120 



FOREST AND STREAM! 





A WEEKLY JOURNAL, 

 Di^ot:^ to Field and Aquatic Sports, Practical Natural History, 



Fl?W Al^WURE, THE PROTECTION OP GAME, PRESERVATION OF FORESTS, 

 AND THE iNCITIiCATION IN MEN AND WOMEN OF A HEALTHY INTEREST 



IN Out-door Recreation and Study : 



PUBLISHED BY 



$onzt mA gtremq ffubfahmg §omyat(g, 



AT 



17 CHATHAM STREET, (CITY HALL SQUARE) NEW YORK, 



TPost Office Box 2832.1 



127 SOUTH THIRD STREET, PHILADELPHIA. 



Terms, Fire Dollars a Year, Strictly In Advance. 



♦ 



A discount of twenty per cent, allowed for five copies and upwards. 



■ ■ mt » ^ 



Advertising Races. 



In regular advertising columns, nonpareil type, ' 12 lines to the inch, 2£ 

 Cents per line. Advertisements on outside page, 40 cents per line. Reading 

 notices, 50 cents per line. Advertisements in double column 25 per cent, 

 extra. Where advertisements are inserted over 1 month, a discount of 

 10 per cent, will he made; over three months, 20 per cent; over six 

 months, 30 per cent. 



NEW YORK, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1875. 



To Correspondents. 



All communications whatever, whether relating to business or literary 

 Correspondence, must be addressed to The Forest and Stream Pub- 

 lishing Company. Personal or private letters of course excepted. 



All communications intended for publication must be accompanied with 

 real name, as a guaranty of good faith. Names will not be published if 

 objection be made. No anonymous contributions will be regarded. 



Articles relating to any topic within the scope of this paper are solicited. 



We cannot promise to return rejected manuscripts. 



Secretaries of Clubs and Associations are urged to favor us with brief 

 notes of their movements and transactions, as it is the aim of this paper 

 to become a medium of useful and reliable information between gentle- 

 men sportsmen from one end of the country to the other ; and they will 

 find our columns a desirable medium for advertising announcements. 



The Publishers of Forest and Stream aim to merit and secure the 

 patronage and countenance of that portion of the community whose re- 

 fined intelligence enables them to properly appreciate and enjoy all that 

 s beautiful in Nature. It will pander to no depraved tastes, nor pervert 

 the legitimate sports of land and water to those base uses which always 

 tend to make them unpopular with the virtuous and good. No advertise- 

 ment or business notice of an immoral character will be received on any 

 terms ; and nothing will be admitted to any department of the paper that 

 may not be read with propriety in the home circle. 



We cannot be responsible for the dereliction of the mail^ervice, if 

 money remitted to us is lost. 



Advertisements should be sent in by Saturday of each week, if possible. 



CHARLES HALLOCK, Editor. 



WILLIAM C. HARRIS, Business Manager. 



a i m ' " Jl 



CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR THE COM- 

 ING WEEK. 



Thursday, September 30th.— Racing at Dallas, Texas. Trotting at 

 Great Falls, N. H. , Salem, N. J. , Lexington, Ky ., Titusville, Pa. Bifie 

 — N. R. Association at Creedmoor; Empire State Club at Syracuse. Fall 

 regatta N. Y. Yacht Club. Fair, Queen's County Agricultural Society 

 atMineola, L. I Base ball— Keystone vs. Pacific at Philadelphia. 



Friday, October 1st.— Racing at Dallas, Texas. Trotting at Lexing- 

 ton, Ky., Titusville, Pa., Elmira, N. Y. Empire State Rifle Club 

 at Syracuse, N. Y. ; N. R. Association at Creedmoor. Central New York 

 State Fair, at Utica. Base ball— Athletic vs. Mutual at Philadelphia; 

 Alaska vs. Resolute at Elizabeth, N J. 



Saturday, October 2d.— Racing a, Jerome Park. Trotting at Lexing- 

 ton, Ky. N. R. Association, Creedmoor. Fall regatta Brooklyn Yacht 

 Club. Central New York Fair, Utica. Cricket— 12 English vs. Ameri- 

 cans at St. George's Club Grounds, Hoboken. Base ball— Athletic vs. 

 Mutual at Philadelphia; Flyaways vs. Staten Island at Staten Island. 



Monday, October ith.— Racing at Nashville, Tenn. Trotting at St. 

 Louis, Mo. Prospect Park, L. I. New York Athletic Club meeting, 

 Mott Haven . 



Tuesday, October 5th.— Racing at Jerome Park, Nashville, Tenn. 

 Trotting at Prospect Park, Cincinnati, Ohio, Owego, N. Y., Manches- 

 ter, N. H., Mount Holly, N. J, 



Wednesday, October 6th.— Racing at Nashville, Tenn. Trotting at 

 Prospect Paik,, Fitchburg, Mass., Monroe, Mich., Cincinnati, Ohio. 



Around the World in Eighty- eight Days. — George 

 Francis Train used to^oast either that' he had been, or could 

 go, around the world in ninety days, and Mr. Jules Verne 

 has found it comparatively easy in one of his remarkable 

 books to make his hero beat this time by ten days, to say 

 nothing of rescuing Indian princesses, righting savages, 

 and bursting boilers on the way; but it has been left for a 

 simple letter to accomplish the feat in the remarkable time 

 of eighty-eight days. A gentleman, says the United States 

 Mail, addressed a letter to the TJ. S. Postal Agent at Yoka- 

 homa, Japan, and forwarded it via Brindisi by the steamer 

 leaving New York for Southampton on the 13th of May 

 last. Within the cover was another letter addressed to 

 himself, which he requested the Postal Agent to forward 

 to New York via San Francisco by the first opportunity. 

 The letter reached Ypkphoma July 11th, San Francisco, 

 July 31st, and Newr York August 9th, being eighty-eight 

 days on the journey. Of course, however, it was only the 

 close connection at Yokohoma that saved it. 



«___ ,«».» — 



The late attempt to ship peaches to Europe having 

 proved unsuccessful, it is now proposed to coat them with 

 melted paraflne which, when dry, would effectually resist 

 both air and water. Peach growers are very much disap- 

 pointed with the result of the season's business, many of 

 them finding themselves in debt for advances, besides the 

 expenses of cultivation, picking, crates, etc. It is even 

 proposed to cut down a large number of the trees, to pre- 

 vent the recurrence of like misfortune through the medi- 

 um of unmarketable surplus. 



GAME PROTECTION. 



♦ 



THE INTERNATIONAL. 



We publish herewith a call to the Executive Committee 

 of the above association which we trust will be fully re- 

 sponded to. The objects of the organization have been 

 too often expressed in these columns to require repetition 

 now. Scarcely a day passes that we do not receive com- 

 munications from various portions of the country, the sub- 

 stance of which is to call for more strenuous and united 

 action on the part of those interested to obtain the reforms 

 advocated. 



International Association for Protecting Came and Fish, 

 Secretary's Office, 17 Chatham Street, 



New York, September, 1875, 



3H, J 

 • ) 



Dear Sir: A meeting of the Executive Committee of the Interna- 

 tional Association for Protecting Game and Fish is called to meet at 

 the Secretary's office, 17 Chatham street, at 11 o'clock A. M , Oct. 22. 



This Executive Committee comprises seventy members, representing 

 all parts of Canada and the United States. Upon it devolves the ap 

 pointment of Standing Committees on Legislation, Nomenclature, Dis- 

 tribution of Species, etc. While it will be desirable to have a full meet- 

 ing, in order to secure intelligent appointments, a quorum of seven is all 

 that is required by the constitution. To those who reside at long dis- 

 tances this notification must be a mere formality. Those who can be 

 present should make an effort to be. 



Appointees will be duly notified by the Secretary. Their duties will 

 commence upon the receipt of such notification, and will be indicated 

 by the Chairmen of the committees respectively. The results of their 

 labors will be engrossed f of use at the regular annual meeting to be 

 called as soon as the completion of their work will permit, which should 

 be during the legislative sessions of the coming Winter. 



Respectfully, ROBT. B. ROOSEVELT, President. 



Chas. Hallock, Corresponding Secretary. 



It needs but a glance at the game laws of States lying 

 adjacent to each other to show the absurdity of the dis- 

 crepencies between them. Nor is there greater temptation 

 to violation of the laws than this difference of close sea- 

 sons, which by opening markets stimulates the cupidity 

 of lawless pot hunters, or affords a cover for illicit prac- 

 tice to the reckless and indifferent owner of a dog and gun. 

 The question of nomenclature alone is a standing disgrace 

 to the country, and the following letter very correctly in- 

 stances the confusion of terms now prevailing: — 



Shrewsbury, N. J., September 27th, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



I much doubt if any occupation receiving half the amount of time de- 

 voted to it can show so little real knowledge upon the su bject as does 

 sporting matters. Sportsmen shoot game and catch fish, and write re- 

 ports ol the same for sporting papers, the readers of which cannot un- 

 derstand what kind of bird, beast or fish is intended to be described. To 

 illustrate I will quote from "Game Bag and Gun," in Forest and 

 Stream of September 16th: "Grass birds, dough birds, black bieasters, 

 summers, green heads, muddy breasts, bull head, bull bats, jack snipe, 

 and chickens." It is with no view to discourage brother sportsmen 

 from writing reports of their experience and knowledge of game that I 

 have made the above remarks; but it is to illustrate and again call the 

 attention of editors of sporting papers to the great need felt by us 

 sportsmen of information upon the subject of American game and fish. I 

 for one should hail with pleasure a portion of each number of Forest 

 and Stream devoted to this subject. Check Cord. 



-♦♦♦■ 



THE 



CANADIAN 



RIFLE TEAM. 



THOSE of our readers who may remember Creedmoor 

 in its infancy— that is, in 1873, for it has only taken 

 two years for us to develop in a most remarkable manner 

 rifle practice in the United States— may call to mind 

 the advent of certain noted Canadian riflemen in our 

 midst. Their coming was talked about almost in bated 

 breath, and with awe and reverence. As far back as Oc- 

 tober, 1873, in the tenth No. of the Forest and Stream 

 may be found the names of certain gentlemen from the 

 Provinces who carried off prizes at long ranges. If the 

 element of awe has, at least for the present, passed away, 

 and we can now hold our own with the Canadian riflemen, 

 our respect for them has been even enhanced. It should 

 be forever recollected that whatever progress we have 

 made in scientific rifle shooting, in the construction of 

 ranges, and in the rules governing matches, is very much 

 due to Canadian riflemen. If the school of modern rifle 

 practice originated in England, it was in Canada, near to 

 us, that it flourished. Thanks to the courtesy,, of the very 

 riflemen who met our team at Creedmoor on Saturday last, 

 we were enabled some three years ago, to examine in de- 

 tail their ranges. But the dry, theoretical details, then- 

 drawings and plans, might have been of but little avail to 

 our National Rifle Association, if it had not been that the 

 Canadian riflemen came among us, and sparing no pains 

 taught us practically our first rifle lessons. From the very 

 initial movement of our rifle ranges in the United States 

 until to-day, their courtesy has known no limit. Those in- 

 terested in such matters may have noticed in the Forest 

 and Stream how many able contiibutions have graced our 

 columns emanating from Canadian correspondents, and 

 how they have always been ready to share with. us all the 

 secrets they had acquired by long toil and study in rifle 

 shooting. Our team system, the method of coaching, is 

 essentially the Canadian one, and the victory gained by our 

 men at Dollymount was due to their teaching. Canada 

 was our foster mother, and we, as her children in the rifle 

 school, owe her a lasting debt of gratitude . The welcome 

 then extended to the team of the Ontario Rifle Association 

 was a hearty one, and the fact that the Canadians were 

 made members of our National Rifle Association might be 

 considered simply as a formality, since they had long ago 

 been considered as an integral part of ourselves. 



—In the town of Fort Myers, in Southern Florida, there 

 are more than five hundred fruit- bearing orange trees 

 many cocoanut trees, and guava orchards in great pro' 

 fusion. 



CHOKE BORES. 



CORRESPONDENT writes to us asking for i n f 

 mation regarding choke bored guns, ' the mod" 

 adopted to prodcce the results claimed for them and tl ° 

 date of invention. With regard to the latter portion f 

 his query we can say that almost as many claims to prio "t 

 are made as there are manufacturers of guns. Previou / 

 the late Field Gun Trial, we note that by the English so t° 

 ing press it was generally conceded to be an Americanly 

 vention, but since that event each gunmaker who parti ** 

 pated in the trial claims a method of his own, and mu h 

 acrimonious letter writing has been the result. As for th 

 antiquity of the practice, we printed some time since a letter 

 wherein the writer stated that he had in his possession an 

 old brass fowling piece, bearing the Tower stamp, and the 

 date 1776, which was choke bored. We have also been in- 

 formed that the late W. W. Greener, father of the present 

 celebrated maker, many years ago bored guns on this or a 

 similar principle, which, after a time, were found to be 

 unequal to the wear and tear, and the practice was aban- 

 doned. This, however, we relate merely as a bit of gossip 

 and do not vouch for its accuracy. Certain it is, however 

 that the practice of choke boring guns has been known to 

 and frequently adopted by makers in this country for very 

 many years. That the result of the last Field trial was to 

 bring forth guns showing remarkable pattern, is beyond 

 a doubt; the utility of such close shooting is still an open 

 question, upon which hinge others involving the matter 

 of leading and wear and tear. We have watched closely for 

 printed results of guns avowedly choke bores, and have 

 concluded that for general field purposes, guns bored oa 

 the old plan are the best. In confirmation of this opinion 

 which has repeatedly been expressed, we find the follow- 

 ing note in such g)od authority as the London Sporting 

 Gazette; but before quoting it, we would say that we think 

 a distinction should be drawn between close shooting and 

 choke bore guns: — 



"Admirers of the "choke bore" seem to have considera- 

 bly modified their enthusiasm since they have had an op- 

 portuity of trying the practical effect of the new gun upon 

 game. The grouse have fortunately, in most cases, been 

 wild this year, and for long range shooting there can be no 

 question that the choke bore has its advantages over the old 

 system. But at short ranges the birds have been ripped to 

 ribbons, and we have heard of sad complaints from the 

 game dealers on this score. Bad shots complain that 

 birds are much harder to hit, but with that complaint we 

 need hardly to say we have no sympathy; the complainants 

 must learn to shoot straighter, that's all. A more serious 

 complaint, however, is that the number of cripples is great- 

 er than ever, for. so strong is the sportsman's faith in the 

 extraordinary killing powers of the new gun, that he bla- 

 zes away at impossible distances, and more birds than ever 

 get wounded just sufficiently to ensure their subsequent 

 death in some hole or corner from exhaustion and sickness, 

 For our own part we fail to see that much advantage is 

 gained by the new system, and we note that it is already 

 becoming modified. Sportsmen are now trying the exper- 

 ment of having one barrel choke bored and the other 

 bored on the old system. We have tried such a gun, and 

 were not much enamored with the result. It saves the 

 horrible mauling of the birds with the right barrel, but 

 neither barrel shoots as well as when both are constructed 

 on the same system. We should think choke bores would 

 be quite useless for partridge shooting, and, if used, not one 

 bird out of ten will be fit for the table. We are still of 

 opinion that nothing beats a good gun of the old sort for 

 ordinary shooting." 



The accompanying letter relates a different experience, 

 but we should like to hear from our correspondent after he 

 has tried his gun on quail and grouse, where the conditions 

 are quite different from those pertaining to bay birds or 

 wild fowl. 



Norfolk, Va., Sept. 25, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: — 



I nave read with much care the articles appearing in yonr issues, as 

 well as in other papers which have come under my observation, as I am 

 interested in the subject, having recently purchased one of Messrs. Scott 

 & Sons' fine guns similar to the one made by them for Capt. Bogardus, 

 except that it is 1£ inches shorter than his, and weighs one pound two 

 ounces less. It was with much hesitancy that I bought this yun, fearing 

 I was not a sufficiently good shot for such "close" work, but so far as I 

 have used it have found that my fears were groundless, and now would 

 not give it for all the guns I ever saw/or my use. I used it on marsh 

 birds in August at Cape Charles with fine results, making some of the 

 longest shots I ever saw, one of which was at a marlin; killed clean at 

 eighty-five steps with No. 8 snot, flying by, and knocked over a curlew at 

 110 steps with No. 6 shot, which recovered and flew off. Last week I 

 had a few shots at wood duck, killing each bird easily, which was inside 

 of fifty yards, and some much further. One which was about seventy- 

 five yards was penetrated with four pellets, No. 5 shot, and killed clean. 

 Of the fifty or sixty birds shot thus far with this gun I don't think but 

 very few have been killed inside of thirty yards, and of these none were 

 badly torn or injured in the least for the table, hence I think we have 

 nothing to fear on this score, while we have almost the absolute cer- 

 tainty of killing our birds at forty to fifty yards, which I have found hard 

 to do heretofore with the best guns bored on the old plan. 



Oar principal shooting here is at quail and snipe. On these I have not 

 had a chance to try the choke bore, but bave no apprehensions as to the 

 result except in thick cover. Some have advanced the idea that this 

 method of boring will increase the recoil. I do not find it so; for in- 

 stance, at ducks I used 4J- drachms powder and 1£ ounces shot, withEly s 

 felt wads, without any perceptible recoil, and shall increase the charge 

 of powder to 4£ drachms, Hazard's No. 5 ducking. The gun weigh* "J 

 pounds 14 ounces. I have been induced to write this thinking it mig ^ 

 be of service to some of your numerous readers, who may be consiae - 

 ing the subject as I was, of which you must be the judge. Ali^d- 

 ; -***» 



A New Cartridge Belt.— Mr. K S. Goss, of Neosho 

 Falls, Kansas, has invented a revolving cartridge heli 

 which seems to fill the bill in. this direction. It is support- 

 ed from the shoulders, as well as the waist, and as it re ' 

 volves easily, the weight can at all times be equally dis- 

 tributed on the body. A specimen can be seen at this ofnce- 



— Uncle John Krider, the veteran angler and sportsman 

 of Philadelphia, dropped in on us on Monday, on his way 

 totue "Hub," 



