Dec. 9, 1886.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



887 



Missouri.— Golden City, Mo., Nov. 29,— All kinds of 



fame are scarce in this part of southwestern Missouri, 

 'rairie chickens have bunched and ai'e very wild. A few 

 snipe were killed this fall, but the spring is the best time 

 for them here. A party of four, myself included, took a 

 day's hunt on Tliaiiksgivhit;'. AVe only bagged eighteen 

 quail and throe rabliits, but this poor allowing was partly 

 due to bad shooting. Six good coveys were found, all of 

 which were in thick brush along the small runs or 

 branches, where it was almost impossible to hit them. 

 No ducks so far, where last fall at this time every pond 

 and stream was filled with them. Much game was killed 

 out of season or the shooting would be better now. — H. A. 



Virginia. — New Castle, Craig Co., December. — Quail 

 and grouse (generally known here as partridges and 

 pheasants) are more plentiful in this section of Virginia 

 this season than they have been for several years. We 

 also liave some deer and wild turkeys. This place is 

 about 21 miles from Eagle Rocks, on the Richmond and 

 Alleghany R. R., and about the same distance from 

 Salem, on the Norfolk and Western. Conveyances may 

 be procured at either place. — C. N. H. 



Snipe on Bonnets. — A Long Island gunner shot in the 

 months of July, August, September and October, more 

 than 8,000 snipe for milliners; about 500 of them were 

 large snipe. — Old Gunner. 



At Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee, duck shooting is re- 

 ported to be "great guns." Two Louisville sportsmen 

 jbagged 160 ducks there one clay last week. 



Bay Ribqe, L. I., Nov. 5, 1886. 



U. S. Cartridge Go., Loimlh Masf-:: 



Gentlemen— I feel duty bound to you to express my entire mtis- 

 faction with your Climax shelts. I ]iave ^i\en ihevt a most Kcvci'e 

 test, and find them «i(/.it;vioc ((I (/;;)/ nlJier in many respects. Tliey 

 can be loaded over at. least six times, and still tlie gas cannot 

 escape, the pores of the case remaining hrm and solid, wliile the 

 most severe Avetting lioes uot swell the paper in the least. Any 

 man that knows what a good shell is T,\-ill jooli: no further for a 

 better shell after nsitig your sbell one day. 1 shall use them here- 

 after in preference- tu any 'itlier. If this is of any use to you in any 

 ■way, you are at libertj^ to use it in any way you like Hoping tliat 

 it may further the interest of your Climax anioiiK shooters, I re- 

 main, Yours ti'ul> . 



LAdv.'] (Signed) 15', M. Eajies, 



mid ^it er ^iMng. 



Address all communico^ions to the Forest and St/remn Pub. Co. 



SPLICED RODS AND FERRULES. 



Editor Forest and Stream.: 



When "Woodcraft" \vas ]3ublished I purchased a copy. 

 When ''Canoe and Boat Building" came out I again 

 bought. I now have lying on my desk as I write a copy 

 of "The American Salmon Fisherman," The perusal of 

 it is just finished, and I caimot resist the temptation to 

 send you a few lines. I hardly feel able to pen tlie high 

 praise of which I feel the work to be worthy. I do, how- 

 ever, desne to enroll myself among those who lieartily 

 indorse the priucii)les and views IMi'. Wells so aptly and 

 concisely presents to liis readers. 



The missionary of the spliced rod sect pleased me much. 

 I once, from my earty reading, preached from tliat test; 

 but a few trials and the ancient spliced-rot propaganda 

 fell from grace, never wiih nie to be resurrected. Pages 

 38-9 I read with close attention, and really thought there 

 might be an opportunity to suggest something that had 

 been overlooked; but on page 44 I found the very point 

 I had in mind, the "capped feiTule." 



Oiu" little cotorie of — , well, fishermen since they fish, 

 have for a number of years used the short, closc-fetted, 

 straight, German silver capped ferrule. We have, how- 

 ever, been accustomed to ream out the ujipjer end so that 

 the inside up to the straight part of the ferrule would 

 present a surface slightly tapering, having a thickness at 

 the edge agreeable to the size of the winding silk. We 

 were thus enabled to leave the ferrule with the second 

 piece nearly the same diameter as the butt piece at its en- 

 trance to the female ferrule. Thus we thought, retaining 

 the full strength of the wood, having no weak spot or 

 shoulder at the joint. The male ferrule is then fitted at 

 the lower end with a thin circular bit of metal just right 

 to solder on its inside. The wood fitted snugly to the inside 

 6haj)e, coated -with a mixture of cut shellac and whitelead 

 and the ferrule carefully forced on. The female ferrule is 

 put on in a like manner until it reaches its proper limit, 

 which is marked on the rod. Another disc of metal or 

 even of heavy paper is then forced down tlie inside to 

 cover the exposed end of butt length. We think by this 

 com-se we get our ferrules on pretty nearly waterproof. I 

 have never known a well fitted one on j)roper]y seasoned 

 wood to start. 



The guides we use are essentially the same as those pic- 

 tured by Mr. Wells, except that we discard the piece of 

 metal between the tw© rings, retaining the two pieces at 

 the end, which are soldered on a little below the inside 

 surface of the ring and flush with its bottom. On heavy 

 rods, where large ware is used, the under side is sometimes 

 burred out to fit the round of the rod. 



That a proper rod should have a casting capacity of five 

 or five and one-half times its length was entnely new to 

 me. I I'emembered, however, that some of my friends 

 had made casts of about 60ft. with a rod 10^ or lift. long. 

 That was about their limit, I think. 



For some years I have been using a rod of 9ft., 27in. 

 joints, fin. at the first joint, and tapering s^in. for each 

 9in. of length. It seems to combine about all the com- 

 forts that can be got into one rod. Easy of transporta- 

 tion, handles a bait well, and v^nXh a line slightly heavier 

 than would perhaps be selected for fine fly-fishing, and 

 throws a fly well toward the rule given. I have been 

 able to cast with a fair degree of accuracy and ease fi-om 

 40 to 4oft. So my o^^^l experience, as I now remember 

 aaid apply, seems to corroborate the rule given. 



I have reaUy run out more line than I thought the reel 

 held, but there seemed no proper landing in the j)ool 

 where I rose the subject, so I perforce ran on. Before 

 iclosuig I wish to assure you of the appreciation of myself 

 and many others, of the good wort being done by the 

 pxiblicatioB of such instructive wholesome literature as 

 01© works I have jjaeritioned are a type gi. Worthy of 



the highest praise are those talented gentlemen who 

 have opened the vohmies of their experience for the 

 benefit and education of their more ignorant fellow 

 sportsmen. 



From Mr. Stephens I learned to build a canoe of light 

 weight, forty-five pounds, which floated the skipper, his 

 companion and duffle safely and comfortably. When in 

 the woods "Woodcraft"' is constantly in mind, while on 

 the bow of the canoe appears the name ' 'Nessmuk. " From 

 him I learned to build a comfortable camp. From him 

 I learned to make a proper night fire and to cook a plain 

 dinner in the Avoods. I learned that to go light was to 

 double the pleasure. Our canoe, tent, provisions and other 

 duffle, will weigh less than ninety pounds. This for a ten 

 days trip. I hope ere long to feel the canoe once more 

 respond to the stroke of my paddle; to smell the sweet 

 wood of our camp-fire; to even rest myself on the odor- 

 ous bed of browse, and gaze at its evanescent flickeringa 

 tlu'ough the open front of a Nessmuk ehanty tent. 



Rhody. 



Pbovidence, R. I. 



Sensibility of Fishes to Pain. — Editor Forest and 

 Stream: Your correspondents seem to think that fish are 

 insensible to pain because, after havuig a hook broken in 

 their mouths, or a slice cut from them, they take the bait 

 again. I do not think it by any means proven. Would 

 a sufferer from tooth-ache, if liungry, refuse to satisfy 

 his hunger because it iKiined him? Should he be deemed 

 insensible to pain for so doing? Is the moth also insensi- 

 ble to pain because, having flown into the flame, it 

 straightway returns to destniction? Instmct is very 

 powerful, and there is no reasoning from cause to effect. 

 The instinct of fish moves them principally in three 

 dii-ections, viz., to seek food, safety, and the propagation 

 of their species, and they will go to any length in the ac- 

 complishment of these objects. The instinct of fish over- 

 rides suft'ei'ing, and impels them to seize the food regard- 

 less of broken hook or mutilation. I do not believe 

 fish or animal can be deprived of its natmal habitat 

 without more or less suffering. It may be that some fish 

 are more sensitive to jiain than others. Not all persons 

 are alike sensitive to pain. It will not do to generalize 

 too broadly. It would seem impossible for fish to show 

 suffering more plainly than they do when taken from 

 their home. Give the coup de grace to a fish witli a knife 

 or club, and what could show suffering more evidently 

 than the death tattoo with its tad. I am not inveighing 

 against the sport of fishing. I am as fond of it as any 

 one, and perhaps have done as much of it as the average 

 correspondent, but I do not believe in giving needless 

 pain, and I believe in taking the benefit of a doubt— and 

 giving it to the fish. Can any one be certain that fish do 

 not suffer pain ? Assuredly not. Then how much better 

 to assume that they do, and inflict as little as possible. Is 

 it not more noble and gentlemanly? — O, O. S. 



FoK Polluting the Waters,— On Friday last Capt. 

 James Keyes, of the tug F. Dassori, and Capt. James 

 EUis, of the tug Three 13rothers, were fined $50 each in 

 Weschester Co., N. Y., for violating the law forbidding 

 dumping- refuse on oyster beds. The offenses were com- 

 mitted in Long Island Soimd, near Execution Light. Both 

 men were employed by the Street Cleaning Department of 

 the City of New York, and to save time and expense 

 dumped their load where most convenient to themselves, 

 thinking they might escape as heretofore. They pleaded 

 guilty by advice of counsel or the fines might have been 

 heavier. Fish Commissioner Blackford is naturally much 

 pleased at the result of these cases, believing that the 

 heavy tines imposed will have a beneficial effect in pre- 

 venting the recuiTence of such offenses as those committed. 

 The city's garbage carriers haven't been any too particular 

 in the past as to how and where they dump their filthy 

 loads, and the result has been the destruction of several 

 good oyster beds wliich were in a high state of culti- 

 vation, ' as well as valuable natural beds. Commissioner 

 Blackford has been after this class of offenders for some 

 time, and is in earnest in his intention to stop the violation 

 of the law of which oystermen have been comi)laining 

 for some time. State Oyster Protector Mersereau was 

 instrumental in obtaining the arrest of the two offending 

 captains, and in obtaining such evidence as would have 

 made their conviction a certainty in case it went to trial. 



The Fish Laavs op Aricansas,— Pine Bluff', Ark., Dec. 

 4. — Editor Forest and Stream: Our State has been far 

 behind in protecting fish and game, and although we have 

 some laAvs on the subject, they are not enforced. Now 

 that the Governor has reorganized the Fish Commission, 

 we hope for improvement. The president of the new 

 board, Mr. H. H. Rottaken, is well known as an adA^ocate 

 of protection, and as a member of the old board he has 

 done what he could to this end. The Legislature makes 

 no appropriation for the Fish Commission, as it should, 

 and the Commissioners, while serving the State for noth- 

 ing, haA^e to bear all the expenses of travel, stationery, 

 etc. , incmxed in their work. At the last session of the 

 Legislature a protective law was passed at the urgent 

 request of IVIr. Rottaken, but we need means to enforce it. 

 There is room yet for more stringent laws to protect the 

 State's property in fish and game, and also for something 

 to be done in the AA^ay of increasing our fish supply. There 

 is no reason why Arkansas should not adopt what has 

 been found so beneficial in other States, unless the 

 change would interfere with the notions of men who 

 have always speared fish on the spaAAming beds and killed 

 birds in the nesting season. — Straw Hat. 



A Game Cmtt^ish..— Editor Forest and Stream: In 

 your last issue "Homerus" Avrites of the channel catfish 

 as a valuable fish for introduction as food and game. My 

 attention was first called to this fish, in print, by "Cyrto- 

 nyx," in your issue of March 35, 1886, and on seai'ching 

 the angling books find no mention of it. Some years ago 

 I took this fish in western waters, and wish to bear testi- 

 mony in its favor. Wliat your correspondents say of its 

 merits is true, and it is deserving attention from the Fish 

 Commissioners. — G, N. 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Pub. Co 



CARP AND CATFISH IN CALIFORNIA.— The San 

 Francisco Btdletin says: There are two or three kinds offish 

 which have been introduced in this State of no special value. 

 The carp is one of these. Every few months some one fur 

 nishes a long dissertation on the value of the carp as an edi- 

 ble fish. These essays may hp inspired by those who have 

 carp ponds to sell or young fish for stocking ponds. Years 

 ago this journal suggested that the propagation of carp 

 would result in disappointment. There is not the least dif- 

 ficulty in breeding the fish. The difficulty is in eating it. 

 Of all edible fish this is of the poorest qual ity. In California, 

 Avhere the best fish in the yvorld are found in both fresh and 

 salt water, there is no need of stocking any Avater with carp. 

 It is essentially a mud fish, hybernating for a part of the 

 year, and never comparatively good by any known process 

 of cooking. The late Senator Miller, of this State, who tried 

 thoroughly the expei'iment of breeding carp at his home- 

 stead in Napa, found as the result of his experiments that 

 while there was no trouble in propagating the fish, it Avas 

 AA'holIy undesirable for edible purposes. He had ordered it 

 cooked in all known ways, had folio wed the German methods, 

 had smothered the fish in all sorts of condiments, but could 

 make nothing palatable of it. Then he drew the water from 

 his ponds in order to exterminate the carp, but they went 

 into the mud and refused to quit. Days after the Avater Avas 

 all out of the ponds they could be turned out of the mud as 

 lively as ever. If no other fish could be obtained it might be 

 just possible to tolerate the carp. But vvlien salmon, rock- 

 fish, smelts and fifty other .sorts of deliciovis salt-water fish 

 can be had, Avith brook trout from nearly every running 

 stream, the dropping down from these fish to carp is like 

 dropping down from canvasback ducks to mud hens. There 

 was also the catfish, Ayhich was introduced with a consider- 

 able flourish. This fish abounds in nearly all Western 

 waters, and is rated among the lowest of all edible fish. A 

 large proportion of people living contiguous to Western 

 rivers never touch this fish. It is almost impossible to make 

 the trout and the catfish live in the same waters. Even in 

 the clear Avaters of the Upper Mississippi, Avhittier catfish 

 have gone from the muddy waters below, there are no trout, 

 or not enough for mention. It was said that an especially 

 good variety of the catfish Avas introduced into our own 

 waters, a variety qmte aboA'e the ordinary quality so common 

 in Western waters. But it turned out to be the muddy- 

 Avater fish, sluggish, coarse and suggestive always of coun- 

 tries afflicted with chills and fever. Neither the catfish nor 

 the carp are entitled to rank among desirable fish for the 

 waters of this coast. Where trout are propagated in small 

 brooks with as much ease as chickens are raised in coops, it 

 Avould seem the more undesirable to take any more special 

 pains to produce fish of such doubtful quality that few 

 people Avant them at any price. 



FISHCULTURB IN SCOTLAND.-We have a circular 

 from the HoAAdetOAvn Fishery, Stii-ling, which records the 

 successful exportation of 200,000 salmon eggs to New Zea- 

 land and 100,000 Lochleveu trout egggs to Newfoundland 

 last season. The landlocked salmon from Maine have 

 thriven and will spawn next spring. The rainbow trout 

 have not grown as rapidly as the Lochleven. The prices of 

 eggs per thousand are: LochleA'en, $5; broAvn trout, $5; Ameri- 

 can brook trout (fonUnalis], $7.50. The prices for fry are 

 just double these figures. I or foreign shipment the price 

 varies, being greater for boxes of 15,000 and less when sent in 

 lots of 100,000. A history of the fishery, with 197 cuts, has 

 been published. 



FISHERIES OF HOLLAND.— We have the report of the 

 Fish Commission of Holland for 1885. Heer J. Drabbe has 

 resigned from the commission and Heer Jhr. ,J. L. C. Pompe 

 van Meerdervoort has been appointed to succeed him. The 

 commissou has built a neAA^ vessel for their service, called 

 the Albatross, which has been very satisfactory. The catch 

 of the boat fishermen has been very good during the past 

 year. Mr. C. J. Bottemanne, well known to our flshcultur- 

 ists, is still the superintendent of the fisheries, and to his 

 kindness we are indebted for many favors. Much attention 

 is giA-en to the capture and marketing of fishes in Holland, 

 and but little to nshculture. 



SMELTS AND LOBSTERS.— Cold Spring Harbor, L, L, 

 Dec. 4.— Smelts have been caught here lately by Mr. Charles 

 Dole, and are the first ever taken in the harbor. It is just 

 three years since the first planting AA'^as made here from the 

 hatchery of the Fish Commission. Young lobsters planted 

 here last spring by Superintendent Mather have been taken 

 by oystermen on the oyster beds. When planted the lobsters 

 were /^in. long and now they are OA'er Sin. in length. The 

 popularity of fishculture in salt water is growing. Lobsters 

 disappeared from this portion of Long Island Sound some 

 years ago.— iV^cw York Times. 



THE ARKANSAS COMMISSION.-The Governor has 

 recently appointed as Fish Commissioners the folloAving 

 g_entlemen, all of Little Rock: H. H. Rottaken, Pres.; J. W. 

 Calloway and W. B. Worthen. The president is a member 

 of the old board and is re-appointed. 



FIXTURES. 



DOGr SHOWS. 



Dec. 15 to 17.— Second Annual Dog Show of the Western Connec- 

 ticut Poultry Association. Frank D. Hallett, Superintendent, 

 Winsted, Conn. Entries close Dec. 4. 



January, 1887.— Bencli Show of Poultry and Pet Stock Associ- 

 ation, at Adams, Mass. W, F. Davis, Secretary, 



Jan. 17 to 21, 1887.— Ohio State Poultry, Pigeon and Pet Stock 

 Association Dog Show, Colnmhus, O. W. F, Knell, Superintend- 

 ent, Columhus, O. 



March 29 to April 1, 1887.— luangural Bench Show of Rhode 

 Island Kennel Cluh, Providence, R, I. N. Seabnry, Secretary, 

 Box 1333, Providence. 



April 5 to 8, 1887.— Third Annual Show of New England Kennel 

 Club, Boston. F. L. Weston, Secretai^, Hotel Boylston, Boston, 

 Mass. 



April 12 to 15, 1887.— Thirteenth Annual Dog Show of the Western 

 Pennsylvania Poultry Society, at Pittsburgh, Pa. 0. B. Elben, 

 Secretary- 



FIELD TRIALS. 



Dec. 13. -Eighth Annual Field Trials of the National Field Trials 

 Club, at Grand Junction, Tenn. 



Dec. 14.— Inaugural Field Trials of the Texas Field Trials Club. 

 For members only. John F. Sharp, Secretary, Marshall, Tex. 



Feb. 15, 1887.— Inaugural Trials of Tennessee Sportsmen's Associ- 

 ation. Entries close Jan. 10. R. M. Dudley, Secretary, No. 84 

 Broad street, Nashville, Tenn. 



Those who preach, lecture, declaim or slug, avIU and <Jo find 

 Hale's Honey of Horehound and Tar the speediest restoralive of 

 the voice in cases of hoarseness. It cures coughs and sore throats 

 rapidly and completely. Sold by all druggists. Pike's Tooth- 

 ache Dbjops cure in one minute,— J-dv. 



A. K. R.-SPECIAL NOTICE. 



THE AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTER, for the registration 

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

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

 early. Entry blanlcs sent on receipt of stamped and addressed 

 envelope. Registration fee (50 cents) must accompany each entrj'. 

 No entiles inserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscription 

 $1..50. Address "American Kennel Register," P. O, Bos 8832, New 

 ypyk. Number of entnes already priiit^<l 43 i Is 



