 the average tonnage of all craft, was as high as 44 

 tons, or very nearly as large as that of the modern fleet, 

 which is 47. With us the average tonnage would fall very 

 much below these figures, as we still have to draw very 

 largely upon the small cat-boats and jib and mainsails for 

 the make-up of our fleet. No doubt this can be traced to 

 the lack of wealth and leisure, as well as the presence along 

 our coast of large bodies of sheltered water, rendering pos- 

 sible a spirited devotion to the sport iu craft smaller than 

 would be of service abroad, wbero everybody's ambition is 

 to go foreign in his yacht. Cutters are the most numerous 

 in British waters, and very justly so. With us the -sloop 

 cannot supply their place on account of the unhandiness of 

 its rig, and we have therefore made the schooner our ''na- 

 tional rig," with the sloop relegated only to the smaller 

 classes. 01 larger sloops there are hardly a dozen in Amer- 

 ica, aud the tendency seems to be to displace even these by 

 the cutter and yawl, leaving the sloop to hold sway among 

 the small smooth-water sailers, chiefly on account of its 

 cheapness aud greater efficiency for short river work. The 

 schooner does not seem to hold so prominent a position in 

 Europe as here, for the cutter outnumbers her two to one, 

 and even the yawl runs her a close race. This latter rig 

 has sprung into very sudden popularity for both cruising 

 and racing, and the satisfaction it has given to those who 

 have tried it on this side of the Atlantic assures it au equally 

 prosperous future here. Steamers, as a matter of course, 

 have increased in a rapid ratio with the spread of a kno wl- 

 edgo of steam engineering ; but we still fall very far behind 

 our cousins in respect to sea-going craft of this description, 

 there being W ally only two sea-going steam yachts in our 

 waters, the Ideal and Vidette. Iu 1870 there were iu Great 

 Britain about 100 yachts under 5 tons, 300 frooa 5 to 10 tons, 

 403 from 10 .to 30, ISO from 20 to 30, 90 from 30 to 10, SO 

 from 10 to 50, 50 from 50 to 60, 88 from 60 to SO, 6 from. 



