130 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Makch 13, 1884 



theni a hot pill if he can only gel a chance. In regard to 

 that part where "Mark Tapley" speaks of giving a privilege 

 to our own people of catching, etc., and' his slurs on the 

 guests of our hotels (for I happen to be in the hotel line), it 

 is an insult, and no person who has common sense would 

 write such trash. 



It is a shame that the State would not give those poor, 

 overworked people a certificate, allowing them to fish the 

 whole year through with nets, snares, 'spears, etc. Our 

 country stores wotdd not he so crowded, perhaps; they do 

 more work there than anywhere else, when, in fact, they 

 go fishing at their pleasure, regardless of the law. But 

 when one gets taken up and punished, whv then they com- 

 plain and go for the gentleman sport or true fisherman, who 

 comes only when the law says he can. fishes in a sports- 

 manlike manner, and winds up his lackle and goes home 

 the moment it goes on again: comes here at larse expense, 

 paying for hoard at the be* hotel; gets the best guides, the 

 best boats and, the best of all. never finds a word of fault 

 with his hills; has had a good time, grown fat, and returns 

 home a wiser man. with hopes to conic again another year. 



.YLa.iou Lovejot. 

 Bethel. Me., Feb. 20. 



A Snapping Time.- Philadelphia, March .1.— When I 

 was a boy of about fourteen I was accustomed to spend my 

 summer vacation in the country with a farmer friepd. where 

 I devoted my time to the pursuit of pleasure in general. 

 Principal among my enjoyments were the rod and line which 

 1 plied with varying success in the "raging- canawl," which 

 "raged*' but a few fields distant from the house. One bright 

 morning in August, after a refreshing rain during the night. 

 I hied me to my favorite nook, just across the lock, in a cor- 

 ner of the dam formed by the overflow of the canal. It was 

 a famous place for catfish, and I soon had a fine string. 

 While waiting for another bite I soon saw my cork disappear 

 slowly but surely, and something told me I had a big one, 

 which I proceeded to land. To my astonishment, though 

 the rod bent and cracked, I found I could not move my fish, 

 and then reluctantly concluded that my hook was fast on a 

 or brush; so I pulled and switched to right and left all 

 to no purpose, and was on the point of breaking the line 

 when I felt it begin to yield. Slowly, very slowly I pulled 

 my fish to shore and then, fearing it might break away, I 

 seized the line with my left hand and drawing my fish close 

 to shore, slid my right hand carefully down the line to tret a 

 good hold near the fish. I had scarcely got rny hand under 

 water when— great Csesar! Christopher Columbus! Had 

 lightning struck me. or a house fallen on me? Pain, as 

 Though pierced with ten million needles, shot through my 

 arm, and, jerking my hand from the water, I brought with 

 it, attached to my index finger, with his jaws set" through 

 the root of the nail, his eyes closed, his head drawn into his 

 shell but hanging on with the tenacity of a bulldog, a snap- 

 ping turtle about a foot long, but weighing fully a ton. The 

 pain 1 suffered was simply agony, and 1 thought I felt all 

 the tortures of Fox's martyrs boiled down. Perhaps, if 

 there had been any one to hear me I would have yelled, hut 

 no one being near' I "suffered in silence alone." However, 1 

 severed the line (how, I don't know) and supporting the 

 weight of my captive (?) with my left hand, dashed across 

 the lockgates (before I had crossed Oh, how carefully) up 

 the hill, over the fences (I don't know how) and into the yard 

 of good fanner H. As luck would have it he had just come 

 in from the field and bis shout of laughter as 1 da need 

 around and implored him to help me let go the snapper, 

 brought all the girls from the kitchen, and for a while the 

 chances of release seemed slim. However, sympathy pre- 

 vailed and. after much punching and prodding with a piece 

 of hickory. Ids snappership's jaws were pried open and my 

 finger released, and from that day I abandoned the rod and 

 look up the gun a:- the less dangerous of the two. Moral — 

 Take a bull by the horns, but never take a snapper by the 

 jaws.— Jcvenis. 



A Pecttliab Fish.— Concord, N. If., March 5. An ex- 

 ceedingly interesting question has arisen in Duhliu, N. H., 

 in relation to the subject of fish protection. It appears that 

 of late persons have been catching a certain kind of trout 

 from Dublin Pond and claiming that it is a peculiar species 

 and is not protected by the State law. The local wardens 

 refrained from making arrests under the circumstances, but 

 caught some of the fish and forwarded them to the State 

 Commissioners, who are Col. George W. Piddle of Man- 

 chester, Hon. Luther Hayes of Milton, and Col. E. B. Hodge 

 of Plymouth. These gentlemen sent the specimens to Bar- 

 University for examination, and an answer has been 

 received from Prof. F. W. Putnam, Curator of the Peabody 

 Museum. Prof. Putnam, assisted by Prof. Gannon, head of 

 the Zoological Museum, has made a preliminary inspection 

 of the fish and says the variety is one they do not yet make 

 mil. At present they are inclined to believe them a variety 

 of the Salnio fontinalis, or brook trout, but add that a fur- 

 ther study may change their views. In the meantime the 

 Commissioners have instructed the Dublin Wardens to pro- 

 hibit tiie catching of the fish under discussion, and to prose- 

 cute all persona found taking them. This action is based on 

 the belief that they are a variety of brook trout. They are 

 small in size and tine eating, and their general appearance is 

 such, that if a few of them were mixed with accepted brook 

 trout it would require an effort to separate them. There is 

 a rumor that Agassi z once stated that he discovered a rare 

 variety of trout in Dublin Pond, such as was found nowhere 

 else in the United States, excepting in a small lake among 

 the Rocky Mbun tains. ^-Boston Jown'nal, [We have seen the 

 singular trout from Dublin Pond, and think it merely a 

 while form of the common brook trout. These silver fish, 

 which are the rule there, occasionally occur in Caledonia 

 Creek, K Y.] 



Fixoeelixg Tkodt.— New York, Feb. 28. — Editor Foi'&sb 

 and Stream: 1 am glad to notice that now and then some in- 

 dignant angler "stirs up" the trout hogs wdio slaughter 

 fingerlings and call it trout fish in a-, when they ought to be 

 imprisoned for infanticide. And I see that the Connecticut 

 Fish Commissioners have been endeavoring to get a law passed 

 limiting the size of trout, "exposed lor sale," to six inches. 

 Can't our Legislature give us a law fining any one in pos- 

 on of a dead trout under .six inches? If we don't do 

 something to stop this slaughter of trout babies, we'll soou 

 have to mourn the loss of the whole species. — MANHATTAN. 



"8eba<*o," ob **Land-Looked" Salmon.— < 



a belter: name than thai of "land-locked salmon," tor that 



choice fish? Whv not come back to Sahno sebago? for 



LSI report of the Maine Fishery Commissioners seems to 



<ii..u thai they are again becoming plentiful in that beauti- 



ful sheet of water, and that specimens of great size are being 

 found there. Food and water seems to determine the size of 

 the fish, for it is a fact that those winch were hatched from 

 eggs from Grand Lake stream and planted in Sunapee Lake, 

 in New Hampshire, have been taken last, summer of over 6 

 pounds in weight, in several instances.— Vox W. 



What Fish is This?— Cayuga Lake, X. Y, March 1.— I 



wish that some of your readers^would tell me what kind of 

 a fish it is that has come into Cayuga Lake within the past 

 two years. When small they look like trout, but when 

 grown they can hardly be told from bullheads. My atten- 

 tion was called to them bv John Parker, the fisherman who 

 showed me some of the little ones a year ago. Last fall he 

 caught full-grown ones with bullheads. It is thought that it 

 is some fish that has been planted here by some one who has 

 been fooled with a worthless fish. — W. 



Salmon ksGhtSG.— Editor Ebrest and stream: Should 

 any of your readers be in search of a real first-class salmon 

 river, they can have their desire satisfied. I happen to know 

 that the Moisic, on the north shore of the river St. Lawrence 

 is just now vacant. It can aeommodate four rods and the 

 fish run very large,- looming up in the forties. Weekly 

 steamer from Quebec and telegraph station. Early applica- 

 tion to Mr. John Holliday, Quebec, will secure preference. — 



^isJfmltnn. 



AGRICULTURAL DRAINING AND THE FLOOD. 



IN the days of national calamity, caused by a repeated flood, 

 it becomes the duty ef every' good citizen to assist in find- 

 a remedy to prevent such disasters in the future. 



Agreeing entirely with the foresters, who see the root of the 

 evil in the destruction of our forests, I go further yet and 

 charge it in addition to the neglect of water farming. It is 

 astonishing what an amount o| labor and capital there is un- 

 consciously expended in this country to decrease the value of 

 our creeks and rivers by a eon demnable rude method to rid 

 farming lands of water, nbt to mention other surfaces. 



As soon as any way possible, the farmer drains all his land; 

 many a dollar' is spent in tile, culverts and other devices to 

 secure a rapid and direct off-flow of the water. This is well 

 enough if done with proper care. It is necessary to produce 

 crops in some soils, but it can be and is overdone. 



It is quite plain that, after heavy rains the already full-run- 

 ning creeks will be overtaxed by additions of water from in- 

 numerable drains, and in consequence they will be forced to 

 overflow and w T ash. What is to be done then is to retain that 

 part of the water which is under our control as long as possi- 

 ble, to the great relief of the creek. This can be done by con- 

 structing ponds. 



Prof. N. H. Eggleston shows how the leaf mould sucks up 

 and retains the water for a long time, thus preventing both a 

 sudden freshet and a sudden drought. These same faculties 

 I claim for ponds. The remarks made by farmers that it 

 does not pay them to replant part of their land with forest 

 may be correct, as I hardly think that small tracts of forest 

 could withstand the effects of dry winds in the summer to 

 such an extent that a sufnicently thick coat of mould would 

 ever collect to act as a sponge. Forests, therefore, to be of 

 any service in that direction, would have to be planted in 

 large tracts and kept up by companies or the State. 



Ponds, like leaf mould collected in a forest, retain vast 

 amounts of water; the drains of cultivated land can be led 

 into them, and from there, after fish have had the benefits of 

 the ingredients washed from the fields, it would gradually pass 

 into the little run or rivulet. The latter would then be assisted 

 during a "run," the water flow during summer better regu- 

 lated, and the much-missed fish of our creeks would make 

 their appearance again. 



Contrary to forests planted by individuals, ponds pay almost 

 from the beginning. Tracts of land which have to be* drained 

 with much expense to be suited for agriculture, can some- 

 times, with a trifling expense, be turned into good ponds, and 

 made to pay far better than the best field. The desired 

 "sponges" would thus be re-created by individuals to assist 

 those formed by large forests under State control. The water 

 before looked upon as waste and driven from the premises to 

 brine, devastation, would thus be made a servant; which fact 

 is very important, since the old proverb truly says that "the 

 water is a good servant, but a bad master." 



Hugo Mulkrtt. 



Cincinnati, O. 



DEATH OF MR. JOHN E. PlEARDOK— We are informed 

 of the death of Mr. John E. Reardon, president of the Fish 

 Commission of Arkansas, on Dec. A. iss:i Mr. Reardon was 

 a well-known citizen of Little Rock, and had been a Commis- 

 sioner for a number of years. He was a warm friend of lish- 

 culture and had long urged his State to take a more active 

 interest in it.. He was highly respected by a large circle of 

 friends in both public and private life. 



THE WYOMING COMMISSION. 



THE biennial report of the Fish Commissioners of Wyoming 

 Territory, for the two years endmg Dec. 31, 1883, is at 

 hand. It opens with the. fish laws of the Territory. 



The year 1882 was devoted almost entirely to the planting of 

 native* trout and other varieties. The practical results 

 attained from all of the plants are very successful. 



Brook trout planted by the Commission have been taken 

 from the "alkaline'' ('.) streams of Laramie and Albany 

 counties, which never before aft" orded them. Salmo fontirtalis 

 weighing as much as fourteen ounces have been sent this sea- 

 son to the chairman of the Board, almost reaching tl. 

 of a three-year-old— which is sixteen ounces— placed under 

 the most favorable conditions— a sufficient proof that streams 

 flowing into the North Platte will support trout. 



■ .-ling this planting of trout in alkaline waters the 

 Commissioners say: "in the beginning of our work we were 

 often informed that it would be waste of money and loss of 

 time to place trout in *an alkaline water, whose proverbially 

 known constituents would destroy the. plant. Disbelieving, 

 however, this "well-known fact," we have gone on, meeting 

 with flattering success. Trout will live in such waters as are 

 found heading in the Black Hills and Rocky Mountain base. 

 We believe they never were there, until the Commission 

 placed them in the streams." 



Carp have thriven wherever planted and promise to give 

 good results. Directions for making ponds are given. 



NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



The ingter's Vote Book and Naturalist * t c. to he re 



sinned by' the editors of the "BibHotheoa Pisoatoria," w, Batchell & 

 Co.U.if.i set, Strand, London, W. C. The Note Book is 



specially designed to promote the interests of writers, publishers and 



.ii angling and other field sports. Bibliogtt 

 also receive a large share of attention. The "Green 8ern 

 lished some three j ears ago, was exceedingly interesting, 



■i The present series will cover twelve monthly 

 numbers. 



a OF Dollars wj-.kk lost by men who were accidentally in 

 iu'red in 1683, and not Insured in the Travelers, of Hartford, Conn. 

 nes insured and 



r Ait Mmml 



FIXTURES. 



BF.NCH SHOWS. 



March 12, 13 and 11.— New Haven Kennel Club's first Annual Bench 

 Show, Second Regiment Armory. Edward S. Porter. Secretary, Box 

 G5T New Haven, Conn. Entries close March 1. 



March 18 to 21.— Washington Bench Show, Masonic Hall, Wash- 

 ington, D. 0. Chas. Lincoln, Superintendent! 



March 26, 27 ana 28.— The Dominion Kennel Club's Second Annual 

 Bench Show, Horticultural Gardens. Charles Lincoln. Superinten- 

 dent, Vv. S. Jackson, Hon. Secretary. Toronto. Canada. 



April 3, 4 and 5.— The Cleveland Bench Show Association's Second 

 Bench Show. Charles Lincoln, Superintendent, O. M. Munhall, Sec- 

 retary, Cleveland, Ohio. Entries close March 24. 



May 6, 7. 8 and 9.— The Westminster Kennel Club's Eighth Animal 

 Bench Show. Madison Square Garden. Entries ..lose April 21. Chas. 

 Lincoln, Superintendent. R. C. Cornell. Secretary, 54 William street. 

 New York. 



A. K. R. 



rpHE AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER, for the registr 

 -"- pedigrees, etc. (with prize lists of all shows and trials), is pub 

 hshed every month. Entries close on the 1st. Should be in early. 

 Entry blanks sent on reciSpt of stamped and addressed envelope. 

 Registration fee (25 cents) must accompany each entry. No entries 

 inserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscription §1. Address 

 "American Kennel Register," P, O. Box S832, New York. Number 

 of entries already printed 1010. Volume I., bound in cloth, sent 

 postpaid, $1.50. 



EXPERIENCE WITH DOGS. 

 Editor Forest and Stream; 

 My experience with dogs covers a period of tweuty-five 



years. 



I believe I am as free from prejudices regarding breeds 

 as it is possible to be. My first dog was an imported English 

 setter, thoroughly broken, and a finer dog is seldom seen. T 

 have since owned red Irish and Gordon setters, pointer-, and 

 Llewellins, and I candidly believe the difference between them 

 is far more imaginary than real, individual pointers and set- 

 ters differ more widely than do the two classes. The per- 

 formance of a single setter or pointer proves nothing but the 

 merits of the individuals immediately concerned, I have 

 worked pointers and setters side by side, day after day, and 

 season after season, and T wotdd riot give five dollars either 

 way as a preference. 



Lhave never owned a pointer that would refuse to go where 

 a setter would. With the exception of the first dog men- 

 tioned, f have broken all the dogs 1 owned myself, and I con- 

 tend that a dog properly trained— pointer or setter — will 

 remain so, as long as worked by his trainer or any one who 

 understands the method by which he was trained, and that 

 he will begin the season as steady as he closed the preceding 

 one. Herbert set the fashion in dogs in America forty years 

 ago, and the "Forester bathos" continues to-day, so far as dogs 

 are concerned. 



His opinion of pointers arose from a very limited knowledge 

 of them. This is plainly shown in his works. Charging 

 pointers with lack of affecti m. and hunting with a stranger 

 as well and as readily as with their master, is not a character- 

 istic of them by any means. I have never owned a setter or 

 pointer that would follow a gnu or hunt with any one but my- 

 self. "Hunt," in an article on the subject, states that pointers 

 are inferior to setters in speed and endurance. This is the first 

 charge, of the kind I have seen. The setter wMien at work has 

 an industrious air about him that is apt to deceive. The 

 pointer ranges more widely and goes with a bound that does 

 not show up as well as the other, but he will cover as much 

 ground and pass as few birds as the setter. I have a pointer 

 nine and a half years old that worked last season on i 

 day after day in company with a son of Gladstone and an 

 Irish gyp. They were both good ones and much younger, 

 but the noble old fellow more than held his own. II: one in- 

 clines to setters he should own them, if to pointers they are 

 If he has more than one let him get one of each. 

 After using them for a number of years he will be of my way 

 of thinking. A dog is just what you make him. Give him 

 proper care and affection and he will corne nearer anticipating 

 your wants than a human being can. Dick. 



BRAzn.. Ind. 



FOX HUNTING ON OIL CREEK. 



SOME six weeks ago Doc P.. of Petroleum Centre, presented 

 the Rhodes Brothers, of Pioneer, with four of his famous 

 foxhounds— Drive, Tickler, Center and Jo B. Thursday of 

 last week, being the first fair davfor hunting, the boys crossed 

 Oil Creek, and at the mouth of' Bull Run they jumped a big 

 red fox, whose confidence in himself was signified by the 

 pauses he made in listening to the bay of the dogs as they 

 made the first rush to get in. It was but a few minutes, until 

 he understood that there was a different class of hounds in his 

 wake from what he had been in the habit of dealing with, 

 and with a good-bye switch of his tail he began his flight for 

 Becker's Heights, where for about thirty minutes they poured 

 it to him so hot and fast that he made a break for Cherry 

 Run, up and down the banks of yvhich they drove it to him 

 so fast and furious that he began to get frightened, thereby 

 losing his confidence. Crossing at Morrison's Corners the 

 music of the dogs was glorious, double discounting any ' 'Dutch 

 band" in the State. 

 The pace was now at its best. Drive and Tickler running to 

 - . bile Jo B., Center and YVynder, one of their best 

 home dogs, were well up. They were now making the pace 

 still more, terrific, and reynard was fast losing his head. He. 

 tried several short turns, but the scent was good, and the 

 dogs were running with their heads up. His twists and short 

 oounted to nothing. They were now giving it to liim 

 hot and heavy, part of the time in sight. He swept in toward 

 McDonald's Rocks, but they pushed him so hard that he took 

 the big road back toward Oil Creek. Hokey, pokey, you 

 ought to have heard them giving it to him now ; how they 

 cried for help, but the pace was too much for him. They were 

 fast overhauling him, when he made a short turn into the 

 meadow and tried to reach some thickets on Hutchinson's 

 Ridge, but Drive overhauled him nearly in the door-yard of 

 the Burns Mansion, his jaws just closing on him as Tickler got, 

 there, followed closely by Jo B., Center and Wynder. Time 

 of ran. one hour and twenty minutes— well done on strange 

 ground and with strangers. But that is nothing when you 

 have the stock Delighted we were with the hunt and out 

 ■-, but our glee was great yesterday and our cup 

 bubbled rigid over the brim with fox-hunting fun. Harley 

 feeding his dogs at noon, letting them out of their kennel at 

 the time, ten minutes after which they winded a big red fox 

 as he was crossing Western Run. In a jiffey they were giving 

 it to him uvi on Benninghoof s Point, back across the run, up 

 by the white school house, over the .Sf.il wagon settlement. 



"The music now was soul-stirring, I know reynard was enjoy- 

 ing it for hr mad. s bee line fot the Litv of Titusvdle so the 

 hunters there could hear it too. The pace was now killing, 

 E the hounds W'as fast and fuilOUS, it was the anxious 

 whii Lag cry of dogs that were running to catch their game. 

 At Boughton, just below Titusvdle, the pace was too great for 

 reynaret, he bad to make a turn, taking the creek hQls back: 

 he tried every wav to shake himself clear, but Drive and 

 Tickler would not be denied while JoB., Wynder, and Center 

 were bound to be there at the finish. The pace w T a.s a hoc one 

 as they worked their way down the creek, the music was 

 knocking out all the Jenny lands -be I 



