FOREST AND STREAM 
889 
some be accounted a task not to bo lightly undertaken, 
and the editor, aware of this, has kindly consented to let 
inn spin a yarn about the racing of the year. 
Taken all round, the past season was good, though some 
of the great regattas were by no means so well attended 
as they should have been ; the cruises in squadron, with 
lively spins from post to post, fully made up for this. 
Besides, the numerous clubs on seaboard and lake shore 
kept the ball rolling tidily, and the smaller yachts, as 
usual, afforded abundance‘of sport. These little beggars 
deserved encouragement, for they are the backbone 
of yachting ; in them are trained the future masters and 
crews of larger vessels, and through their agency hun¬ 
dreds of men are taught to love the sea. There were 
plenty of predictions, of course, at the beginning of the 
season, that this yacht and the other, in the large classes, 
would not fit out, and Dauntless, Active, Vind&K, and a 
number of others, were positively named as sure to bo ab¬ 
sentees from all races and cruises. Luckily matters 
mended, and most of the ships were commissioned. Other 
crafts had been altered and improved during tho winter. 
Viking getting bigger sticks, Undine and Orion provided 
with more canvas, and some new vessels built, so that, on 
the whole, there was plenty to arouse interest. 
As most of our yachts are apparently built to “ turn 
turtle as well as to sail, the season was fittingly inau¬ 
gurated bv a series of capsizes among the small fry at the 
Southwark regatta, on the 36th May, and the custom was 
carefully adhered to throughout the year. It would as¬ 
tonish many to see a complete list of capsizes made out; 
but as that might frighten intending amateur sailors. I 
shall say no more about it. On that same 26th May, the 
Southern Yacht Club of New Orleans had a capital race 
for small craft in a fresh south-southeast breeze : Susie 
S.. Ex-Bella of New York, Lady Emma , another New 
Yorker, formerly the IF. R. Brown, and Pluck and Luck, 
all of them well-known mosquito clippers, being 
present. Susie led her class all the way, and won easily, 
with the Lady second, Pluck and Luck being beaten 
by Oydnus , a local boat. Two days later, however, 
Lady Emma, turned the tables on Susie', and beat her hand¬ 
somely in smooth water, with a steady east bj’ north 
wind blowing, and great thenceforth was the rivalry, and 
many were the matches sailed to decide which was the 
better yacht, The Dorchester Yacht Club had a stiff south¬ 
west by west wind on the 30th May, for their racing, and 
started three classes of yachts. Mr. Gpaff’s sloop, Ad¬ 
rienne, landing first prize' in first-class, Mr. Keith's Syren 
in the second, and Messrs. King and Clark’s Waif, in tire 
third. The best sport that day, however, was had at the 
Union, or open regatta of the South Boston Yacht Club, 
when there was'such a string of mishaps and such a 
“ butcher’s bill" for spars as are not often seen on out- 
coasts. The whole of the third-class keels were disabled; 
Fearless, lost her mast; Veronica, her bowsprit; Chi- 
quita, her topmast; and Posy, worse luck, was leading 
when her boom played her false. There were no starters in 
the ftrst-class centre-boards ; but Gael secured first place 
among keels ; Thisbe among second-class centre-boards. 
Posy's misfortune putting an end to her chances of the 
prize, and Fancy getting the prize for third-class centre- 
boards ; Clara, Sunbeam, and Wildfire gave up, and every 
body hr the race had a good time. TheSeawanhakas, more 
power to them, opened their season the same day, having an 
enjoyable cruise in which spinnakers were set for the 
first time in Un i ted States waters, the Nova Scotians having 
for the past three years used them exclusively. Volante 
performed admirably this day, and Regina, to add to the 
novelties, came outwitha cutter’s head rig, and worked so 
well that one can't help regretting she should have sub¬ 
sequently shifted back to the big jib of a sloop. 
The Brooklyn Yaclit Club regatta, which should have 
come off early in Juno, was “indefinitely postponed” for 
lack of entries. What are the Brooklynites about ? Is 
the love of yachting dying out among them ? The At¬ 
lantic made amends, however, and their fourteenth an¬ 
nual regatta was in every respect a success: somehow 
the Atlantic manage to get their events off in good style. 
There was a fine entry to begin with, and both old favor¬ 
ites and hew aspirants to fame contending for tho prizes. 
The elements were favorable, a good topsail breeze blow¬ 
ing from north-northwest. Regina had her sea rig on, 
and cutter like turned to windward beautifully, going 
clean to weather of Sadie and Undine in the smooth 
water. Three famous schooners had their battle flags 
aboard — Peerless, Agnes and Triton —and the perform¬ 
ance of the former was something to make yachtsmen 
stare, as she caught up her rivals, and as soon as sheets 
were hauled aft she fairly squandered her fleet, coming 
in 18m. ahead of Agnes and tom. ahead of Triton, the 
latter having hunted in the western board for a streak of 
luck and not getting it. Regina sailed just as marvel¬ 
lously ; she was 10m. behind Undine at the light-ship, 
where tha t sloop cleverly out out Triton, and lm. behind 
Dolphin ; but that was wo rkin g her, as she at once col¬ 
lared the latter, and having got her and Orion comfort¬ 
ably tucked under her lee, she went off hot foot after 
Undine, suffered a foul, screwed clean out to windward 
and hopelessly distanced her, a performance of no mean 
merit, considering the qualities of the craft she beat. 
That exceedingly handsome sloop, Winsome, disposed of 
Pirate , Lizzie L., Genia, Schemer, and Kaiser, and Nim¬ 
bus gave Alma an awful tanning, beating her so badly— 
ih. 5m. 25s. over a twenty-five mile course—that after 
making all allowances it is plain the latter was not sailing 
as she ought to have been, 
June 9th saw a moderate breeze from south-south¬ 
west blowing for the Hudson River Yacht Club ; Annie 
G. winning in the first class, Irene sailing over in the 
second, and G. B. Dean win n i n g in the third. The 
Quincy Yacht Club had so mo racing the same day, the 
wind at east, and the winners Muriel, Elf and Dandelion 
in their respective classes. The next day Mignon, Dash 
and Tulip won the prizes offered by the Salem Club, 
which rightly insisted on fixed ballast; and at New Or¬ 
leans the Southern Yacht Club Challenge Cup was won 
by Albertxne— a boat of many names, having been called 
successively Bella and Susie S., emulating in this respect 
the English schooner Diana, alias Intrigue, alias Blue 
Bell; and a very bad fashion it is, altering names of 
yachts so frequently, unless they are so wholly unknown 
to fame that it does not matter what they are called. 
The Bay of Quinte Y acht Club — a spirited organization, 
with its headquarters at Belleville, on Lake Ontario — 
held a union regatta on the 13th of June, when two new 
tonners, Sylvie and Grade, made their appearance, but 
their trim not having been found, they (lid not perfonn 
over well. The two old rivals, Katie Gray and Surprise. 
both built by Cuthbert, met and had a fine race, Katie 
carrying her canvas better, and winning the prize. 
There was plenty of sailing last summer on the lakes, 
and yachting seems to have taken strong hold on the 
dwellers by the inland seas. Rouge-Croix. 
(To be Continued.) 
fa ©ontfjsimuWtttiS. 
No Notice Taken of Anonymous Communications. 
make no charge for answering inquiries in Hits column. 
J.B. T., Catsldll, N. Y—We cun send you “Dogs of Great 
Britain and America,” which is ftu American reprint, on receipt 
Of price, $3. 
H. P., Waterford, Mo.—The next tune your bitch comes in lieat 
send her to another dog. She will probably then breed and yon 
will have no trouble hereafter. 
W. F. Madison, Ind.—Can you iuform mo whore I can pur- 
oliaseapair of genuine Maltese cuts Or kittens? A ns. in New 
York, of F. Bjgot, dealer in fancy pets, 37 Fulton street. 
RapidAx, Henrico, Va.—You will hud In your State one of the 
hest strain of spaniels ever imported into tho country. Address, 
Capt. MoMurdo, a retired English officer, at Kvington, Campbell 
Co., Va. 
G. F. A., Gambler, 0.— Will you give mo Hie best place or places 
in Florida for duck shooting ? Ans. The ducks generally raft in the 
inland lakes of the upper St. John. There is often good duck 
ahootingat Cedar Keys. See Halloek’s “ Camp Life in Florida.” 
F. C-. JB., Troy, N. Y.—Careful attention to diet, with moderate 
exercise, is all you ean do for your cocker puppy. The legs will 
come all right if she is kept in a dry, warm kennel. A tablcspoon- 
ful of cod-liver oil every day will be good for her. 
G. E. P.—Will you kindly inform mo in your oolumns whnt is 
tho best book on orange culture? Ans-“ Cultivation and Econ¬ 
omic TTsesof the Orange in New SouthWales—(Bennet); “Histoiri 
naturelle des Oranges—(Bisso), tor sale by S. W. Silver & Co., 67 
Cornhill, London, E. C. 
F. N. H., Philadelphia,—In getting a gun full choked does the 
gunsmith make any portion Of the barrel mueh thinner than it 
was previous to having been olioked. Ans. Yes, the barrels are 
necessarily made thinner. Yon can have a heavier pair of bar¬ 
rels lilted to tho stock. 
Martinsytlle, Ikd.— 1. What gauge, length of barrels, and 
style of bore, make the most elfeotivo squirrel gun V What strata 
of dogs is best for squirrels? Ans. 1. 12-gauge, 7! lbs., 30-inch bar¬ 
rels. 3. Unless a dog can climb a tree, we do notseo how one ean 
be used iu squirrel shooting. 
A. M. S., North.Dunbarton, N. H.—Would Kay's chips or any 
long-range cartridge improve the shooting of a Parker (full choke) 
at 75 or 1U0 yards with No. 10 B shot? Ans. Tho thread wound 
long-range shot cartridge cases manufactured by II. H. Schtebcr 
& Co., Rochester, N, Y., willgivo good results at long ranges. 
J. F. G.—Have you any hack numbers in which pin-flre guns are 
disoussod? If so, please inform me. I have a Barclay pin-flre, 
and wish to know if the cartridges are safe to carry in the pocket ? 
Ans. In our issue of Dee. Bth, 1877, the comparative merits of tho 
central-liroaud pin-flre are discussed at great length. Tho mat¬ 
ter of safety Is included therein. 
G. H., Pittsburg.—I noticed on page 613 of the “Gazetteer,” that 
aSt.Louis Brin manufactured ai'tiflcialanglo worms. Please give 
me the address of said firm ? Ans. Wo have mislaid the address 
of tills firm. The inventor is Wm. H. Gregg,'St. Louis, but hois 
not the dealer In this commodity. 1 lowever, a letter addressed to 
him will probably secure what you want. 
Quail, New York.—Please give me the names of the sire and 
dam of the renowned Gordon dog known as Polhemus's Duke? 
Also tho Gordon bitch Queen Bess, and tlieir owners' name? I 
believe Queen Bess was owned in Massachusetts. Ans. Cannot 
And these pedigrees in the Stud Book. Some of our readers 
perhaps can supply the in formation. 
Dn. C. S., New York.—Is there any kind of a dog exoept a fox¬ 
hound (my objection, to a foxhound is the baying at nigbt) that 
could be used for raccoon, fox, or rabbit hunting? If so, what 
kind? ‘Where eouldit be found? and what would it cost? Ans. 
Yes, abqagle would answer. They are frequently advertised in 
this paper. Cost probably about $35 each. 
J. R., Nelsonvillo, 0.—The Baker guu Is a most excellent gun, 
and wo have repeatedly commended the combination of shot g-un 
and rifle for special services. OE course tho $35 guns which you 
speak of must be inferior in quality and mechanism to the $150 
guns: they will shoot us well, probably, at flrsl,but would not 
last as long. The pattern you speak of is excellen t. 
J. K, L., Camden, N. .T.—You have no uso for a rifle on the 
Blue Ridge Mountains in June. You may carry one for protec¬ 
tion, hut it is against the law to shoot game at that season. There 
are squirrels and raccoons In-the region you name. Yon can buy 
maps of Maryland and Virginia from Colton, the map publisher, 
176 William street New York, for about. $1 for tlio two. 
H. M. H., Cincinnati.—I have a line Seotch terrier which 1ms 
lost all his hair, and so far have lieou unable to do liim any good ? 
Ans. Give jour dog Fowler’s Solution of Arsenic-, commencing 
with throe drops twice a day and increasing to live. The chances 
are that your dog! has surfeit. Change his diet, giving him as 
much vegetable food as possible, and rub him well with crude 
petroleum, 
J. E. S., Powell, 0—I have ouo of the Daly breech-loaders, but 
think itdoes notflt me. Iu ordering stock for same, as l have a 
very short, aim and nook, should it bo short and a great deal of 
orook, or short with butlittle crook? The stock asit is, is Hi 
inches in length; 3} inches drop, but i l don’t come up right. Ans. 
Tbe gun undoubtedly has two much drop for you, and is also 
probably too long in the stock. 
J. H. Fi-tciiet, West Troy, N, Y,—Is ityiin established fact that 
the Mossini quail do migrate? Have those that wore imported 
by Judge Evans and others, after leaving in the fall, returned In 
the spring to the same grounds or vicinity which they left? Jf 
true that they do return, thorn are parties here who will import a 
a largo number. Ans. The birds unquestionably migrate, but 
whether tboy return to the exuctspot where they wore turned out 
L a question which we think has not yet been decided. 
Wm. H. Bates, Bedford, N. Y.—Give your dog fur worms a 
powder compounded Iu the proportion of fifteen to 1 wenty grains 
santonino, six grains quinine sulphate, one grain aloin; mix in¬ 
timately, divide into three powders, and administer three times a 
day or three alternate days. Oil the morning of the day wbcu no 
powders are given, the dog is la have a doso composed of best 
salad oil, two ounces ; oil of turpentine, two drachms; oil of cin¬ 
namon, one grain: dose three-quarters to one and a half tea- 
spoonful. 
A. K.,WilUamspovt, Pa.—Some years ago I added a pair of quail 
to my collection. The birds wore sent from St. Marta, Central 
America, but never could ident ify them from any mark of nat¬ 
ural history. Have made a colored drawing, of male bird and 
taken tho liberty to send the same to you, in hope that 1 might 
receive some information. Could it be tlieMassenaquail in young 
plumage? Female is marked almost like male,but not bright, 
and rathor smaller in size. Do not wish drawing returned. Ans. 
Your birds are the Cyrtrmtn massma, a common variety in Texas 
and the southwestern country. For full description see HaUock’s 
“Sportsman's Gazetteer." Your drawing Is very perfect and 
beautiful. 
J. L. S., Boston.—I Beo in tho Forest and Stream of Nov 
37th, something in regard to carp, page 846. Can you toll mo who 
to write to for a few to place in a pond of fifty acres that I have 
stocked with black bass ? Three-quarters of the shore of this pond 
borders on my farm and I have the exclusive uso of its waters 
for fish cutture for fifteen years under our Shite laws. From 
what you say of oarp it. seems to mo to be a desirable tlsh to pro¬ 
pagate ? Ans. Address Prof. S. F. Baird, U. S. Fish Commission 
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C., or Fish Commis¬ 
sioner T. B. Ferguson, 1337 M. street N. W. t Washington, D. C'. 
If you are to raise carp in your black bas3 pond you had bet¬ 
ter select a weedy shallow and fence it oil. 
Sore Shoulder, Mobile, ’Ain.—My breech-loader shot gun, 
10-borc, 8-lbs., gives a bad recoil with 31 drachms powder and two 
warls and H oz. of shot aud one wad. The shoulder, or space oc¬ 
cupied by cartridge when in gun, appears to be about three inches. 
I nse 31 cartridges and crimp them down to, I suppose, 21 inches. 
Does this unoccupied space probably cause the recoil? And do you 
know of ariy way to counteract it? Ans. The crimping down 
makes no difference providing you do not cut off tho ends of the 
shells, but they should bo tho same length as the chamber. Your 
gun should not scatter with the charge you name. Perhaps your 
wads are not down tight on tho powder, 
0. E. F„ Catawlssa, Pa—I saw a testimonial in your paper some 
time ago, in which it was stated that “ it is a characteristic of tho 
choke-bore to show Its greatest superiority iu the largo sized 
shot.’ ’ Not long since 1 was informed by a celebrated li rm, man¬ 
ufacturing breech-loading guns, that tlio more a gun is choked 
the less satisfaction it will give in tho use of the largo sized shot. 
Who is right? Ans. Different manufacturers have different 
modes of choke-boring, and these modes may each beof such a 
character as to cause one to tluow large shot better and another 
the Smaller sizes. Wo are inoiinod to think that tho best method 
of boring will show a uniform excellence as far as tho different 
sizes of shot are concerned. 
At, Gic, Lake Village, N. H—My dog is troubled with a kind of 
humor that breaks out on his body and has a thin sally scab; also 
he keeps shaking his head as if his care troubled him, and' they 
have a strong smell, as a Newfoundland dog does when he wets 
his coat in awarm day. Heisan Irish letter aud very fat, weighs 
ninety-two pounds, and is nine yours old ; has not been used In 
the field for three years? Ans. Your dog has surfeit. Limit his 
diet and give him as much vegetable aud as little animal food ns 
possible. Give him Fowler’s Solulion of Arsenic, commencing 
with eight drops twice aday and increasing to twelve. Wash him 
well with castile soap and afterwards rub him with crude petro¬ 
leum. He has also canker of the our. Wash them thoroughly 
and after drying, pour in them a littio of tlio following: Gmi- 
lnrds's extract, i oz.; wine of opium, I oz.; sulphate of zinc, I 
draohm; water, 8 oz.; mix. 
C. W. E., Bowling Green, 0.—I oontomplate a visit to western 
Texas and wish to ask you whnt rifle to take ? 1 wtuit a turkey 
call such as you once spoko of in Forest and Stfeam, made 
of Cedar wood? .ins. Take a Winchester rifle. The turkey call 
is a little cedar box 31 inches long; j to 1 wide; and! inch deep; 
with a pieco of smooth slate fitted nicely in the box. Have the 
top smooth and even, and no rosin will be needed. Put togetlior 
with brass pins, as glue or brads spoil the sound by cheeking vi¬ 
bration. If made from part of cigar box, see that no pieces of 
paper adhere to thorn, and use the thinnest portions. Another call 
consists of a short piece of Spanish oedar with u good sized nail 
drivon through it: draw apiece of slate accross the head of the 
nail. To operate either call, hold tlio slate between the thumb 
and middle finger of tbe right hand, while tho call is made by the 
thumb and middle Unger of tho left. Above all things, do nnt 
make over five strikes for a single oalt—oftener four—as turkeys 
can count. 
O. M. B.. Washington, D. C.-Wiil you settle an agitated question 
among the thegunnors of this city? Do pheasants go in flocks? 
i. e. after the young brood has become growu, paired off and sep¬ 
arated? 01 course all sportsmen know that one or more pheasants 
ara often found in thickets, or at a certain feeding plaoe; hut in 
such eases—orunderan.v other circumstances-can they be termed 
a" flock ? Ans. The pheasant (properly ruffed grouse) is nat¬ 
urally a solitary bird, and is seldom found in packs. Unlike tlio 
quail, which assists Ids partner in hatching and rearing hev young, 
the ruffed grouse deserts his better half after she has completed 
her laying. The eggs arc usually all deposited by the middle ot 
May, and the cocks olub together until the hit ter [nut of August, 
when they all again join tho lien with her nearly full grown 
broud. Iu tbe mating season, each cook generally has from two 
to six bens under his protection. It therefore depends upon tlio 
soason of the year whether theso birds are found singly or iu 
flocks or coveys. 
W. A. A,, Rushvllle, Indiana.—I want to get away from our 
terrible winter climate and go wlioro it is more genial weather, 
and where an abundance of game. Is to be found. I have been 
thinking of Texas and Louisiana, but do not know which State 
would bo preferable. Cun you enlighten mo in regard (o the 
subject, and give points iu either State probably suitable? 
Would like to be put iu correspondence with some reliable " entle- 
menin either State? Ans. For eOmfort, andfor variety of game 
ns well as scenery, we would recommend the country west ami 
north of Sun Antonio, Texas. There are not as many ducks, 
woodcock and snipe, or bears there as there are iu tho sloughs, 
marshes aud eanebiultes of Louisiana, but more of some other 
kinds of game. The climate is preferable. There is more up¬ 
land and less water iu proportion to area. Address N. A. Taylor, 
Houston, Texas, or buy his book entitled “ One Thousand Miles 
Through Texas," published by A. S. Barnes & Go., New York 
price $ 1 . 75 . 
