3v^r 21, 1892.] 



rOB^lST AND STBEAM, 



88 



found that a yearling, trout will bdve cost from 6 to 10 cents 

 more than it would if planted as a "baby" the year before. 

 Of course, th^ idea of 'jranapnrbatioa is one that cannot be 

 accurately figured, for obvious rpasons. A man maybe gone 

 from balf a dav to tliree days with ten cans of fish, costing 

 itom *10 to i?15 for his labor and hotel bills, exclusive 

 of nilway fares, and the planting of yearlings cannot, it 

 seems to nic, begin to cotnpensate "for the great cost of rear- 

 ing and planting them The assertion has been made that 

 it Is the best. mp>ihod, and this has been repeated and reiter- 

 ated until iiiauT peov:*le believe it. There are but few men 

 in the coimtry wliose practical experience renders them 

 Rompeteut to speak on this question, and I am assured that 

 an overwhelmiag majority of them are in favor of planting 

 fry. Fred. Matheb. 

 New YoaK. FxsHiCfiy'^ COMMtsaiON, Cold Spring Harbor, N, Y„ 

 M n-y , 1892 . 



Mi5slssi|ipl River Shad. 



■youKG shad in a pood at the TJ. S. f'iah Commission 

 Station, Neosho, Mo., are doing well. They are seen in larsre 

 schools throushout the entire pond, and excite the interest 

 of the many visitors, Before the advent of cold weather in 

 the fall the fish will be allowed to escape, and will make 

 their way into the Mississippi and Gulf of Mexico. Owing 

 to the abundance of natural food iu the water snpplyiogtbe 

 station, the growth of fishes which feed upon iasects and 

 cru.staceans is remarkable. This is partiotilarly noted with 

 the tench and the rainbow trout. 



In respedt to penalties, i5early all rules go further than 

 the foregoing, and say that "the second chase, howerer, 

 loses any further dpnortunity of competina: in the stalte." 

 The best dog in the stake niicrht cliase twice, wbicb, under 

 fhe rule Mr. Bryson quotes, would foot ud a demerit of 20. 

 On the other hand, tnis dog might have merits ammaot- 

 iogto 70, yet he is disqualified because he is not fitted 

 properly to compete. This fact aloue shows th? true pur- 

 pose of the penalties. 



Now, dropping the purely negative aspect of the matter 

 let lis consider what the clubs say, directly and positively, 

 about training. Nearly all say that "all doers must be tbor 

 onghly broken as a matter of cour.se," or ''all ^oea should 

 be oroken," etc. If a breaker disregards this requirement 

 of tfae clubs, thp latter punish him for it by penalizing the 

 most offensive faults of his dog. This is more as a matter 

 Of protection to theinterestof the competitors and the trials, 

 as shown by only those grosser faults being considered 

 which are obstructive to the trials or injurious to the com- 

 petitors. 



Concisely, it is as if a club should say; *'We require your 

 dogs to be well broken, hue if they are not so. there are" cer- 

 tain faults of training which we enumerate and which we 

 will not excuse; we will penalize or disqualify your dog for 

 them," 



Thus it will be .seen that all clubs require dogs to be 

 broken, and if the rpquire.ment is disregarded up to a certain 

 point, the club retains the discretionarv power to consider 

 and act upon it, and beyond that point inflicts arbitrary 

 penalties or di- qualification. 



To suggest, even for the purpose of a reductio ad absuv 

 dum, that the dogs be turned loose in atrial in an unbroken 

 state and run wild, or an natiircK is g lioa entire) v ou'side 

 of the issue. No field trial man has ever advocated such a 

 mea.snre in whole or in part, therefore it is irrelevant. All 

 appreciate and approve thoroueh training. 



The terra natural qualities are used to distinguish them 

 from the educational, not to imply that the latter should be 

 abolished. 



If a dog is not educated properly, he suffers in the inferior 

 quality of his work; for flushing, awkward pprformance on 

 birds and working out the ground inefficiently carry their 

 own penalty. That is, the results of educated natural qual- 

 ities are judged, and not the education itself. Even the 

 general results are governed by rule, for under the heading 

 of "bird sense," nearly all clubssay in substance or in words: 

 "Bird sense is shnwn in a dog by his desire to hunt, birds; 

 his selection of likely places to hunt in; his method of bunt- 

 ing places; his industry in staying out at his work, and bis 

 skill in handling and pointing the birds after he finds 

 them." This embodies all that isrequu-ed uf a dog in work- 

 ing to the .gun, and while his natural qualities are con- 

 sidered, it is only in their practical application and practical 

 results, in a prescribed manner. 



Tbe values of all educational qualities are determined by 

 their practical results. To give an arbitrary value to erluca- 

 tional qualities would result in giving a thoroughly edu- 

 cated dog an arbitrary reward, whereas only by the applica- 

 tion in actual work "can his educated natural qualities be 

 properly determined. 



As to the purposes of a field trial, whether they are for 

 the purposes ot determining which are the best dogs for 

 finding and pointing birds under conventional conditions, 

 or which are the best dogs under other considerations, com- 

 monly called an ordinaiy day's shcoMng, is a question still 

 unsettled by sportsmen at large. If the latter is the case, 

 then the rales and theory of running which at present ob- 

 tain need remodeling from beginning to end. I believe that 

 the former is the case, hence I believe that the present 

 theory is correct. 



In other competitions there is an analogy in the principle. 

 For instance, in a horse race, the education of tbe horse: 

 breaking to harness and to respond to the bit and voice; his 

 acquirement in hauling a weight, etc . are not. considfred. 

 Only the results of these educational qualities combined 

 with his natural abilities, are considered; but if an im- 

 trained and unbroken hor«e wpre started in a rnce be would 

 suffer the penalty of disqualification. He would not be 

 fitted for the competition without the training. 



Therefore, all who consider that field trial clubs do not 

 consider anything but tbe purely natural qualities of .setters 

 and pointers are laboring under a grave misapprehension. 

 The natural qualities are considered, but they are fducafd 

 natural qualities; and, as hereinbefore shown, if these quali- 

 ties are uncultivated or imperfect, there are ample safe- 

 guards to meet any requirement. 



The matter of retrieving at field trials has been prf tty 

 well threshed out, and so far as I have obseiwed any reason 

 in the arguments advanced by the supporters of retrieving 

 at trials, it all rested on the fact that they wished to secure 

 the birds after they had shot them. The fact that a field 

 trial is not an ordinary day's shooting, in fact or in theory, 

 was not considered for a moment. A field trial is for testing 

 the doe's qualities thoroughly in competition on birds, 

 while tbe ordinary day's shooting is to bag the birds. When 

 a setter or jjointer has found and pointed birds, he has done 

 all that is natural to hijm in his special field as a finding 

 dog. Wheu the bird is killed, the matter of finding and 

 bringing it to hand is a matter of (ducation. Of course, it 

 requires intelligence to retrieve well, but it is only such in- 

 telligence as is possessed by dogs at large, and not at all 

 peculiar to pointers and setters. The shooter himself can 

 often retrieve the bird. Poodle^. Newfoundlands, etc , Or 

 even curs can be tauerht to retrievp, but they have not the 

 natural requirements for bunting birds. 



No field trial man denies the usefulness and necesoitv 6f a 

 retriever in field w^rk, and but few of them consider it a 

 field trial quality. On the other hand, every m m whose ex- 

 perience has been confined to ordinary shooting, considers 

 such ordinary day's shooting the true test of a field trial. 



I noticed recently where an advocate of retrieving made 

 the ludicrous reihark tl"! at those who advocated its abolish- 

 ment at field trials were "compelled" to acknowledge its 

 usefulness afield. This is truly a solemn affectation of par- 

 tial victory. Considering it as a matter of fact, the writers 

 referred to never admitted anything else than that retrieving 

 was neces.sai'y in actual shootiine'; therefore, the term "com- 

 pelled" is badly chosen and misleading. 



There is a widespread misapprehension as to a field trial 

 meaning of natural and edncitional qualities, owing, no 

 doubt, to taking them in their commonly accepted meaning 

 and not tbeir special field trial meaning. If any drubteir 

 will carefully read any club's field trial rules, he will find 

 that the matter is as herein set forth; and i hat field trial 

 Ideas b^ve been greatiy misrepresented in the arirumeiits 

 aiivaneed duting the past few months. B. WAif^iHS. ■ 



Coursing Items. 



A coursing eoi-respondent informs us that Mr. Ralph 

 Taylor, of the Emporia Kennels of grevhounds, has re- 

 moved from Emporia, Kan., to Colorado Springs. Mr. Ed. 

 Lyons, of tbfl same kennels, will probably join Mr. Taylor 

 at Colorado Springs shortly, and then they will rnove their 

 kennels to the Springs. Among the noted dogs in their 

 coursing "stable" are Girl's Favorite, Brilliant," Trales and 

 some Trales— Brilliant pups. They seem to think that the 

 altitude of Colorado Springs will develop the lung power of 

 the greyhounds better than any other, Tbe St. Patrick 

 Greyhound Kennels have sent their bitch Irish Las* to 

 North Pl.atte, Neb., to be bred to Col. Cody's (Buffalo Bill) 

 Dingwall, wlaich was recently presentefl to him by Col, 



„ -North. Irish iiass is a Utter sister to the much tailked of 



'Pearl of J»eMn. 



REARING FISH FOR DISTRIBUTION. 



Editor ForeM and, Stream: 



In your issue of June 30, Mr. Fred Mather, in discussing 

 the question of "Rearing Fish for Distribution," takes oc- 

 casion to correct the arithmetic, or punctuation, of his 

 paper read before tbe American Fisheries Society at its 

 iMay meeting, and while he virttially admits in this correc- 

 tion that tbe cost of food for a yearling trout, at Cold Spring 

 Harbor, will be only a fraction above one cent, yet be states 

 the fish [yearling troui) will cost about ten cents by the 

 time it is planted. If under Mr. Mather's management the 

 cost of attendance and transportation (with the courtesies 

 of railroad aud expres'^ passes*) is nine times the cost of 

 food, tbeu Mr. Bo .vtnan is right in his opinion that it is too 

 expeu'^ivu to raise trout to yearlings for distribution by the 

 New york Coniraission. Moreover, Mr. Mather is right f or 

 oure on this (luestimi, in saying he is one of those who do 

 not belii ve in wasting money in that wa.y. Right he is, as 

 far as be goes. I fully agree with his Western friend that 

 tbe Gnvernor should investigate an establishment where 

 the cost of attendance aud tran.sportation is nine times the 

 cost of food— svhere it costs ten cents to raise and plant a 

 yearling trout. 



Mr. Matiier brings into the question the element of cost 

 of transp'vitation. It would oe interesting to know his 

 basis for compuiHtiou. It is true some approximate ratio 

 may be obtained by comparing the number of fry with the 

 number of ye.irlings which may be carried in cans of the 

 same six.e. ' But it is manifestly absurd to state definitely in 

 cents tbe cost of attendance and tran,sportation without 

 knowing the constantly varying factors of distance to be 

 travelpd, means of transportation, time of year, number of 

 fish, etc. 



Mr. Mather's broad assertion that tbe yearling advocates 

 were routed horse, foot and dragoons, is born of fancy. We 

 brought r-old, hard, .sttibboi-n facts; the fry advocates were 

 armed with vague aud visionary theories backed by at- 

 tempted ridicule and discreditable aspersions. The yearling 

 advocates left the field well satisfied, and if there is to be a 

 Gettysburg next year, Mr Mather will find other hands than 

 Mr. Clarli's bearing steel which will command his atten- 

 tion (i had almost said convince him). 



Hespeaks of yearling advocates whose opinion on any 

 fishcultucai suhj-ch would have but little weight. Tbaf's 

 tough. It reminds me of the boy who, having received a 

 well-merited chastisement, threw a stone in the dark 

 hoping to hurt something, but failed to hit anything. How- 

 ever, I extend my sympitbies to Mr. Fairbank, Mr. Ben- 

 kard, Mr. Redmond,"^ Dr. Bean and others of my friends, 

 Avbo must feel this severe criticism. 



If it were not, f^s Mr. Mither pertinently states, that life 

 is too short and ink too high, I would tell him how trout 

 cjiu be raise 1 to yearlings and planted for less than one-half 

 of ten cants eacli. However, if he will come West we will 

 trv to show him, provided he is not one of those who will 

 11 ot see. Wm. F. Page. 



Neosho, Mo. 



* iee Mather's report in New York Commission Report for 1889, 



p. ao. 



Pacific Halibut for New York. 



Mr. RutiENE G. Blackford has visited Tacoma, Wash., 

 on his recent traA'els through the Far Northwest, and has 

 naturally enough looked into the future of the fishery inter- 

 ests of the Puget Sound region with j)articular reference to 

 Tacoma as a shipping center. He predicts that in ten years 

 eleven carloads of fish per day will be sent to the East. Ex- 

 cept durin.g the time from June 10 to Sept. 15, New York 

 gets its supply of halibut from Portland and Vancouver. 

 They can be shipped fiom Tacoma to New York by express 

 in six days and arrive in perfect condition. The fishing 

 banks oft' Cape. Flattery, he believes, will prove wonderfully 

 rich. Ginneries, however, are not needed there and it 

 would be injurious to the permanence of the industry to 

 establish them. 



If Mr. Blackford were less interested in flshculture and 

 tbe development of the fisheries and more devoted to the 

 spoils of office he mightnot have been set aside for a polit- 

 ical worker, whose first remark on entering the office was: 

 "What i.s there in it?" 



IiBik^ bntario Whitefish Hatchery. 



iT is understood that tbe location at or near Theresa is 

 practic-Jly seltled upon for an United States whitefish 

 hatchery, but owing to a report that tbe water supply is in- 

 sufficient during the dry season and tbe midsummer tem- 

 perature of tbe water too high, final action will be deferred 

 tiotil the Commissioner can examine into the matter and 

 ascertain the true conditions of the place. In August, it is 

 claimed, the adverse conditions are most evident, and in 

 that month the investigation will be made. When these 

 vital points are settled satisfactorily steps will be taken to 

 .secure a site. It is not probable that the station can be 

 operated during the coming fall and winter. The Commis- 

 sioner is greatly interested in the establishment of this 

 station which has such great possibilities. Notwithstand- 

 ing the present uncertainty about the site, Lake Ontario 

 will probably not be neglected as the Commissioner can 

 continue the usual heavy plants of whitefish from the Ohio 

 aud Michigan stations. 



State Fish Exhibits at Chicago. 



Fish CoimissroNEBS Ford and Powell, of Pennsylva- 

 nia, UuutingtOQ and Bowman, of New York, and Titcomb, 

 of Vermont, had a conference on July 1.5 in Washington, D. 

 C, '.vitb Ciipt, J. W. Collins, Chief of the Department of 

 Fislieries, relative to their proposed live fish exhibits at 

 the World's Fair. .The plans proposed and the means 

 available for making tbe display were brought up for dis- 

 cussion. Letters were read from a number of State Com- 

 missioners wbo are interest.ed in the work but could not be 

 present. 



Wisconsin Fish Planting. 



Sixty-two cotmties in Wisconsin received nearly 7,000.000 

 of fry of the brook trout and rainbow trout during the clis- 

 tribur.ion from the State hatchery at Madison last spring. 

 The trout were almost equally divided between the two 

 kinds. In addition to the trout 6,000,000 bass (presumably 

 white bass) ai^d 1.15,000,000 pike pereu were deposited in tbe 

 ibterior waters. 



FIXTURES^ 



DOG SHOWS. 



Sept. 6 to y. — Second Annual Doe; .Show of the Hamilton Kennel 

 Clnb. at Hamilton, Ca.nadi. A. D. Stewart, fac'y. 



%pt. 6 to H. - RoclKJfiter Kennel Club, at R.ocbester, N. Y. Dr. O. 

 g. BitQbpr, Sec'y. 



Sept. l;Ho 16.— Fourth Anpu.a] Dog Show of tbe Toronto In- 

 dustrial Extiibition Association, kt Toroiito, Canada. O. A. 

 Stone, Sflc'vv 



Sept. I9t0 33,-Th!r(l Annual Dng Show of the Kingston Kennel 

 OmK at KiDtrstoti, Odnada H. O. BMfSP, SeC'v. 



SpBt. 20 t" 23.— wefitf rn MicMigan Kenne) Glu*->, at Granrl Hapida 

 Mioh, H-. D<le Ad-'ms, Galfslimc, Mirh., Superiu'e dent. 



gpijt. ^7 to 30.— Dog fihnw at Ottawa. Can. Alfrtd Oeddes, Sef'v. 



det. ?o fo 28.— Oinalia Kennel Club, at Omaha, Neb. E. L. 

 Mdtacoti. S'ec'y. 



yjELD TRIALS. 



Sep*. 5.— Manitolift Field Trials, at Morris, Man. A. Hdll6way, 

 Wilinip°g, Man., S?;c'y. 



Of t. 2S.— Third Atmtt*! Field Trials of the NtttlpnalBeaglP. Ohib. 

 at N$.nTi''t, N. Y. Bench show of the cltib Oct. 24: 11. V. Jarnle- 

 8op, See'y. 



^ov. 7 — Intemationftl Field Trials Club, tliirfl an.nual trials, a t 

 Chatham. Obt. Amateur Stake, Nov. 7. Open Bta&es, Nov. 8. 

 W. B. Wp1T«, Seci'.v. 



N^v. T.-Uilitj'd .States Field Trial=, at Bdzabethtown, liy. P. 

 T. Modisori. IpaianapDlisjrua., Sec'y. 



Kov. New En^Iaud P'eld Trials, at Assonet, Mass. Geo. E. 

 St i-vi.-^ , >".-n'bnrypOrt, Mass., Sec'y. . „ , 



Jill tb Anmml TrialB of the Bruuswlbk Fttr OWb, at 

 1 i .J. H. BdU'd. Sec'y. 



) , 1 > laerican Field Trials, at Columbus, Ind. W. J. Beck, 



^'^i^ik. tft.-^Iaateru Field Trial Club Trltfls, at Higtt Paint, N. C. 

 W. A; dost^f. Sa<fy. , . _ 



Nbv, -Philadelphia Kennel Club Trials, at High Pdiaf, isr. C. 

 F. G-. T'lylor, Sec'r. 



Dec. 5.— Central Fi^ld Trials, at Lexlngtoni N.C Otil. Odell, 

 See'y. 



POINTS AND FLUSHES. 



GiircASO. July 16.— The possibility of holding field trials 

 in ditferent parts of tbe country comes up periodically for 

 consideration, the matter of holding one in Kansas or vicin- 

 ity being the most recent. The fact that successful field 

 trials were held there in years past would go far toward 

 proving that it can be done again. 



I believe that a great deal of good could be accomplished 

 if local clubs would form with a view to running their trials 

 with local support only, tbus-developing a local interest and 

 educating a larger class of sportsmen. The value of the 

 purses could be gauged by the probable revenue which tbe 

 trinl would produce, or it cotxld be made, a sweepstake. 

 Local trials run on the sweepstakeplan could be run in many 

 sections of this great countrv where no trials are now held. 



Almost every field trial club starts with a determination 

 to assume or achieve national importance. With this end 

 constantly in view, they shape their policy to harmonize 

 with that of the established clubs. Tbey claim dates to (it 

 in with tbe great national events, and run their trials in a 

 different section of country from their own, a section so dif- 

 feient in climate, cover, grounds and habits of birds that, 

 from their local point of view, it is a foreign land. 



If the local clubs were formed, with trials held in the best 

 season on their own grounds, and run according to con- 

 ditions existing in their own country, the test would be of 

 far more value to the sportsmen of each section. 



If a club is too ambitious, and hangs up larger purses than 

 the support ot the club will warrant, its efforts can only re- 

 sult in discouragement and failure. 



In the last issue of Forest and Stream I read the article 

 of that eminent authoritv on field trials and field wot-k, Mr. 

 P. H. Bryson, of Memphis, Tenn. Mr. Bryson, in the article 

 referred to, discussed some of my remarks on retrieviue at 

 field trials and ditt'ered fx'om my views, and also the views 

 of those who oppose retrieving bein^ considered at field 

 trials. From Mr. Bryson's remai'ks, I perceive clearly that 

 I did not make my .argument so full on tbe point pertaining 

 to educational qualities as I should, hence it needs more 

 elaboration. Mr. Bryson states bis positinn as follows: 



"Mr. B. Waters in your issue of June 30 states; 'Retriev- 

 ing being an educational quality, is in tbe same category 

 with dropping to shot, turning to whistle, staying at heel, 

 dropping to order, etc , acts acquired by education.' Tbe 

 field trial clubs .iustly recognize tbe educational qualities 

 The Southern Club puts a pen ilty of 25 points ot demerit 

 on the following educational qui^litips: Breaking shot, 5 to 

 10; breaking in, 3 to 5: chasing, 10. Why not dispense with 

 these and other educational qualities and let the dog hunt 

 d la naturel, it would save trainer's fees— quite a considera- 

 tion—and time so often quoted by the advocates of abolish- 

 ing retrieving. If the arguments used for abolishing re- 

 trieving hold good the same can be used with equal force iu 

 abolishing tbe other educational qualities. These educa- 

 tional qualities afford many requisites in a field dog, and 

 demonstrate the ability of many dogs to train on when 

 deprived of their own way of doing things and complying 

 with some of the wishes of the shooter. The test of retriev"- 

 ing at field trials can be done as well as the testing of 

 pointing, backing, ranging or any other quality of a field 

 dog. It all takes time, and, in the langusige of the Texan, 

 'that is what we are here for.' Instances can he meotioaed 

 for and against almost all essential qualities. The question, 

 is it of sufficient importance to be retained along with chas- 

 ing, breaking shot, breaking in. backing, obedience and 

 other educational qualities? I think it is. If these educa- 

 tional points are not retained, there is very little ot the 

 natural dog I would want. If the natural qualities cannot 

 be brought under control without injury, it is time we were 

 finding tbe same out and breeding more for educational 

 jjoints." 



Taking up Mr. Bryson's first point, namelv, "The field 

 trial clubs justly recognize the educational qualities. The 

 Southern Club puts a penalty of 25 points of demerit on 

 the following edtxcational qualities: Breaking shot, 5 to 10; 

 breaking in, 3 to 5; chasing, 10." The faults enumerated, 

 which are really violations of education or lack of educa- 

 tion, can hardly be considered ediicationai qualities. They 

 are faults pure and .simple. It is true that clubs recog- 

 nise these f autts, not in the sense that tbey are educational, 

 but that they are obstructive to the progi'ess of the trial, 

 injurious to a competing dog, since few dogs, however well 

 •broken, will pprfortti well with au unsteady competitor; 

 andj more paa-ticularly, it>i8 impossibfe to |adge with a,ixy 

 precision the real capabiliti^ of iin unsfetatty or vfdld iSosg. 



