Feb. 9, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



51 



^inhctilinre. 



REPORT OF THE U. S. FISH COMMISSION. 



(Continued from Page 30.) 



MB. E. G. BLACKFORD, Fish Commissioner of the State 

 of New York, in charge of the oyster investigation, 

 makes a report of his work with the steamer Lookout, which 

 was placed under "his orders from Aug. 15 to 20, 1885. The 

 localities visited were: Moutauk Point. Greenport, the 

 Kills, Executive Light, Port Jefferson, Prince's Bay and 

 two trips up the Hudson Elver, At Montauk Poiut there- 

 were but few oysters found in the ponds, which are entirely 

 cut off from the ocean, except during violent storms. At 

 Greeuport a fine growth of oysters was found on the beds 

 of the Greeuport Oyster Company. Many poor, green-col- 

 ored oysters were fouud at the Kills, a result, it is claimed 

 by the oystennen, of the refuse from the. oil works, and a 

 similar condition was observed in Prince's Bay. 



W. de C. Ravenel makes a report of operations at the 

 Saint Jerome oyster breeding station during 1885. By June 

 1 he had the ponds ready to receive the spawn, but found no 

 number of ripe oysters until the 20th. Although young 

 oysters were found twenty-eight days after introducing the 

 first lot of spawn into the ponds, only about six or seven 

 hundred were on the collectors when they. were taken up in 

 October. Ponds used in artificial oyster culture should have 

 the full rise and fall of the tide, which is impossible where 

 the water has to be filtered to prevent the escape, of the arti- 

 ficial spawn and the introduction of natural spawn. The 

 sat d filters attached to the flumes became so foul in two or 

 three days that no water could pass, and were so constructed 

 that they could not be cleaned. The collectors, upon which 

 the best results were obtained, were mortar-coated slate 

 placed in wire trays resting on trestles Sin. in height, the 

 under surface of the slate being always clean. Another ex- 

 cellent and cheap collector was made of plastering laths 

 nailed together, about twenty-four in a bundle; these were 

 either allowed to float, or were sunken by weights. Tables 

 of the weather, temperature, and density of the water are 

 given. 



"An exposition of the principles of a rational system of 

 oyster culture, together with an account of a new and prac- 

 tical method of obtaining oyster spat on a soale of commer- 

 cial importance," is made" by Prof, John A. Ryder, who 

 thinks it possible to secure an abundance of spat under con- 

 dition wMeh can be controlled, and within such an area, 

 aud at such a cost as will render it possible for persons 

 possessing the proper knowdedge to undertake spat culture, 

 or the propagation of the oyster as a business. Since 1880, 

 Prof. Ryder has devised, and had constructed, no less than 

 twenty "forms of incubating apparatus in which it was 

 hoped to obtain spat from artificially fertilized eggs. In 

 most of these filters were used, and in only one form were 

 results of economic importance obtained, and as filters soou 

 clog and become useless they can never be used in any prac- 

 tical system. Reviewing this report some years after it was 

 written, we do not feel as sanguine that the whole problem 

 of oyster culture has been solved, as Prof. Byder d es. He 

 goes deeply into the .subject, discoursing ot the effect of 

 light, density of water, bath ymetric distribution, horizontal 

 distribution, temperature, food of fry and adults, effect of 

 currents, and other questions, but the fact remains that up 

 to the date of this report there had been no system devised 

 whereby the oysterman can grow his oysters from artificially 

 hatched or naturally hatched spawn and get "sets" in quan- 

 tities sufficient to plant and pay for the labor expended. 

 This is the crucial test in oyster culture; to produce spat 

 which will grow into "seed oysters" in quantities so that 

 they may be sold at a profit to the planters, who now go 

 from the Northern States to Virginia for seed. Up to the 

 present this has not been done. Prof. Ryder's article is 

 fully illustrated and forms an important addition to the 

 literature of the subject. 



[TO BE CONTINUED.] 



Dogs: Their Management and Treatment in Disease. By 

 Ashmont. Price $2. Kennel Record and Account Book. 

 Price S3. Training vs. Breaking. B\i S. T. Hammond. 

 Price $l. Mrst Lessons in Dog Traintng, with Points of 

 all Breeds. Price 25 cents. 



FIXTURES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



Feb. 13 to 17.— First show Fort Schuyler Kennel Club, Utica, N. 

 Y. E. J Spencer, Sec. 



Feb. 21 to 24,1888.— Twelfth Annual Show of the Westminster Ken- 

 nel CI ub, Madison Square Garden, New York. James Mortimer, 

 Superintendent. 



Feb. 28 to March 2.-Show of Philadelphia Kennel Club. W. H. 

 Child, Sec. 



March 27 to 30.— Fourth Annual Show of the New Haven Kennel 

 Club, New Haven, Conn. E. Sheffield Porter. Secretary. 



April 3 to G.— Fourth Annual Dog Show of the New England 

 Kennel Club, at Boston, Mass. J. W. Newman, Secretary. 



A. K. R.-SPECIAL NOTICE. 

 rpHE 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 blanks sent on receipt of stamped and addressed 

 envelope. Registration fee (50 cents) must accompany each entry. 

 No entries inserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscription 

 $1.50. Address "American Kennel Register," P. O. Box 2832, New 

 i'ork. Number ot entries already printed 5853. 



RULE NO. 2. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



As to Rule 2, 1 consider it a great mistake to compel own- 

 ers of puppies to register them before the age of one year. A 

 large per cent, are lost before maturity by death or checked 

 in development by disease, and should they have been shown 

 after eight weeks of age, and registered, the only advantage 

 to be derived from it is the A. K. C. fee of 50 cents. But it 

 is certainly detrimental, to overload the stud book with 

 names and pedigrees of dogs never more to be heard of. On 

 the other hand, if a young dog matures well and becomes a 

 prize winner before being registered, his wins are then put 

 on record with the registration, adding much to its import- 

 ance and worth. Lothian. 



A new proposition comes from Mr. E. S. Porter. He sug- 

 gests that the American Kennel Club should adopt the 

 American Kennel Register as its official preliminary regis- 

 tration book, and let subsequent registration be voluntary. 

 While appreciating Mr. Porter's manifest desire to allav by 

 such compromise the "opposition to the A. K. C," we a'bso 

 lutely fail to recognize in his plan any principle different from 

 that involved in the present preposterous Rule 2. Compul- 

 sory registration in the American Kennel Register would 

 be precisely as unjust, unwise and obnoxious as compulsory 

 registration in the stud book. There is no distinction. We 



are assured that neither the publishers nor the editor of the 

 American Kennel Register would be a party to any agree- 

 ment with the American Kennel Club to compel registration 

 in the Register, As for the Fohest and Stream, this journal 

 is and has always been opposed to compulsory registration. 

 Mr. Porter's plan of compulsory registration by which the 

 A. K. R. would benefit has nothing in it to prompt a change 

 of our position on this subject. In that position we are con- 

 fident that we represent the attitude of an overwhelming 

 proportion of the intelligent and independent breeders and 

 owners of this country, and we acknowledge no authority 

 by which the Anti- American Kennel Club can compel regis- 

 tration by any such ruse as Rule 2. 



The. registration rule has been a great success in England 

 because the Kennel Club had the power to enforce it. If the 

 club had not alraady enjoyed the respect of exhibitors, it 

 Could not, have commanded their submission in this manner. 

 In America things are different; an excellent stud register 

 exists already, and the kennel world is very much divided 

 in its opinion of the body that seeks to assume the govern- 

 ing role. From the defiant tone of the correspondence that 

 is now raging in our contemporaries on this subject, we 

 presume that American kennel men intend the A. K. C. to 

 understand plainly that before they can command success, 

 they must deserve it.— T7ie Stock-Keeper. 



It must not be forgotten that the registration sought to be 

 enforced by the A. K. C. clique is registration for revenue 

 only. They require funds to pay a secretary, and their 

 scheme is to forcibly tax dog owners who cannot be induced 

 in any other way to contribute to Mr. Vredenburgh's sup- 

 port. The engineers of this scheme are perfectly willing to 

 sacrifice the interests of the smaller clubs, as' it has been 

 shown sueh a rule would do, if they can bleed exhibitors at 

 the large exhibitions. The interests represented by the 

 American Kennel Club to-day are not the kennel inter- 

 ests of the country in general; they center at No. 44 Broad- 

 way, New York. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 

 As my name was announced in the Philadelphia local 



?apers as one of the judges at the coming bench show here, 

 wish to inform my friends that I have tendered my resigna- 

 tion. Being very much opposed to Rule 2, 1 could notposs- 

 ibly exhibit or judge at any show enforcing this rule. When 

 I accepted the position I did not expect that Rule 2 would 

 be enforced at Philadelphia. EDWARD Lkyei:. 



PnmADELPHiA, Feb. 4. 



We are informed that a well-known spaniel judge, who 

 was invited to judge at the Philadelphia show, refused, 

 giving as a reason his unwillingness to be connected in such 

 a capacity with any show where obnoxious Rule 2 is en- 

 forced. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I wish to retract my statement that the A.K.C.S.B. under 

 Mr. Vredenburgh's supervision has admitted spurious pedi- 

 grees; I find that these entries were previous to Mr. Vreden- 

 burgh's editorship. My explanation is that 1 never looked 

 into but one of the stud books, that I bought one from Mr. 

 Vredenburgh himself at the New York show, and I recently 

 found these spurious pedigrees in an A.K.C.S.B., but not the 

 official. How such a substitution occurred, I cannot imagine, 

 as I carfnot recall having ever bought any but the one I got 

 from Mr. Vredenburgh. However, my present purpose is 

 si mply to apologize to Mr. Vredenburgh "f or my unjust ch arge. 



W. Wade. 



Hulton, Jan. 28; 



RULE 7. 



Editor Forest and Stream- 

 It is said of Rule 2 that it was secretly passed to bring 

 shekels to the pockets of an- unscrupulous clique, and that 

 the dog interests of this country were not considered as 

 being in any way associated with the passing of that tyran- 

 ical, nigh-handed and gluttonous scheme. 



So great has been the interest taken in the passage of Rule 

 2, or Em pty-your-pockets rule, that those whose duty it is to 

 watch over and protect the interests of the dog appear to 

 have temporally neglected their duty in leaving other and 

 equally unjust measures to take care of themselves. How 

 about Rule 7? What were the motives governing those who 

 framed or passed it? 



The authorities of any show may reserve to themselves the right 

 of declining any entries they may see fit. 



That is Rule 7, and I would like to know why it was 

 adopted. Rule 22 reads: 



Any person who has been guilty of misconduct of any kind in 

 connection witn Dogs, Dog Shows or Field Trials, may be sus- 

 pended by the committee of any show. 



The latter is a just rule, and I am for its enforcement 

 every time. Of course there are cases when entries must be 

 returned, for instance, if there is not accommodation for 

 the number received, but no set of men should be permitted 

 to refuse the entries of good dogs in order that their own in- 

 different specimens be allowed to walk away with the prizes. 

 If this is the object for which dog shows were created, the 

 sooner they are done away with the better. Do gentlemen 

 like Colonel Stuart Taylor, Colonel Morgan, Mr. Thayer, 

 Mr. Porter, Mr. Grosvenor, Mr. Fay, Mr. Hemingway, Mr. 

 Child, and others, knowingly lend their names and influence 

 to the passing of measures which are intended to rifle the 

 pockets of the honest exhibitors and add renown (?) to the 

 third-rate kennels of individuals whose only recommenda- 

 tion to be considered gentlemen consists iii the weight of 

 their purses and the cut of their clothes ? Methinks not. 



Rule 2 is bad enough, but Rule 7 is worse. The former 

 will kill itself, while the latter will fairly disembowel dog 

 shows by bringing them into disrepute with all right-minded 

 and honest people. 



Let the gentlemen (not the snobs or the tricksters) con- 

 nected with the A. K. C. ponder over the following facts, 

 and at the next A. K. C. meeting make it known that they 

 are not there to be a catspaw for those who are lowering the 

 status of dog shows to a level with the more vicious and 

 corrupt institutions of the age. 



It is w T ell-known that Mr. John Davidson was ousted from 

 the judges' ring by a newspaper man who had no knowledge, 

 practical or other, of dogs, and bow the newspaper man 

 was assisted by a dog show superintendent who was a pup 

 pet in his hands. It is also well-known that the New York 

 show has been gradually but surely going down hill, and 

 that the public place little confidence in any one connected 

 with it. Last year there were not more than 700 bona fide 

 entries against 1,000 or more at Boston. Lamentably ignor- 

 ant decisions by incompetent judges, and bulldozing man- 

 agement are the true cause of the troubles. The climax 

 was at hand. Lost confidence had to be regained, or at 

 least entries had to be scooped in to give a better appear- 

 ance to the shattered bulwarks. Possibly Mr. Davidson 

 has been pardoned for having done his duty, or it may be 

 that he is only put up to swell the entries. A good name 

 can do much for a shaKy house. 



Mr. Davidson judged the pointer classes at Boston and 

 expressed the opinion that a dog named Robert le Diable 

 was a muchly over-rated animal and that he had no business 

 alongside such dogs as Beaufort and Graphic. A Mr. Hitch- 

 cock, of New York, also exhibited a dog named Tammany, 

 and Mr. Davidson gave him second prize. This dog Tam- 

 many, being crooked in his forelegs, has no earthly chance 



of success in good company, and his owner, who is only a 

 novice in the dog fancy, has recently begun to realize that 

 such is the case. Robert le Diable and Tammany must be 

 exhibited at New York this month, and Mr. Davidson is not 

 tlie man to give them what they are not entitled to. So far 

 so good. 



A month ago I received a letter asking me to name my 

 lowest price for Beaufort.. I did not put a price on him. 

 Ten days ago I received another letter, but from a different 

 quarter, and as usual the writer wanted to know my bottom 

 price. Again did I refuse to put a price on the dog, and on 

 Sunday I entered him in the New York show. 



On Monday evening Mr. Percy 0. Oh I, (whose office is at 

 No. 44 Broadway, with that of the W. K. C. and the A. K. C; 

 and who acts as agent for the W. K. C. in dog transactions), 

 called on me to ascertain if I would sell the dog. I named 

 a figure, but he did not think his customer would go beyond 

 $500; The sale of course did not take place; and on Tuesday 

 I received my entry back from the W. K. C. It is marked, 

 "Declined by order of the committee." The committee is F. 

 R. Hitchcock, C. du Bois Wagstaff and T. H. Terry; but a 

 gentleman who recently called at the office says, ''Hitch- 

 cock seems to run the whole business." 



I am very pleased to have the entry returned, as there is 

 far more satisfaction in exposing rottenness than in win- 

 ning a prize. If Mr. E. C. Sterling had been judge instead 

 of Mr. John Davidson, would the entry have been "declined?" 

 Fancy the Secretary (F, R. Hitchcock), Committee (F. R. 

 Hitchcock), owner of Tammany (F. R. Hitchcock) returning 

 my entry so that his own dogs and those of his friends may 

 wit) He certainly did not return it for any other reason, 

 and I challenge him to name in these or in any other 

 columns a single case in which I have "been guilty of miscon- 

 duct in connection with Dogs, Dog Shows or Field Trials;" 

 aud my name has been before the public for twenty years, 

 Mr. Hitchcock's about twenty months. 



This action on the part of th'e Secretary-Committee-Owner 

 of Tammany will throw light on the s'tud book question. 

 The Secretary-Committee-Owner of Tammany is said to be 

 one of the prominent leaders in the movement. Let the 

 public judge him and others by their doings and not by the 

 cut of their clothes. If it Will 'do this, the dog interests of 

 the country may yet be saved from complete wreck. Do 

 men, who exclude good dogs from their shows to let third- 

 rate specimens win, wish to improve the dog and advance 

 his interests, or do they work for ulterior motives? Make 

 this the issue, gentlemen, and you will not go wrong. 



Rule 7 is further evidence that the A. K. C. is controlled 

 by persons who are unworthy the confidence of respectable 

 people, and such a rotten concern should be lowered into its 

 tiny grave, and without further delay. The mourners will 

 be few. 



Why not form a National Dog Club on a sound and broad 

 basis? The time for the birth of such a club is at hand. I 

 have a large number of letters from prominent dog owners 

 asking why nothing is being done. The A. K. C. has been 

 untrue to itself, and the. gentlemen connected with it can no 

 longer afford to have their names associated -with the baser 

 motives of the scum of dogdom. Take my advice, gentle- 

 men, and get out before you are held responsible for the 

 unscrupulous conduct of others. Fancy, for instance, the 

 name of Colonel Stuart Taylor, Naval Officer, port of San 

 Francisco, 1S84-1888, being placed on record as favoring Rule 

 7 and the way of enforcing it! A nice thing, truly, for a 

 man of unsullied reputation to face. 



We have had enough of Rule 2. It will kill itself. Now 

 for Rule 7. What do dog owners think of a dog show sec- 

 retary refusing to accept entries in order that his and his 

 friends' dogs may win the prizes? Here is food for reflec- 

 tion for many weeks to come. You, Mr. Editor, have driven 

 the sword of truth and right up to the hilt in Rule 2. Your 

 work has not been completed, neither will it be completed 

 until you have routed, bag and baggage, the well-clad 

 traitors to our cause. What humble assistance I can give 

 is at your disposal. 



In conclusion, allow me to thank the Secretary-Commit- 

 tee-Owner of Tammany for having frankly admitted that 

 his and his friends' dogs have not the ghost of a chance of 

 success in competition with Beaufort when the judge is an 

 honest and capable man. This acknowledgment of my 

 grand dog's superiority is worth more to me than ten cham- 

 pion prizes; it also explains why the late Mr. Charles Lin- 

 coln called on me and requested me to exhibit the dog when 

 a St. Louis man was the pidge, and it is a great compliment 

 to Mr. Davidson. 



I shall be pleased to hear from the Graphic Kennels as to 

 whether their entries have been returned. Any of their dogs 

 can beat Tammany and Robert le Diable, so it seems proba- 

 ble they won't be allowed to compete. Chas. H. Mason. 



PUPPIES AND GUNS. 



Edi tor Forest and Stream: 



Dr. Wm. James, of Harvard College, will find Herbert 

 Spencer's philosophy all right; but wdien it comes to a puppy 

 anticipating the gun which he has never been taught the 

 use of, that is giving the dog credit for more than most of 

 us would claim for a human being. Let us suppose for 

 instance that a child grows up in a home where there is a 

 gun- one day his father comes home and takes it into his 

 head to have' a hunt; he shoulders the gun and starts for the 

 woods. The boy never having seen a gun discharged and 

 not knowing its use would not anticipate, but he would not 

 be a boy if he did not run for his hat and beg his father to 

 let him go too. Aud so it is with the puppy; the putting on 

 of one's hat fills him with excitement, for long before old 

 enough to hunt he has begged hard to be allowed to follow 

 his master when there was no gun in the question. 



But let us not contend that this is not a hereditary trans- 

 mission in the puppy, but rather lead the Doctor (and he 

 need not go far) to find proofs of hereditary transmission of 

 acquired habits in the dog; and I will mention one which 

 has come under my own observation. Since field trials have 

 led to the more perfect training of our pointers and setters 

 I find that this is no unusual occurrence. When a young 

 dog is taken on his first hunt, never having seen a game 

 bird, and never having had a gun fired over him, he will 

 drop to shot of his own accord; or in plain English, the dog 

 will fall on his belly at the first discharge of the gun; and 

 if encouraged will continue to do so. That this is the result 

 of a high degree of training in the dog's ancestors may well 

 be believed, if it was not always the habit of dogs so to do; 

 and I am so informed by others, and my own experience of 

 thirtyyears lea ves me no room to doubt it. A young pointer 

 under 9mos. old hunting in company with a setter dog that 

 would not drop to either wing or shot, found and pointed in 

 front of my old dog a bevy of birds — the first he had ever 

 seen. At the crack of the gun he went down, not through 

 fear, it was easy to see; for at the word he was off and soon 

 pointed a single bird which flushed wild, and the puppy 

 dropped to wing. This was repeated five times, but long 

 before the finish I had given away my gun and was follow- 

 ing the young dog to encourage him in his wonderful per- 

 formance. C. 



Gainesville, Tex. 



PLACE, MAN, BOOK, DOG, RESULT.— London, Out.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: I have read Mr. Hammond's 

 "Training vs. Breaking." and re-read it, and am more 

 pleased each time I read it. My bitch was utterly untrained 

 and uneducated when I got her, and the results of my train- 

 ing her by Hammond's directions so far surpass my expec- 

 tations.— W. E. Satjnders. 



