Sept. 27, 1888.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



189 



more accurately, has not been done at all. Can there be any 

 co-operation between the States to remedy this evil? That 

 there ought to be is plain. And the fact of its recognized 

 necessity .ought to bring about, eventually, an affirmative 

 answer." The force of a substantial and efficient example is 

 the only constraint that can be brought to bear. When any 

 one of the States bordering the Great Lakes will enact laws 

 that are effective, its example will be followed. 



Full and candid discussion between the fishery officers of 

 the different States will be useful, and ought to be employed 

 more frequently than in the past for the purpose of harmo- 

 nizing the views of all. By fishery officers I do not mean 

 alone the Fish Commissioners, but include the wardens'or 

 officers employed to enforce the laws, by whatever names 

 they may be known. And 1 believe that good results might 

 be obtained from conferences between the Fishery Commit- 

 tees of the Legislatures of Michigan and Ohio, aud Michigan 

 and Wisconsin, and Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. At 

 least this is worth consideration. 



A step in the right direction was taken by Michigan, in 

 1887, in the passage of an act for the appointment of a Game 

 and Fish Warden. The act was not as broad nor the 

 powers as extensive as the Commissioners urged upon the 

 Legislature; butit was one point gained. The thorough, con- 

 sistent and intelligent course pursued by the gentleman se- 

 lected by the Governor as the State Warden will go far to- 

 ward securing at another session of our Legislature the re- 

 quired improvements in the law, as: it has already demon- 

 strated the important advantages of the proper enforcement 

 of such laws as we have. Wisconsin took the lead in this 

 class of legislation, but from all I have learned, of its opera- 

 tion, f judge that the. statute needs amendments in some im- 

 portant points to make it effective. Ohio, too, has started in 

 the right direction. This is all encouraging, because in each 

 case it has been a movement in the right direction. 



The fisheries, in my judgment, have reached a point where 

 no half measure will answer. YVhat is needed is to look the 

 necessities of the case squarely in the face aud provide whole- 

 some and sufficient remedies that will put a stop to the de- 

 struction and marketing of immature fish of all valuable 

 kinds; and while it gives nature a chance to help repair the 

 mischief already done, will likewise help to .secure to the 

 States the benefits of the artificial propagation of planting. 



A third suggestion in the line of cooperation that I think 

 worthy of discussion is between the Fish Commissions and the 

 educational institutions of the State—as for instance, with 

 the instructors in natural history in the State University, or 

 the Agricultural College. There 'are many ways in which the 

 two could aid each other. The University, or Agricultural 

 College, or both, might furnish the naturalist to accompany 

 a crew of Fish Commission men in examining interior lakes 

 and streams. They might do a notable service by furnishing 

 a naturalist, who is expert with the microscope, along with 

 our crews employed in gathering ova of different fishes: aud 

 by a critical study of ova and milt during the spawning 

 time, instruct the men as to the appearance of perfectly 

 matured male and female properties, so as to bring such 

 operations still nearer to perfection. At the same time, facts 

 so acquired might be an actual and useful contribution to 

 scientific knowledge. The Michigan superintendent last 

 fall proposed a very similar method for the purpose of im- 

 proving the already good results in artificial fertilization. 



DETKOii, May 10, 1888. 



FROG CULTURE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The many inquiries which you have recently had concern- 

 ing the culture of frogs for market, prompts me to say 

 something on this subject. For the past four years this 

 question of frog culture has given me some trouble in 

 answering private letters from would-be frog-farmers, and 

 is a legacy left by the late Mr. Seth Green, who wrote an 

 article on it in the report of the New York Fishery Commis- 

 sion for 1S73. This was widely copied, and each year some 

 imaginative reporter gives ah account of a mythical frog 

 farm which has never existed. In 1875 this farm was 

 located near Smithtown, Long Island, and I went there and 

 found that there was no frog farm in that vicinity, nor was 

 there any man living near the place bearing the name 

 given. The next year the apocryphal farm was located near 

 Philadelphia, and I had the same experience, Since that 

 time I have only wasted postage iu the pursuit of this 

 fabled industry. 



Mr. Green gave the results of two years' experience in 

 which he gathered frog spawn and hatched it, but lost his 

 polywoss and abandoned frog culture, but he encouraged 

 others to try it, by saying the "difficulties can be overcome 

 by patience and perseverance." Yet he further said: "When 

 they become frogs they live on all kinds of insects, and the 

 only thing I can see to make success sure is to procure in- 

 sects in larga quantities, enough to support a great number 

 of frogs." Aud here is where the impractibility of raising- 

 frogs lies. 



It is no trouble to gather large quantities of frog spawn 

 and hatch millions of tadpoles, nor to feed the latter on 

 meat and vegetation, for they eat both. The enemies of the 

 tadpole, or polywog, are numerous, and large frogs will eat 

 small ones. As an instance of the latter fact, I once took a 

 dozen large American bullfrogs to Prof. Moore, of the Derby 

 Museum, at Liverpool, aud they quickly swallowed the small 

 European frogs that were in the tank where he placed them. 

 Even if it were possible to feed the frog on meat, which it is 

 not, the batrachian is of slow growth, and the balance would 

 be on the wrong side of the ledger when they were sent to 

 market. 



An inquiring correspondent, recently sent me the follow- 

 ing, copied into the New Y oris Sun from the Boston Journal, 

 headed "Fortunes iu Frogs." The article says: 



"Any man who has a pond on his farm can try the experi- 

 ment of raising his own frogs. First, let him buy six pairs 

 of fine Jersey breeders and dump them into the water. With 

 these for a starter, you may select a quantity of domestic 

 batracbia, and then you will have the nucleus of a fortune. 

 Don't interfere, with your water investment for a year, any 

 more than to keep your growing stock weJl supplied with 

 tood. They require an abundance, but as they are not very 

 dainty iu their taste, the expense account will be light. For 

 a young farm two barrels a day of hotel table scraps will 

 keep the frogs in splendid shape, so that at the end of twelve 

 mouths you can begin marketing all that you can fish out at 

 the same price as spring chickens. Give me the time and 

 facilities and I will wager that at the end of two years I will 

 be living on an income of $5,000, and my frogs will pay all 

 my expenses," 



I will travel far to see frogs fed on hotel table scraps, or 

 to see the frog-farmer "living on an income of $5,000," all 

 from his frogs. In my long experience as a fishculturist the 

 frog has been under constant notice, and I have tried to 

 feed them on meat and mussels without success. My belief 

 is that frogculture is a delusion, and that such a thing as a 

 frog pond does not exist, and unless some genius arises who 

 can And a way to feed his frogs on beetles, flies and other 

 insects, which, with some snails, constitutes their natural 

 food, there will never be a frog farm. The sunply of frogs 

 to New York markets comes mainly from Canada and places 

 of sparse population, where they are not extensively eaten. 

 Forty years ago Americans did not eat frogs, and every marsh 

 in the country contained large ones. Now they are almost 

 extinct near cities in the State of New York, and do not 

 breed and grow rapidly enough to pay to catch :them. I 

 think it probable that the batrachiaus, like the reptiles, are 

 of long life and slow growth, and that a man would get very- 

 tired waiting to see a crop mature. Perhaps be might wait 

 tea. years to get large ones, but never having raised' a frog to 



maturity I cannot say. The belief in their slow growth is 

 based on the fact that many of the polywogs do not get their 

 legs the season that they are hatched, but pass the winter in 

 the tadpole state; this points to slow maturity. 



Feed Matueu. 



Conn Spuing Harbor, N. Y. 



THE ROMANCE OF RODEN BAUER. 



THE wild and wicked West is not without elements of 

 romance. Indeted, it occasionally furnishes forth at 

 hero of such nobility, clad on with feats of such martial 

 derring-do, as to merit not less than a lasting place iu poesv. 



There is Mr. Rodeubauer, of Quincy, rilinois. Plain Peter 

 Rodeubauer was his name, and he himself was a plain, un- 

 varnished Teuton from Fatherland, who, since he. had left 

 a land of game laws, had naturally a perfect right to violate 

 the game laws of the country to which he came. Under Mr. 

 Rodenbauer's plain, unvarnished exterior there beat a noble 

 soul. His was a spirit whose, least accomplishment, in ease 

 of the given emergency, would have been that of the late 

 Leouidas, or Mr. Bludsoe, or Casabianca of beloved memory. 



Mr. Rodenbauer's haughty soul scorned the fish laws of 

 the dastardly commonwealth of Illinois. What:'' Should 

 he beg? Should be cringe:'' Nay, by the nine gods! There 

 were "fish in the waters, and Mr. Kodeubauer" would have 

 fish or blood. Not a few, but a wagon load. Mr, Rodeu- 

 bauer had a wagon, and more than a wagon-load of nets. 



Game Warden Pipino and Constable Sacra sought to con- 

 fiscate the heroic Rodenbauer's nets and wagon. "Away, 

 slight man!" cried the hero. And in vulgar parlance, he 

 "pulled down on them" with a shotgun. The officers re- 

 tired. They had no fear, but they thought of their f ami lies. 

 Mr. Rodeubauer retained his property, and remarked that 

 he would cou tin ue to do so, until warm localities become 

 comparatively frigid. 



Mr. Rodeubauer mounted his trusty steed, and placing 

 his arquebus across the pommel of the saddle, rode into 

 town and publicly invited the officers or the whole dastardly 

 and ''lasted Commonwealth of Illinois to come out into his 

 parlor and take him, his nets, his wagon, or any appurte- 

 nances unto him belonging, Mr. Rodeubauer returned and 

 fortified himself in bis house and loaded a number of rifles, 

 revolvers and shotguns. He courted investigation. The 

 brave officers invested the place, and detective Purcell 

 started to investigate. He saw that heroic Peter held a full 

 hand; he resolved not to call him, and so retreated. As he 

 turned to go, this simple-minded "courageous hero" shot 

 him in the back with a load of large shot, inflicting wounds 

 from which Mr. Purcell will probably die. Mr. Rodeubauer 

 would have fish or he would have blood. 



This was iu the night time. The officers had not courage 

 to go in and make, the arrest. Perhaps they were not sure 

 that such laws as they professed to maintain had anything 

 behind them. Perhaps they were not to blame, feeling this 

 lack of moral support. Perhaps they were cowardly. It is 

 not known. It is only known that they waited patiently 

 about, like Mary's little lamb, till daylight did appear. 



When daylight ushered in the peaceful calm of another 

 day, Mr. Rodenbauer, with devout smile on his face and a 

 shotgun on his shoulder, tripped lightly from his domicile 

 aud started for St. Francis Church, there to offer up his 

 thanks to the God of battles and of smiling peace. The 

 brave officers, when he was wrapped in sweet religious rev- 

 ery, sprang upon him, took away his shotgun and his smile, 

 robbed him of his liberty, aud on the following morning, 

 the fifteenth in the ides of September, had him foully con- 

 signed to a loathsome dungeon in default of $5,000' bail, 

 which this suffering hero was unable to furnish on the spur 

 of the moment. 



he fflmnel 



FIXTURES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



Oct. 2 to d.— Seventh Annual Dog Show of the Danbnry Agri- 

 cultural Society, at D;utbury, Conn. B. C. Lynes, Secretary. 



Oct. i to 5.— National Exposition Dog Show, Kansas City, Mo. 

 G. R. Evans, Manager, Room 16, New England Building, Kansas 

 City, Mo. 



Oct. 9 to 12.-First Dog Show of the Virginia Field Sports Asso- 

 ciation at Richmond, Va. B. H. Grundy, Secretary, Room 26, 

 Shafer Building. Entries close Oct. 1. 



Oct. 23 to 26.— Second Annual Show of the St. Paul and Minne- 

 sota Kennel Club, at St. Paul, Minn. J. E. Stryker, Secretary, 

 Room 98 Globe Building. 



Nov. 6 to 10.— Dog Show of the Richmond County Poultry and 

 Pet Stock Association, m connection with Augusta National Ex- 

 position at Augusta, Ga. H. Madden, Superintendent. 



Dec. 3 to 8.— Dog show of the Northern Illinois Poultry and Pet 

 Stack Association, at Rockford, 111. A. H. Currier, Secretary. 



Jan. 15 to 19, 1889.— Seventh Annual Dog Show of the Southern 

 Massachusetts Poultry Association, at New Bedford, Mass. F. 

 W. Dean, Secretary. 



Feb. 4 to 7, 1889— First Annual Dog Show of the Columbus 

 Fanciers 1 Club at Columbus O. Thos.R. Sparrow, Secretary. 



Feb. 12 to 15, 1889.— Fifth Dog Show of the New Jersey Kennel 

 Club, at Jersey City, N. J. Geo. L. Wilms, Secretary, 142 Monti- 

 cello avenue, Jersey City, N. J. 



Feb. 19 to 22, 1889.— Thirteenth Annual Show of the Westminster 

 Kennel Club, New York. James Mortimer, Superintendent. 



Feb. 26 to March 1, 1889.— Second Annual Show of the Renssalaer 

 Kennel Club, Troy, N. Y. Alba M. Ide. Secretary. 



March 8 to 8, 1889.— Second Annual Dog Show of the Albany- 

 Kennel Club, at Albany, N. Y. Geo. B. Gallup, Secretary. 



March 12 to 15, 1889.— Second Annual Show of the Fort Schuyler 

 Kenuel Club, Utica, N. Y. James W. Dunlop, President. 



March 19 to 22, 1k.s9.~- First Annual Dog Show of the Maryland 

 Kennel Club, at Baltimore, Md. W. S. Ditfenderffer, Secretary. 



March 26 to 29, 1889.— First Annual Dog Show of the Massachu- 

 setts Kennel Cluh, at Lynn, Mass. D. A. Williams, Secretary. 



April 2 to 5, 1889.— First Annual Show of the Rochester Kennel 

 Cluh, at Rochester, N. Y. Harry Yates, Secretary. 



April 9 to 12, 1889.— First Annual Dog Show of the Mascoutah 

 Kennel Club, at Chicago. 111. John L. Lincoln, Jr., Secretary. 

 FIELD TRIALS. 



Nov. 1.— Second Annual Field Trials of the Indiana Kennel 

 Club, at Bicknell, fnd. P. T. Madison, Secretary, Indianapolis, 

 bid. 



Nov. 15.— Fifth Annual Field Trials of the Philadelphia Kennel 

 Club, open to members only. Wm. H. Child, Secretary, Phila- 

 delphia, Pa. 



Nov. 19.— Tenth Annual Field Trials of the Eastern Field Trials 

 Cluh, at High Point, N. C. (Members' Stake, Nov. 15.) W. A. 

 Coster, Secretary, Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 



Dec. 3.— First Annual Field Trials of the Southern Field Trial 

 Clun, at Amory, Miss. T. M. Brumby, Secretary, Chattanooga, 

 Tenn. 



Dec. 10.— Second Annual Field Trials of the American Field 

 Trials Club, at West Point, Miss. C. W. Paris, Secretary, Cincin- 

 nati. O. 



Jan. 14, 1889.— Sixth Annual Field Trials of the Pacific Coast 

 Field Trial Club, at Bakerslield, Cal. N. P. Sheldon, Secretary, 

 320 Sansome street San Francisco, Cal. 



COURSING. 



Oct. 15.— Third Annual Meeting of the American Ooursing Club 

 at Great Bend, Kan. F. K. Doau, Secretary, 1210 Olive street, St 

 Louis, Mo. 



A. K. R.-SPEC1AL NOTICE. 

 TPHE 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 he in 

 early. Entry clanks sent on receipt of stamped and addressed 

 envelope. Registration fee (30 cents) must accompany each entry. 

 So entries inserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscription 

 . *l..i0. Address "American Kennel Register," P. O. Box 3832, New 

 ITork. Kumber of entries already printed 6573. 



BEAGLES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The beagle classes at our shows are among the very few 

 which in average merit excel those at the exhibitions of 

 our English cousins. 



For this we are indebted to the good judgment displayed 

 by General Rowett in the selection of his importations, and 

 to Messrs. Cameron, Elmore, Dorsey, Todd, and one or two 

 others for their carefulness in breeding the stock that Gen- 

 eral Rowett brought, to this country. By glancing over 

 the pedigrees of the show winners, the idea will be sug- 

 gested to a thinking person that the paucity of the importa- 

 tions and the necessity of close inbreeding also had prob- 

 ably much to do with' the improvement of the breed. 



Recent, importations have really tended to degenerate the 

 type rather than to improve it. This can readily be proven 

 by examining the pedigrees of this year's winners. 



Champion Bannerman, for instance, has probably been 

 used in the stud more than any other recently imported, 

 beagle. He has never, so far as is known, produced but one 

 really good dog, and this one has since gone to pieces. The 

 reason for thi.s is simply the, fact that this much lauded 

 champion was never really worth a c. If he was, then 

 every beagle of the Rowett type should have been turned 

 out of the ring when he was present. Had he been bred 

 here instead of having been imported, be never would have, 

 received a letter. It is true he has a grand body, good feet, 

 tail and coat, but so have hundreds of our native nonde- 

 script beagles. His head is that of a toy bull and terrier. 

 Many of his get are snow white, and I have seen some that, 

 if they had their ears cut, tail shaved and coat clipped short, 

 would have stood excellent chances of getting first money 

 in the apple-headed bull-terrier class at the last Boston 

 show. 



Head, I claim, is the key of the type of every breed. Look 

 around any show after the prizes are. awarded and notice 

 how a good head overcomes all other defects. If the mastiff 

 llford Caution and the St. Bernard Otho bad not, in the 

 judges' opinion, good heads, they certainly would not be in 

 the champion class. 



I have, not the slightest grudge against Ban norm an or his 

 owner. In fact, the second best worker I have in my pack 

 is a sou of this dog. The best, I am sorry to say, is pot a 

 Rowett beagle, but a cross between a black and tan terrier 

 and a Virginia harrier. This only goes to show that a good 

 rabbit dog is not necessarily a good beagle. It is only be- 

 cause I dislike to see an unworthy dog used so frequently in 

 the stud, and impart to the strain a taint that it will take 

 years to efface, that I write so strongly against this pai- 

 ticular dog. Chimer, while a better beagle than Banner- 

 man, is to me for many reasons almost as unsatisfactory 

 a stud dog. Little Duke, Rattler III.. Tony Weller, Little. 

 Ned, Tony, Little Prince, Dorsey's Lee, Fitvshugh Lee, 

 'frailer, Cameron's Racket and Dandy, rank very high in 

 my estimation as among the best available stud beagles. 

 One or two of them, however, I believe are now dead. 



The true color of a beagle is black, white aud tan, and I 

 have seen but few really good specimens otherwise marked. 

 To Captain Ashcton principally we owe the original intro- 

 duction of the blue-ticked stock. Any one who breeds 

 beagles must have noticed that this color is generally ac- 

 companied by oversize and lack of parage. My theory is 

 that the blue tickiug comes from t he old blue-spotted har- 

 rier, or our native small-eared foxhound, and that when 

 puppies inherit the color they also inherit the size and short 

 ears of this line of their ancestors. Therefore, I suggest that 

 all. who are trying to breed winning beagles should steer 

 clear of pedigrees containing the names of Blue Belles, Blue 

 Boys and Blue Caps. Old Victor also has considerable of 

 this taint in his blood. 



While beagle breeders were hunting all over England for 

 stock to improve the stratus, a person in Canada picked up 

 in our own country some which he brought to our shows 

 and carried off the. honors with. He knew that to get big 

 money for them he must stamp them with the magic word 

 imported. With this sugar coating we bought them, and it 

 has been only recently that their actual pedigrees have 

 been discovered, and they turn out to be the Rowett beagles. 



It is all nousense to look now to England for stock to im- 

 prove our strain of beagles. Since the days of Queen Bess 

 their usefulness there has gradually lessened, until they are 

 the scarcest of breeds at the English shows. But right here 

 in America we have the proper game for them. The impor- 

 tatious of General Rowett have placed us in possession of 

 the choicest of the breed that was in England in bis day, 

 and there has been no improvement in them there since. 



To improve the breed we want to use intelligence iu the 

 selective mating of the best specimens we have, and not 

 by the haphazard method of introducing unknown blood. 



S. RE1CKAF. 



INDIANA FIELD TRIALS. 



TNDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Sept, 19.— Editor Forest and 

 J_ Stream: At the annual meeting of the Indiana Kennel 

 Club held this day, the following officers were elected: D. 

 C. Bergundthal, President; Ed. S. Shultz, First Vice-Presi- 

 dent; J. E. Dougherty, Secoud Vice-President; J. M. Free- 

 man, Third Vice-President, S. H. Socwell, Treasurer; P. T. 

 Madison, Secretary. Board of Governors, D. C. Bergund- 

 thal, Ed. S. Shultz, J. E. Dougherty, J. M. Freeman ,"S. H. 

 Socwell, P. T. Madison, H. A. Comstock, Royal Robinson, 

 A. P. Craft, M. R. Williams, Frank W. Samuels, Joseph 

 Becker. 



Mr. Ed. S. Shultz was selected to judge the Derby in con- 

 nection with Mr. Bergundthal and Col. Sloo. 



The entries for the All-Aged Stakes are coming in very 

 rapidly. Vice-President Freeman, who lives at Bicknell, 

 reports an abundance of birds. We anticipate a very success- 

 ful meeting. The Central Traffic Association will sell 

 tickets to Vincennes at regular first class rates, and will re- 

 turn the parties at the rate of one cent per mile. Parties 

 who anticipate attending the trials should, secure from the 

 agent of whom they purchase their tickets, a certificate 

 stating that they have paid the regular fare to Vincennes. 

 These certificates will be signed at Bicknell, Ind., by the 

 secretary of the club, which will enable the holder to pur- 

 chase his return ticket at the above mentioned rate. Bick- 

 nell is only fifteen miles from Vincennes. 



P. T. Madison, Sec'y. 



Indianapolis, Ind., Sept. 24.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 I have just finished the perusal of the letters of Mr. Anthony 

 in relation to his little attempt to bulldoze our club, and 

 the only conclusion that I can arrive at is that he is a very 

 funny individual. Why does he not give us a history of the 

 manner in which his invitation to judge was brought about? 

 If I am correctly informed, this would be very interesting 

 reading. His pose as "decoy" to attract entries is decidedly 

 rich in view of the fact that the many entries he speaks of 

 are only three, while on the other hand the club has received 

 many more than this number of ref usals to make entries 

 solely because of his appointment. ' I am not acquainted 

 with Mr. Mitchell, and know almost nothing of his case, but 

 would remind him of the untimely fata of "poor old Tray," 

 and advise him to "dispense with the services" of his advo- 

 cate.— UNO. 



HIGHLAND CHIEF. — Editor Forest and Stream: My 

 report of the Buffalo show contains the statement that the 

 greyhound Highland Chief, "is short iu neck." Instead of 

 "short" read ' 'ioug." Highland Chief has as good a neck as 

 I have ever seen on a greyhound, and I doubt if there is an- 

 other dog in the country that is his equal in this essential 

 point.— CUAS. H. MASON, 



