260 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



(March S3, iS98t 



coming reformer. For my own part I feel disappointed wKen 

 a man is so heary witli dangerous bugalDOOS, and yet will 

 only litter ;_dark forecasts of disaster. Turn the bugaboo 

 1 cose! 



En paftsant, I beg leave to tbauk the nom dc plume writer 

 for informing me concerning what I do know, what I do not 

 know, and for the affable manner in which he teaches me in 

 regard to the weight and size of setters. . , 



The nom de 2??tt?7ic gentleman has intimated that it is 

 necessary to breed pointers if one would be a judge of them, 

 or in fact know a.nything about them. Could ariyt.hmg be 

 more absurdly fallacious? The breeder should le;u-n first of 

 all what constitutes a good pointer. This he can learn by 

 studying approved models. There is no reason why a mau 

 cannot profit bv the experience of others. How can a breeder 

 know wnen he has bred a good specimen if he has no knowl- 

 edge of what is a good pointer till he has bred one? There is 

 a lot of trash written about breeding. Light and heavy 

 weight pointers are bred as it happens. Sometimes both 

 kinds a,re in the same litter. A smgiLl sire or dam may pro- 

 duce large progeny, or a large sire or dam or both may pro- 

 duce small proereny. One of the largest heavy-weight point- 

 ers of the day is out of a very small bitch. When a breeder 

 mates a dog or bitch, he is in profound ignorance in respect 

 to what the weights of the progeny will be. There is no 

 weight distinction w^hich differentiates heavy and light 

 weights in nature. It is wholly artificial. 



As a working dog, there is no w^eight classification. There 

 is no heavy-weight or light-weight work. The standard of 

 performance is the same for all. Therefore the distinction is 

 not on a working standard. 



The distinction is purely a bench show classiG cation. That 

 it is a necessity to breeders cannot be shown in any principles 

 of breeding. 'That a good big pointer can hold his own well 

 with big or small competitors, I as freely admit as the nom 

 de ■plume gentleman does. If this is granted, the good dog 

 needs no class protection. But where there is one good large 

 pointer, there are a dozen or more not so good, and the class 

 distinction protects them from formidable competition . They 

 just grew big and awkward because they could not help it, 

 yet they by so doing achieved protection for themselves. The 

 dog which" weighed near the weight line of classification, was 

 a light-weight when his stomach was empty, and a heavy- 

 weight when he was full. By steering him skilfully through 

 the circuit, he conltl liave numbers of walkovers in challenge 

 classes, and there \vas uo impediment to him ha\ing the 

 double honor of a light-weight and heavy-weight chainpion. 

 Handlers can relate some amusing stories of how it has been 

 done. 



Yet no one claims that there are two different breeds of 

 pointers based on a weight distiLiction. 



Of course the double money awarded them at bench shows 

 is not necessary to perpetuate big and small pointers. The 

 pointers would not come all of the same weight if there were 

 no bench shows. They would still be all weights, as they 

 are at present. Everything which is said about the weight 

 classification of pointers is quite as applicable to setters. 



The nom de 'plume gentleman says: "Evidently Mr. 

 Waters is not aware that there is a far greater difference in 

 the weights of pointers than in setters." No, I am not. If 

 the weights were so, what would it prove? I think it would 

 prove that breeders would do well to forthwith turn their 

 attention to producing dogs somewhere nearer _ alike. Ap- 

 parently the pointers are larger, for the big pointers, many 

 of them inferior specimens, are protected from competition 

 with the best speciniens by class lines. The same protection 

 ■would bring in the large setters. As it is at present the large 

 or small setters have to meet all comers, and the former 

 have a very poor chance to win. While each setter must 

 meet all comers the pointer is protected from one-half of his 

 kind. 



The nom deijlumc gentleman says: "The reference to 

 Grordons is highly amusing. Dog show managers cannot 

 get a decent entry when there are two classes, and likely the 

 pointers outnumber the Gordons by more than a thousand 

 to one." Here the learned gentleman shifts his base of de- 

 fense and holds forth the small number of Gordon setter 

 entries and inferentially the small revenue they produce to 

 the bench shows — tUe plea that it is necessary for reasons of 

 breeding is abandoned. Such shifting is begging the 

 question. 



"Would Mr. Waters make as many classes for Mexican 

 hairless and for chow-chows as for English setters?" Point- 

 ers might also be included. The question brings the inevit- 

 able reducio ad ahsurdum. The weight classification is 

 one of revenue and not of breeding. 



Again, the gentleman who befogs his identity says: "Mr. 

 Waters is not aware that dog shows are dependent on dog 

 owners, and that the latter possess a never-failing remedy 

 for catch-penny management and Munsonian methods." 

 Well, no, I did now know it just that way, nor do I believe 

 just that way to be a fact. The Chicago club held a success- 

 ful show and intend to hold another. If any one breed re- 

 mained bodily away from a show the show would not ne- 

 cessarily be a failure, nor would it necessarily be a success if 

 every individual of one breed was present. My knowledge 

 of the matter is that show managements and breeders are 

 mutually dependent and helpful. If shows ceased to exist 

 the Aveight classification would cease with them. This idea 

 of one breed being all powerful in making or marring a 

 bench show is ^dsionary. When the owners of any one breed 

 remain away from a bench show they do themselves more 

 injury than they do to the management of the show. Bench 

 shows are the niedium which have ^iven the difl'erent breeds 

 their high standing in public estimation and recognized 

 monetary value in the market. To take any action 

 which tends to their injury or destruction is equiva- 

 lent to quarreling with their bread and butter, or at 

 least with their canine interests. The ciuestion is one 

 which admits of being discussed fairly on its merits. At 

 least, I can perceive no reason for peevishness or ill temper. 

 I believe that the dog men of America are intelligent and fair 

 enough to appreciate the dispassionate discussion of any 

 proper subject, and will not be misled by appeals to their 

 prejudices, monetary interests or personal preferences where 

 public matters are concerned. 



I do not think that either pointers or setters .should be 

 divided by weight. There is much more I could say on this 

 subject, but this wall have to suffice for the present. 



Where Is the Cocker as a Sporting Dog? 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Time was when the cocker spaniel, instead of being merely 

 a toy or show dog, was of some value to the sportsman as a 

 bunting dog, and no one who has never hunted over a well- 

 trained pair of these sagacious little dogs can appreciate 

 what a great loss to thefi-ateruity of sportsmen the change 

 from work to play has been. For some portions of the 

 TJnited States, in the pursuit of grouse and woodcock, the 

 cocker spaniel has few equals and no superiors. 



Thick, tangled swamps, with a ground covered with 

 almost impenetrable briers and laurel roots, where the setter 

 or pointer can with only the greatest difficulty force his 

 way, the one on account of his size, the other because of his 

 silky coat, and M-here, if either of them do find the sought- 

 for game, is useless because of his silence, are as open fields 

 to theses bright little dogs, whose joyous "gap" signals to the 

 watchful hunter the flush of the grouse or woodcock. The 

 cocker possesses to quite as great a degree as the setter or 

 pointer the ability to scent game. They are of a sociable dis- 

 position, easily trained and are of more than usual intelli- 

 gence. Two reasons come to me as a cause for, if 1 may say 

 it, the degeneration of tliis dog. There may be more, but 



these two are sufficient. The one is the popular fad for the 

 black .spaniel, the other the desire to breed so small and fine, 

 and the reducing of the standard of weight, till all the work- 

 ing traits are gone and the comparatively toy dog is a 

 natural consequence. 



Now, that the black dog is a pretty fellow no one will deny; 

 but who has shot over a black or solid liver dog ui the la,te 

 afternoon of an autumn day and not been thoroughly dis- 

 gusted at his inability to distinguish the dog from an inani- 

 mate lump of sod at twenty or thirty feet? With the old 

 liver and whites— I don't like the orange and whites, though 

 their color would be as good to see in the wood or swamp— 

 this trouble of not being able to distinguish the dog would be 

 so little as to be almost uuappreciable. One could see the 

 pair, working eagerly ahead, as long as one could see to shoot. 

 And yet a fashion, a popular fad, has almost taken this noble 

 little dog "out of it." 



My first dog, the "boy's dog," was a little liver and white 

 cocker of the old McKoon strain; I don't remember the pedi- 

 gree now. We didn't dwell so much on pedigrees then. 

 And mj heart still warms up, even at this late day, when all 

 I have is the remembrance of past good old shoots over her. 

 I trained her myself. Teaching her was a pleasure (who 

 doesn't remember with joy the teaching of their first dog). 

 And it really seems as if nothing was too hard for her to 

 learn. For many years, till she got too old to even start up 

 at the familiar vvhistle, I hunted her in old Connecticut, and 

 many were the grouse and woodcock and even quail that 

 came to grass when we three, Bess a7id I and the old muz- 

 zleloader, went out in the cool afternoons after school. She 

 would retrieve from land or water, hunt in any condition or 

 state of the weather. No day was too cold or too hot or too 

 long for her, and the next morning she was ready to go again 

 and with as much vim as if it was the first hour of the first 

 day. 



What one of your ]3resent black "pretties" could keep up 

 that pace and follow an enthusiastic, half-grown boy day 

 after day, up hill and do^vu, always alert, always ready, 

 always obedient?— few I am sure. 



Wliere are the old hunting cockers? The .spaidel was 

 always a favorite of mine, aud it does seem hard to think 

 that my boys, and theirs will never have a chance to work 

 a pair of these game little dogs, are that perchance when 

 they go to some of the big dog shows in the future, and look 

 at the little .saucy faced black things done up in cotton and 

 silks and look at their .snub nose, snarling faces, say with a 

 sneer on their faces, "Well well! and did Grandad ever shoot 

 over those things? " Ah me! all the good things are going, 

 and sorry enough the old hunting cocker spaniel is one of 

 them. CocKEE. 



Flaps from the Beaver's Tail. 



ToiiON^TO, Canada. — Mr. C. A. Stone, one of the partners 

 of the Forest Beagle Kennels, has purchased from Mr. T. G. 

 Davey, of London, the English setter bitch Forest Heather, 

 by Sir Tatton out of Forest Fern. Heather is the winner of 

 a number of prizes, among which are first, noA ice, Toronto, 

 and first, novice, and first, open, Loudon, 1890. She was 

 bred and originally owned by Mr. Stone, who sold her to 

 Mr. Davey. Her dam, Forest Pern, is by Prince Royal out of 

 Forest Ruby, Ruby being a litter sister to Forest Dora, the 

 dam of Donna, owned by the Rosecroft Kennels, who have 

 bred so many winners from their Rockingham— Donna cross; 

 in fact many of the winners at the recent New York show in 

 all the classas were descendants of Forest Dora. 



I am glad to know that the famous wire-hair fox-terrier 

 Dark Eye will soon be an inmate of Mr. A. A. Macdonald's 

 kennel, 'Toronto, Mr. Macdonald is the owner of that good 

 little dog champion Blemton Trump. Dark Eye, though 

 only two years old, has Avon twelve first prizes besides anum- 

 ber'of specials. Thev ha^ e been won at the leading shows 

 and in the be.st company. At Edinburgh he won his most 

 decisive victory under Mr. Vicary; besides winning first in 

 his class he was awarded the gold medal for the best terrier 

 in the show, rough or smootili, beating the crack smooth, 

 ParieL He al.so'got the challenge cup and the Edinburgh 

 Club silver medal. He is grandly bred, being by probably 

 the best wire-hair ever bred, Carlisle Tyro out of champion 

 Dartmoor Belle and is most suitable for poorly coated 

 smooth bitches as well as his all round qualities for those of 

 his own class. The price paid, which is private, was a big 

 onP. As the dog has a num bur of bitches booked for service 

 before leaviug the old country, he will remain for a few 

 weeks in Mr. William Brodie's kennel in Scotland. Mr. 

 Brodie carried out the negotiations between Mr. Macdonald 

 and Mr. William Martin, of Ayton, Scotland. Dark Eye on 

 his arrival here -will be put to stud at Detroit at the reason- 

 able fee of $25. 



By the way, Mr. Brodie must have an "Ambassador" of 

 some kind and has named one of ttie puppies hebrouglit over 

 the Canadian Ambassador. He is by the Irish Ambassador 

 out of Tyrees Dunbar, and will make his dclmt at Elmira. 



The president of the C. K. C. takes the ground that a meet- 

 ing called by circular on March 14 to be held March 38 does 

 not give the required fourteen days' notice, an d has instru cted 

 the secretary to send out the notice that the meeting will be 

 held April 8" at 6 P. M., at Queen's Hotel, Toronto. 



At the annual meeting of the Toionto Kennel Club, held 

 on the 16th inst., the treasurer's report showed that •$392 had 

 been received during the year, and that a small balance re- 

 mained on hand. At the close of the meeting the president 

 read the following letter from Mr. Hugh Dalziel, and stated 

 that Blr. Dalziel proposed writing a criticism of Dr. Mole's 

 paper, to be read at a meeting of the T. K. C. The letter 

 reads: 



"HeAthek Brae, Maybury Hilll, Working, Surrey, Feb. 

 21.— I see that Dr. Mole read a paper at your club meeting 

 Jan. 19 on 'The Origin and Development of the Dog.' If this 

 was printed I shall be greatly obliged if you will forward a 

 copy to me. I think the Toronto Kennel Club is to be con- 

 gratulated in taking the course the above indicates. It is in 

 stront? contrast to the bickerings and pettiness of kennel 

 club procedure in general and entirely to the credit of the 

 Toronto association. Wishing your club the highest possible 

 success, yours truly— Hugh Dalziel." 



Mr. A. D. Stewart, who bought the fox-terrier Raby 

 Domino back from the executors of his late ONvner, has r&sold 

 him to Mr. J. M. Dale, Brooklyn, N. Y. 



A new bull-terrier, raised in a cellar and who has seen but 

 little of the light of day, a litter brother of the Duke of Wel- 

 lington and Siderio, will have a try for honors at Elmira. 



Mr. Phil Brown's (Toronto), Irish terrier bitch Peggy has 

 lust whelped a full litter to Fenian Boy, nine, three dogs and 

 six bitches. H. B. Doxovak. 



Canadian Kennel Club Meeting. 



The following bu'4ness is to come, up h fc the executive meet- 

 ing to be held April 8 at 6 P. M. at the Queen's Hotel, 

 Toronto, Can.: 1. Matters in connection with selection of 

 dogs for the World's Fair. 3. Letters and declarations from 

 Mr. P. H. P. Mei-cer referring to his disqaalilication. o. "Sir 

 John disqualification," Mr. Bell having declined to comply 

 Avith ruling of committee at last meeting. 4. Election of 

 new members. -5. Incorporation. 6. General routine busi- 

 ness. 



DOG CHAT. 



Toronto Kennel Club. 



The Toronto Kennel Club seems to be formed on a solid 

 basis and the methods they are pursuing iu building up such 

 a strong club is attracting the attention of outside dog men. 

 On the executive are three bankers, three civil servants and 

 two editors. Clubs run on such lines cannot help but in- 

 crease the interest in dogs in the locality in which they have 

 their being. The association of such gentlemen and men of 

 standing in their community tends to eradicate that foolish 

 idea so prevalent once, aud now to some extent, in the pop- 

 ular mind, that to be connected with dogs in any public man- 

 ner meant a loss of moral attributes. Sucli clubs should 

 spring up in every town. It is not necessary to give shows; 

 often the holding of a show sounds the death knell of further 

 interest in dogs— this when the venture lias resulted in a loss. 

 Much good can be done by monthly social gatherings, in- 

 formal talks and members' .-^ho^vs. These dra.w in the young 

 fellows of the town and before these know where they are 

 they are casting round for a good bred dog or two, and some 

 breeder or other in the country derives a direct benefit there- 

 from by supplying the requisite animals. Toronto is happily 

 placed, the Fair people assnme all the responsibility in pro- 

 \dding a show such as probably the T. K. C. could not hope 

 to give. Relieved of this burden the local club can enter 

 heart and soul into its proselyting mission aud furthering 

 "dog interests" in Canada. We wish the club every success 

 and hope its good example will be followed by others. The 

 Hamilton Kennel Club is an older cliib and is doing good 

 work on similar lines. 



Denver Dog: Show. 



The Continental Kennel Club once more issues the premium 

 list for their show at Denver, Col. The .show will take place 

 April 11 to 14. The arrangement of prizes, while not start- 

 ling in amount, is soUd and affords considerable picking, 

 for them with the right material. Mastiffs, St. Bernards, 

 great Danes, greyhounds, pointers and setters, spaniels, col- 

 lies, fox-terriers and pugs have challenge classes with 810 

 prize money; open classes get -tlO and $5." Other breeds get 

 .'jlO and §.5 in open and the snuiUer toy classes, etc., get $5 

 and .*2. For the larger breeds the club gives a kennel prize 

 of §20, others having one of S15. The entry fee for the large 

 dogs is 83, Blenheims, Italian greyhounds and whippets 82, 

 and all others -$2.50. Having in view the fact that Denver 

 is not "next door" by any means, the club, as an induce- 

 ment to handlers to bring out good teams from other States, 

 put up a handler's prize of i?.3O0 — $200 to first (provided tha.t 

 fifty dogs are shown by oue handler), $6.5 to second aud $35 

 to third— to the handler showing the largest number of dogs 

 in the best show condition. We rather fancy that a team of 

 fifty dogs after the circuit jitst ending will be more than 

 any handler can secure. These prizes are not open to local 

 competition. Entries close March 27, with Mr. F. W. Rand, 

 Denver, Col. Mr. John Davidson will judge all classes and 

 Mr. C. H. Withiugton will superintend. The amount of 

 money donated by the club foots up to *1,7.50, which is more 

 than double the amount given in a recent issue. 



Fake Pictures. 



A correspondent wishes us to expose the fact that the Phil- 

 adelphia Inquirer publisheda cut of aSkyc rcrricr [uiblished 

 in StocJi-Kccpci' and owned in England, as one. of tlui^ dogs 

 shown at the Knystone Ketmel Clul] show. It is pretty well 

 known by this time that certain cuts of well known dogs are 

 made to ilo duty in the daily press from show town to show 

 town, and AN'hile dogmen may detect the. innocent fraud it 

 is a matter of so little moment to the general public that we 

 do not think there is one exhibitor who nould take the 

 trouble or be willing to jeopardize the success of a ."^Jkiw by 

 any action that would expose the fake. In t'ne ij.ipci-.s de- 

 voted to kennel matters it is different, and the palming o££ 

 of a picture of oue dog for another may tend to much con- 

 fusion and harm, and should be severly frowned upon. Mis- 

 takes will occur, but the Fop.est axu Stheam is always 

 ready to acknowledge one, so no harm is done. 



Importing Breeding- Animals. 



Secretary Carlisle has issued a circular in regard to the im- 

 portation of animals for breeding piu'poses, %vhich modifies 

 the existing regulations by making theui in some respects 

 less stringent." The previous requirement of "four top 

 crosses" is reduced to "three top crosses." Whenever the re- 

 quired cprtificates cannot be furnished at the time of arrival 

 of the animals and the Collt_'ctor hi satisfied f rom other evi- 

 dence that the animals would tie entitled to free entry, they 

 may be so admitted on ijund for the production of the re- 

 ciuired certificate. A new list of recognized registries has 

 been promulgated for the guidance of collectors of customs. 



Dr. H. T. Poote has sold thewell-known black and tan ter- 

 riers Rochelle Majestic to Mr. McLean, OttaAva., Can. ; Rocbelle 

 Sultana to Mr. Erdman, J.anesville, Wis.; Rochelle Olata to 

 Mr. Tiernan, New York; also several puppies. The best of 

 his dogs are still unsold, but such big winners should soon be 

 placed, as no reasonable offer will be refused. 



We are sorry to hear from Mr. Siddons that Argyle Sandy, 

 the promising collie puppy that won at Nashville and was 

 vhc. at Chicago, died two weeks .since of pneumoin'a. After 

 the Nashville show he was sold to Mr. R. T. Mott, of Chicago. 

 13elvoir A''an, the fox-terrier that Mr. Siddons purchased at 

 the Chicago show, is doing well and will be shown at Indian- 

 apolis. 



As an additional special at Indianapolis, Mr. -J. E. Dager, 

 Toledo, O., offers services of Toledo Blade for best bitch sired 

 by Cincinuafcus. Mr. Dager's dogs will be at the show. 



The Northern Ohio Poultry, Pet Stock and Kennel .A,sso- 

 ciation, Akron, O., have claimed the dates Jan. 31, Feb. 1, 2 

 and 3, 1894, for then- next show. H. F. Peck is the secretary. 



Another of the Philadelphia Kennel Clul5 suppers was to 

 take place last Tuesday evening, and again a dog show calls 

 us another wa.y. It these suppers only hold out and the dog 

 shoAvs give us .ti rest, "we'll be there." 



We regret to hear that Mr. Pickhardt's (owner of the Rin- 

 ada Kennels) noted pointer bitch Duchess of Naso is dead. 

 She died last week through inflammation arising from a 

 bone or some hard sutastauce lodging in her throat. This is 

 a serious loss to this kennel, but Mr. Pickhardt's feeling of 

 loss is blunted sijmewhat l)y the reflection that lie has a 

 young dog in his kennel to bring out at New York next year 

 that is to— well, we shall see. 



We must reiterate that matters of general importance 

 should be sent to the Forest and Stream Pub. Co., and not to 

 the kermel editor personally. During our absence at dog 

 shows numerous circulars and news notes concerning shows, 

 etc., are neglected because they come in our personal mail. 

 The following is a sample, and, of course, opened too late to 

 do any good: "The New England Kennel Club has extended 

 to the" New England Field Trial Club the following ccmrtesy: 

 It will bench together all dogs belonging to members of the 

 N. E. P. Trials Club, and properly designate them as such. 

 A large class of purely working dogs will be a prominent 

 feature of the show, as well as of great intere.st to our mem- 



