lO 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[July 28, 1887. 



and discusses the influence of weather, temperature and 

 locality on the fattening of oysters in fresh water, and other 

 interesting questions. 



The report of Mr. Joseph Mersereau, oyster protector for 

 the six months ending N ov. 30, 1886, is given. He treats of 

 the dumping of garbage in Long Island Sound and of his 

 arresting some of the captains of tugs for this offense, and 

 also of the dumping of sludge acids and other refuse from 

 oil refineries, which has become not only a source of great 

 injury to the shellfish and other fishes of New York Harbor, 

 but is also a source of great annoyance to yachtsmen, 

 Samples of water containing refuse matter from the oil 

 works were obtained, which, together with a sworn com- 

 plaint in each case where it. could be traced to its source, 

 caused the Grand Jury of Richmond county to indict several 

 parties charged with these offenses. Three of these cases 

 have been called for trial, the parties pleading not guilty, 

 with the proviso that they might amend their plea ana plead 

 guilty, if so disposed, at the next term of court in February. 



Newtown and Gowanus creeks, North and East River 

 water fronts of New York city and Brooklyn have been 

 visited and the pollution of the water at different points 

 noted. There are now on hand forty samples of refuse, and 

 on each it is expected to make complaints in the near future. 



The following is an extract from certain affidavits made 

 by Garret P. Wright, Jacob L Housman and William H. 

 van Name, who are among the largest oyster planters and 

 wholesale dealers doing business at the foot or West Tenth 

 street, New York city, viz.: • 'Whenever the oysters pass 

 through this film or scum, in being put into or taken from 

 the floats, the shells get covered with the scum and smell of 

 kerosene, and in the. process of opening the oysters are 

 spoiled by getting a kerosene taste. I have taken oysters to 

 market and had them complained of or refused on account 

 of this smell and taste, and the oysters from Port Richmond 

 may have gotten a bad name for this reason. If the soiling 

 and covering of the Kill Von Kull with this scum or film 

 continues, I believe that my trade will be broken up or that 

 I shall be obliged to go elsewhere to practice it." 



Concluding this report Mr. Mersereau says: "In respect to 

 the emission of sludge acid or other refuse matter from the 

 oil refineries located ou the Kill Von Kull and Staten Island 

 Sound (Arthur Kill), I have to say, that the offense proceeds 

 from establishments located on the New Jersey side of said 

 streams. I would therefore respectfully suggest that an ef- 

 fort be made to bring about a conference between a commit- 

 tee to be appointed by the Legislature of the State of New 

 York, and a committee to be appointed by the Legislature 

 of the State of New Jersey, to the end that each State enact a 

 law of the same tenor and purport, to effectually eradicate 

 the aforesaid evil." 



Taken as a whole this report of Mr. Blackford's forms a 

 most valuable addition to the literature of the oyster, and 

 deals with questions to which little attention has so far been 

 paid, but which wi 11 surelv claim the attention of enterpris- 

 ing oystermen in the future. 



MASSACHUSETTS LOBSTER LAW.— There has beeu 

 much dispute about the proper way to measure lobsters to 

 determine whether they come in the 10!<j'in. length. By an 

 amendment of the law, passed at the last session of the 

 Legislature, the mode of measuring is made definite. Sec- 

 tion 84 of Chapter 91 of the Public Statutes is amended so as 

 to read as follows: 'Whoever sells or offers for sale or has 

 in his possession a lobster less than 10,'^in. in length, meas- 

 uring from the extremity of the bone' projecting from, the 

 head, to the end of the bone of the middle flipper of the tail 

 of the lobster, extended on its back its natural length, shall 

 forfeit $5 for every such lobster; and in all prosecutions 

 under this section, the possession of any lobster not of the 

 required length shall be -prim-it facie evidence to convict." — 

 F. R. Shattuck, Dep. Fish Com'r State of Mass. 



ADULT CARP FOR STOCKING. — We often have in- 

 quiries for adult carp for persons who do not wish to wait 

 for the growth of the small fish distributed by the U. S. Fish 

 Commission. Once in a while we hear of a few beiug offered 

 for sale, but they are usually bought at once and that is the 

 last of it. It would pay those who have them in quantities 

 and can furnish them from one to two pounds' weight, to 

 advertise them. 



The Menml 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Pub. Co 



FIXTURES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



St. Paul, Minn. W. G. Whitehead, Secretory; Chas. Weil, Super- 

 intendent. 



Sept. 20 to 23.— Fourth Show of the New Jersey Kennel Club, 

 Waver ly, N. J. Percy C. Ohl, Secretary, U Broad wav, N. Y, 



Sept. 20 to 23.— Wisconsin Kennel Club's Annual Show. Mil- 

 waukee, Wis. It. D. Whitehead, Manager. 



Oct. 13 and 13— Third Annual Show of the Stafford Kennel Club, 

 Stafford Springs, Conn. It. S. Hicks, Secretary. 



FIELD TRIALS. 



Sept. 6.— Manitoba Field Trials Club Field Trials. Derby entiles 

 will close July 1; all-aged entries Aug. 1, Secretary, Hubert Gait, 

 Winnipeg, Manitoba. 



Oct, 81.— First Annual Field Trials of the Indiana Kennel Club 

 at Bicknel, Ind. Open to dogs owned in Indiana. P. T. Madison, 

 Secretary, Lock Box 4, Indianapolis, Ind. 



Nov. 7.— Third Annual Field Trials of the Western Field Trials 

 Association. R. C. Van Horn, Secretary. Kansas Citv, Mo. 



Nov, 21.— Ninth Annual Field Trials of the Eastern "Field Trials 

 Club, at High Point, N. 0. \V. A. Coster, Secretary, Flarl.ush, 

 Kings County, N. Y. 



December.— First Annual Field Trials of the American Field 

 Trials Club, at Florence, Ala. C. W. Paris, Secretary, Cincinnati, 



AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB METHODS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



If there is a trifling error, as claimed by Mr. Elliot Smith, 

 in my letter in your paper of June 30, there certainly is a 

 flagrant one in Mr. Smith's communication in reply thereto. 

 Mr. Smith claims that it was none of "Wacouta's" business 

 what he (Mr. Smith) ruled or did not rale at a meeting of 

 the A K. 0. In other words, because I am neither a delegate 

 nor even a member of a club belonging to that august body, 

 the A. K. C, whatever it does or leaves undone is none of 

 my business. 



In this respect Mr. Smith is in error; and if there be many 

 of the delegates who hold the same opinion as the president, 

 it is small wonder that they act as they so often have done 

 when sitting as a court of inquiry or of appeal. As a breeder 

 and an exhibitor it necessarily is a matter of concern to me 

 what the A. K. C. does or does not do. . Mr. Smith seems to 

 think that whatever a majority decides to do is right, and 

 the result concerns no one else but the parties directly inter- 

 ested. On the contrary, every exhibitor in the country is 

 interested, and every exhibitor has a perfect right to ques- 

 tion any decision that appears so flagranti v wrong as the 

 Beaufort- Patti M. case. 



In the letter that Mr. Smith objects to 1 stated that I was 

 informed that Mr. Smith ruled there would be no objection 

 to the change of proxy. I am sorry that I was misinformed 



on the subject, but at the same time surprised to learn from 

 Mr. Smith that he considers it no concern of his at all what 

 was done with the proxy or who held it. I said that Mr. 

 Smith's approval was not the only necessary thing. Mr. 

 Smith says his approval was of no consequence at ail— that 

 it did not matter to the A. K. C. who held the proxy. If so, 

 then the A. K. C. and its president hold queer notions as to 

 what is customary in such bodies. Such a statement must 

 have been made by Mr. Smith in a moment of irritation at 

 being criticised, for he must certainly know that it was the 



. ui me proxy was autnonzea. tor it not authonzerl such 

 ite cast would invalidate the entire proceedings of the 

 ting. Mr. Smith's presentation of the case would imply 

 tnat he considers himself, as president Of the A. K. C, mere- 

 ly a figure head, for he says it was none of his business how 

 the proxy was transferred or who held it. Furthermore, I 

 did not claim that Mr, Vreden burgh was not entitled to vote 

 at the December meeting. I said he was not entitled to vote 

 at the last meeting. In December Mr. Vredenburgh held a 

 proxy, in May he did not, and the fact that he was qualified 

 at the December meeting gave him no power to move a re- 

 consideration at a meeting where his functions were purely of 

 a clerical, not a representative nature. 



It would appear strange to any one not posted on the 

 methods of A. K. O, that the president, when he made a 

 ruling, notwithstanding that it was correct in its effect, or 

 any other of the delegates, never caught on to the nonsense 

 propounded by Mr. Munhall when he gave as a reason for 

 his motion the point that officers were not allowed to vote 

 upon proxies, he giving Article IV. of the constitution as 

 authority, Of course it is highly improbable that such a 

 thing as a copy of the constitution would be found at a, meet- 

 ing of the A. K. C, but had there been a loose copy lying 

 around, any of the delegates having curiosity to look at 

 Article IV. would have found that it said nothing about 

 proxies. What it does say is that officers shall not vote 

 upon business before the executive committee unless regu- 

 larly elected delegates from their club. It necessarily fol- 

 lows that any one entitled to become a delegate is fit to 

 hold a proxy. 



But what is the use of going more fully into the details of 

 this folly any more. This final reconsideration will, no 

 doubt, settle it in a proper manner, notwithstanding Mr, 

 Richard's ridicule of Mr. Drake's manly way of moving for 

 a reconsideration as soon as he saw the true state of the 

 case, for as Mr. Wade justly remarks, "there Is good mater- 

 ial m the A. K. C, and I think there is enough of it to 

 leaven the whole body in the future." It is to be hoped so, 

 at any rate, for if the A. K. O. fails what indeed is to take 

 its place? If there be no central body with jurisdiction over 

 show matters, or that can sit down upon the knaves and the 

 fools, dog showing will be at the mercy of little cliques, and 

 showing dogs will become a farce if there be no authority to 

 prevent fraud, misrepresentation and trickery. WAOOTTTA. 



St. Paul. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



* v*vmu«w vuuomuuj icicjicu uu i u in iiivciLeu. com- 



mas. As to the opinion itself I refer the case to your readers 

 as it was published iu Forest and STREAM of Sept. 30, 1886! 



? imj 



""■™ iu '"twuo uuio, uu»i. ui u ULiiui , uuii Hi lor jUSt Wliat IT, 



says. I never said aught in extenuation of "incorrect" des- 

 criptions; I maintain that "incomplete" descriptions should 

 not disqualify; the difference is so broad and palpable that 

 it does not need pointing out. On the proxy transfer I have 

 nothing to say, as that belongs to "Wacouta," and that 

 noble savage has a scalping knife of his own and knows how 

 to use it. I am sorry that Mr. Smith got so far off the track 

 on this point. I am not and never have been Mr. Smith's 

 apologist, but I can say, and prove that he publicly ex- 

 pressed his opinion that Mr. Mason was entitled to the 

 Waverly special. Put that in your pipe and smoke it! I do 

 not propose to undertake any such job as Mr. Watson gives 

 me, but can say that the correctness of the Pittsburgh cata- 

 logue was entirely due to Mr. Whitman. Does Mr. Watson 

 suppose that it was evolved from "100 cents on the dollar?" 

 I know that Mr. Whitman changed the entries from the way 

 the exhibitor made them, in one case, wrongly as I think. 

 But the idea that Mr. Whitman's accuracy proves that the 

 rule is comprehended by the public generally! And this in 

 an article showing up the blunders of the A. K. 0.1 Well, 

 well, well! 



Now just, take this identification rule: It prescribes that 

 the dog must be identified by name, and if known, date of 

 birth, name of breeder, name of sire and dam, and that if 

 any of these are not known, it must be entered as "pedigree 

 unknown." Mr. Watson's point is that the most trivial 

 failure to comply with every minutia of the rule must work 

 disqualification; that a rule that requires inference as to its 

 meaning must be administered with the most Draconian 

 severity; I dispute; I maintain that where, the obligations 

 and directions of the rule are not clearly and unmistakably 

 pointed out, the spirit of the rule must govern iu the appli- 

 cation of penalties. On this point I appeal to such dog- 

 showing lawyers as Messrs. Peshall, Dudley, T. B. Dorsey, 

 McKennan, etc. (I do not include Mr. Smith," as Mr. Watson 

 might deny the authority.) Now what is the spirit of the 

 rule? Does it not plainly point to the securing of plain and 

 sufficient identification of the dog, so that there can be no 

 evasion or deceit as to its identity? And do not the name, 

 date of birth and names of sire and dam, clearly establish 

 this without name of breeder? Or are we justified in hag- 

 gling over every letter of the law, and casting its spirit to 

 the winds? Remember that a majority of exhibitors know 

 but little of dog show rules, and characterize, if you can, 

 the justice of punishing them for the most trifling omission. 



My dear Mr. Haldeman, "Let us proceed to business." 

 You are the prosecuting attorney, please state your case and 

 es wher< ' 

 3 wrong ! 

 meeting 



tain that the following clubs can always be relied on to go 

 right (right in intent, if they do make mistakes), viz.. New 

 England, New Haven, Hartford, Providence, W. K, C., Hor- 

 nellsville, New Jersey,Philadelphia and St. Paul. Detroit has 

 not yet fully shown its hand. For the wrong may always be 

 counted Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Cleveland. Nine to 

 three, with one not proven, although the expectations of 

 those who know Mr. Newberry are all in favor of his right 

 course. Cannot such a roster be trusted to mean right and 

 do right on the average? I may say that the very worst 

 episode of the Beauforfc-Patti M. case is the last,' in Mr. 

 Munhall's motion to have the reconsideration laid on the 

 table. This out-Herods Herod. The only honorable course 

 to effect this end is a voting down of Mr. Drake's motion, 

 but to smother it under the table! Great snakes! I have 

 complete confidence that it will be rejected by an over- 

 whelming adverse vote, for its adoption would sound the 

 knell of the A. K. C. It will be instructive to not e the votes 

 in favor of this burking dodge. W. WADE. 



Hulton, Pa., July 83. 



WAVERLY SHOW. — New York, July 21 -The New Jersey 

 Kennel Club claims the dates Sept. 20, 21, 22 and 23, 1887, for 

 holding their fourth bench show. This show is to be held 

 in conjunction with the New Jersey State Agriculture 

 Society's fair at Waverly, N. J. — Pejroy C. Ohl, Sec'y Bench 

 Show Com. 



MASTIFFS AT THE KENNEL CLUB'S SHOW. 



OELOW will be found the comments of the judge, Mr. M, 

 JL> B. Wynn, upon the mastiffs at the recent show of the 

 Kennel Club, which we copy from the Kennel Gazette: 



"Thinking of Ranelagh as I sit down to write, I may say 

 with Virgil, 



Seevitque canum latratus In auras; 

 The challenge class for mastiff dogs contained collectively 

 the highest merit. Of Beaufort, the winner, we shall have 

 to mention further on. He was not only a long way the best 

 albrouud specimen in the show, but is perhaps the best mas- 

 tiff at present in existence. Montgomery begins to show 

 signs of having had his day, but just won the second place 

 by his typical head. He is a better mastiff, but not so good 

 a dog as the well-gro\\Ti Victor Hugo, who shows too much 

 of the boarhound, and is too long in head to be typical; 

 nevertheless is a grand specimen, possessing what many 

 have not, namely, great size and symmetry combined. The 

 challenge class for bitches contained only the superb 

 Cambrian Princess, too weU known to need further com- 

 ment on. In the open class for dogs Wodan. shown in bad 

 condition, just managed to score first, owing to the really 

 good points he possesses. We gave him the benefit of the 

 doubt for possessing soundness and robustness of constitu- 

 tion, of which his condition caused us to have grave doubts, 

 and we hardly know if we were justified in placing him so 

 forward under the circumstances. He is not sufficiently 

 massive for his size, and still shows the cone, being very de- 

 ficient in the temporal muscles. Alf gar made a good second. 

 He is not a large dog, but possesses fair size, and except for 

 a slight want of length is very symmetrical. His worst 

 faults are his over large ears and full eyes, but his hind- 

 quarters are a credit to either Hotspur or his brother— which- 

 ever is his sire. The dark brindle Lionel came well up for 

 third. He is a dog wo have always admired. His light eye 

 is against him, and he might be a trifle larger, hut is not 

 spoilt like so many by faults suggesting the hound or boar- 

 hound crosses. Admiral (Beaufort excepted) the heaviest 

 and best bodied dog in the show, seems a trifle weak in one 

 of his hocks, and is spoilt by his pointed (but not long) muz- 

 zle, in line of profile looking wedge-shaped rather than 

 square, and possessing no pendulosity of lip to cover it. In 

 fact, what with his capital skull, he possesses a type of head 

 far too common in low bred pug dogs, a type of head that 

 cannot be too well guarded against in a mastiff dog. Hot' 

 spur, by far the best headed mastiff in the class, is so 

 dwarfed in his hindquarters that it is a pity so valuable a 

 dog for stud purposes should be. entered for competition, 

 otherwise had we felt justified in so doing, we should have 

 liked to have placed him first for head and shoulders alone. 

 Ormonde, who promises to grow into a fair specimen, is 

 rather full in eye, is too large iu ear, and is at present some- 

 what hollow in back. 



"After these there was nothing worth mentioning, the 

 quality being below the average, and we missed such speci- 

 mens as Minting, Orion and Boatswain, and mastiff fanciers 

 need not be afraid to breed, for evidently the quality in the 

 open class for mastiffs is weak. The open class for mastiff 

 bitches was a very good one. The winner, Princess Ida, we 

 have always liked, and, though other judges may differ with 

 us, we consider she has those qualities which should be 

 looked for in a brood bitch, and is superb in coat and color. 

 Gerda, the second prize, except for want of blackness about 

 the cars, is a little model, well grown, thoroughly symmetri- 

 cal, and reminded us greatly of Mr. Lukey's once famous 

 Beauty. Gerda is every iueh a mastiff, but is small; still, 

 while breeders should ever cultivate size, remembering a 

 good big one should always beat a good little one, a judge 

 can only go by merit, however disappointing to owners of 

 larger specimens when those specimens betray faults, and 

 those faults of mongrelism rather than bad rearing. Frigga, 

 the third prize, and full sister to Gerda, is a triflelarger, but 

 is not so good in muzzle, color or bone; still, she is thoroughly 

 symmetrical. The brindle Zillah III. is spoilt by her bushy 

 stern, pointed muzzle, general coarseness, and similarity to 

 the St. Bernard iu type; still, she is strong in some points 

 calculated to make her a useful brood bitch. Holda, again, 

 is thoroughly good in body, but is spoilt by her loug!nar- 

 row head and houndy ears^ In mastiff dog puppies' Con- 

 stable made an easy win, taking also the prize for the best 

 brindle in the show (which, by the way, were the most 

 respectable collection of brindles that we have seen got to- 

 gether). Constable is a big puppy, good in color and bone; 

 his head, although a little long at present, should fill out, 

 and he looks like making a worthy successor to old Cardi- 

 nal. In bitch puppies Queen of Scots was the only one, but 

 looked to be considerably over age — was, in fact, the oldest 

 looking puppy we have ever seen, suggesting some mistake 

 as to her age. Young Gipsy showed plenty of size. The 

 brace class was a very close thing, and difficult to decide 

 either way. In stud dogs Orlando had it all to himself. He 

 was looking more active and better than when we last saw 

 him, and his head, simply smothered everything in the show 

 except that of his nephew, Beaufort; and Gerda, Frigga and 

 Holda satisfactorily prove that he can beget good-bodied, 

 symmetrical offspring. Gytha II,, alone in brood bitches, is 

 light, but is otherwise a good stamp, possessing no mongrel 

 points. In the novice class Alfgar' had an easy win with 

 Ormonde (second), an improving dog. 



"The prize offered from America by Mr. W. Wade for the 

 best mover, while it afforded great amusement to many, 

 was to myself of considerable interest and of some little 

 surprise, and as we know a report of the result will be l ooked 

 forward to with considerable interest by many mastiff fan- 

 ciers in America, we feel sure the space it will occupy to 

 detail it will not be grudged; and 1 may here take the oppir 

 tunity to say, thanks to the untiring assistance of the ring 

 stewards and useful suggestion of Mr. Gambler Bolton, I 

 was enabled to carry out what at first appeared a very diffi- 

 cult task. As, with the sun blazing overhead, I sat (the 

 autocrat of the hour) under the shade of the tent erected for 

 our use with men and dogs panting around, the words of 

 Augustus recalled themselves, 'Ego sum inter suspiria et 

 lacrymais;' and the lines of Ovid, 'Et hie praxlam pedibus 

 petit, ille salutem; Alter inhassuro similis,' might have been 

 written to describe the scene. From among the prize win- 

 ners I selected among the best movers Gerda, Alfgar, Beau- 

 fort, Admiral and Constable. After considerable walking 

 and running about (in which the owners showed signs of 

 distress far more than the dogs) I thought Constable, 

 although limber enough, showed somewhat the weakness 

 of puppyhood, and I was glad to be able to reduce them to 

 four. Alfgar next went the least regularly, leaving only 

 three in it. Beaufort, in spite of the immense amount of 

 flesh he carried, went in splendid form, trotting really well, 

 showing the best stifle action of the three, and I could not 

 detect his hocks or legs failed him in the least; and I must 

 own I was considerably and agreeably surprised to see him 

 move so nimbly, considering his great weight, and should 

 have felt bound to have awarded the prize to him only for 

 the straddling of his hind legs, so generally seen in specimens 

 born with dew claws. In a bulldog this formation would be 

 approved by some judges, and it recalled Mr. F. Adcock' s 

 excellent description in 'Webb,' p. 275: 'Stifles turning out 

 so as to bring the hocks near together, and turn the feet out.' 

 However, the trial convinced me there is no decrepitude or 

 want of activity about Beaufort. Admiral walked in good 

 form, but I noticed while in the ring he showed a slight 

 weakness in one hock, and Avhen galloping slung one hind 

 leg out; still, it was but very slightly. Gerda's grand hind- 

 quarters and muscular thighs pulled her through, for she 

 walked and trotted as square as possible, and it was very 

 evident, both in her and her owner, a lack of wind was all 

 that was needed. I have before now carefully watched race 



