I picked up two of the tender fledglings at my feet, and secreted myself 
behind a shrub to witness the fnrthcr action of the dock. In a few min- 
utes she returned cautiously and alighted In the slough, calling plaint- 
ively for the brood, which came around hor with their “peep, peep," and 
I let the two in iny bund join her, when npon showing myself the dnek 
guided her brood into the thick grass, and not a trace could I find of 
them, for the mother's care had concealed them . Fred. 
ZOREST AND STREAM. 
BLACK SQUIRRELS 
IN ILLINOIS. 
Chicago, July J3th, 1875. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I am a constant reader of your valuable paper, and have seen various 
statements concerning the existence of the black squirrel In the State of 
Illinois. This week there is a statement from a gentleman from Wau- 
kegan, who makes the assertion that he never heard of the black squir 
rel being found in this State in any considerable numbers since thirty 
years ago. He also says that he has traveled the State from north to 
south, and never saw any. If It were black squirrels he was looking for 
he need not go half that distance to find them, for I have shot them my' 
self not rtfty miles from Chicago, and, judging by the quantity I saw on 
my last trip, he can come and shoot some himself if he thinks It worth 
while. All he lias to do Is to take the train on the Chicago and North 
western Railroad as far as Dcerfleld, and he can find any amount of black 
squirrels In the woods about that soction, Chicago Sportsman 
[Our correspondent, "G. B. S.,“ writes that from '50 to ’fil ho hunted 
about Waukegan, and owned the only bird dog In the place; that there 
are numbers in that place who could substantiate his statements In ref. 
ercnce to killing black squirrels.— En] 
Unhealthy Plants.— M r Ppt Pr w„ n ,i 
,he 
thatTheirhealth'ilS befn injured ** ** Cer - tain 
having destroyed the fine ? by , ?°, me other menus 
und induced disease that mnv ? y . W "i C 1 ,he plant fecds . 
not usually important enS ? • dei \“\ The case is 
«o the amateurhogins toSthe nlVY P an , 1 doctor ’" 
is. in all probability not unfike thfi if 6 " 1, and , the practice 
hold physicians who Lniv , m , any <? f olir ,louse ’ 
disease. Having 1 ,at mcreases the 
tive organs of the nlant^lio « tllc> * so to ®P eak . nutri 
by applying water or with miT^ h ,8 .£ or 6 ed with food 
or eomn patent “plant fool.* fc'iheS'f if Sg 
f»n t Ilf* * I rt ■ m ■ > I a? _ • 
wmmm 
CENTRAL PARK MENAGERIE. 
Department of PoblYo Parks, | 
... . . New York, Jnly 17, 1875. f 
lefh wS:- r “ rk M0Dagur,e for lhe week ending July 
One Indian Elephant, Elepkat Indicus. 
One dlolh Bear, Melurmt tabiatwi. 
One Bless-bok, Domain aWf/ron *. (Habitat, 8outh Africa ) 
One Leadboater Cockatoo, Cacoiua Uadbtaterl. 
Two Red-crested Cockatoos. Cacalua rotelcapMa. 
One Horned Owl. Bubo Virginians .Presented by Master Frank Cal- 
lanau. 
Opossum, Dldtlphyt Vlrginiana. Presented by Mr. Charles C. 
Two Red Foxes, VulpwfUlviU. Presented by Messrs. O. B Wheeler 
Jr., and George R. OIney. “ euw , 
One Red and Blue Macaw, Ara tnacao. 
T«m« M! C Ht Ing > 1 S r a » ’ ^ ' ( ' Ia ' ,itat ' H “y“ ) Presented by Capt. 
Jamca McKio, brig Mary Knowlton. v 
culr° RCtl FIaminK0S> P f “*nicopUrnu ruber. Preeenied by Mr. E. Pas 
VV. A. Conklin, Director. 
wmmmm 
through the pores. Be careful not to over feed the sick 
plant Let the pot be only large enough to admit of not 
After rn^nntl' 1Dch . of 8 ° n between the pot aud ball of root? 
id A re p p Uln ?j g' ve R water enough to settle the soil' 
“" d w don ® t apply any more until tho plant has begun to 
grow unless indeed the atmosphere is so dry that the 
moisture has entirely evaporated from the soil then of 
course water must be given, or the patient may die fro? 
he opposite cause starvation. The danger to be avoided 
if*" Probability that which brought on the sickness 
namely: saturation of the soil by too much water Other 
l “ h ay mdaCe 8,ckncss t0 plants, such as an escape of 
gass m the apartment, or smoke from a flue in the green- 
house, but in all cases, when the leaves fall from a plant 
withhold water, and if there is reason to believe that the 
sb!,k ha > f Cetl poisoned byga?, or sodden with moisture 
fresh 6 flowerpot G r00tS as before advised, and report in a 
375 
LAVERACKS 
IN AMERICA. 
Editor Forest and 8tream-— F ° UT Dodob ' Iowa - Jnlj 10tb, 1875. 
.«n M. 
have crossed the Atlantic It |1 evldenMvVmi 1 " 16 L< ! v,!n,ck " Pt,er8 ,h « 
of Mr. Tnylor, who I am snre will he nl V "’'“"'’Prehension on the part 
more genuine rcprew^X^ns W T* *° k "° W '»“*t *t least ono 
P'ckles, by Princo P (own hr i r hn * Co nri Zt n, * ?*'' 
H ' W ! , ° f l l? , “ 0 rim " r ' f » dd and Laura: PrincTby Mr' "l !?,* °"' ° f 
Luther Adams' Rork per >teamrr II Ur , cf, mpany with Mr 
after her arrival she ™ *^7 y La*™'? ,W5 ‘ 
a../. a — w. ... . y an( l on April ifltli gave birth 
IO five fine healthy lemon and white heir' T, °" Apri ' Wh K " TC b 
bined Pickles has all tiTe chn'racteHstlcs of' 'hn^ 01 ' 11 ' kl ' nnp '" ««. 
be = ., h; r whelps prom.se to make good 
U would bo nseless to comment npon tho character or Mr It™ n 
' he is well known both In England „nd America as «n honor * Z 7 °’ 
lemen anu ardent sportsman To him Mr Lavernck dedtea^ h. 
' The Setter." and in which he «..ert* thaY Mr ne! lvn hn W ° rk - 
vZo t xr ng ,hc ectter ,ha " any 
I make these statements since it is evident that there can bo other nnre 
Laverocks than those shipped bv Mr. Laverock him-, -If .Inn* M P 
tics pnrchaslng from him enjoy and exercise the same prilling, * 
[We are pleased to hear from Mr. Demuth, and^diy 
[rive place to his letter. As we stated in our last issue 
there is no reason why there should not he other Lav' 
eracks imported besides those which come direct from Mr 
L. s kennels. We admit, however, never having heard of 
rickles, tl.e more surprising as we have conversed with 
Mr Adams regarding the importation of his dogs, and he 
made no mention at the time of another dog being import- 
ed with them.— Ed. J 
'oadhnul. Jfjunn and garden. 
CALIFORNIA RAISINS. 
^piIIS is a branch of industry which, although as yet 
1 conducted on but a limited scale, is likely in time 
to rank high in the productions and exportations of the 
favored State of California. We notice in an exchange 
that a gentleman, Gen. Bidwell, who possesses au estate or 
rancho of some 22,000 acres, has planted thereon, or rather 
in one small corner (for the amount of land required would 
scarcely exceed 100 acres) 110,000 vines of the white mus- 
cat of Alexandria for the purpose of making raisins and 
those he has now on hand arc, according to the California 
Horticulturist, as fine as any Malaga raisins. 
We are reminded by this of a visit we once made to the 
Azusa rauciio in Los Angeles county, the residence of Mr. 
Henry Dalton, an Euglish gentleman, who settled in the 
county many years ago, and marrying into a native family 
built up one of those lovely homes for which Southern 
California has become so famous. At the time of our visit 
the family were engaged in making these raisins, both for 
home consumption and shipment to the nearest market 
The muscat of Alexandria, whatever may be its peculiar- 
ities on its native soil, can scarcely be excelled in the rich 
aroma and nwselle flavor it attains in California The 
bunches, however, are inclined to grow close to and rest 
on the ground— at least such was the case at Mr. Dalton’s— 
and where raisin making was to be a specialty it would he 
necessary to protect them by placing leaves underneath- 
but it must be remembered that in California the mode of 
cultivation is not on trellises, but in rows, not even staked 
but trimmed back each year to one bud, until the stalk be- 
comes gnarled, and as thick as a small tree. The buuches 
on being brought from the vineyard were carefully dusted 
and all dead or imperfect berries trimmed off with a pair 
of scissors; they were then dipped for a moment in lye and 
afterwards spread on large frames arranged in the open 
air. At night they were removed to tho house to prevent 
contact with the dew, and after two or three days exposure 
to the 8U n were fit to be packed in the boxes made for the 
purpose. These raisins had the transparent, almost golden 
hue seen in the finest imported from Malaga, and brought 
in Los Angeles hut twelve cents per pound. Still this was 
much better than the one cent per pound which is the 
average paid for grapes for wine making purposes. We 
have seen waggon loads of magnificent black Hamburgs 
tumbled into the presses with the common Mission variety, 
all selling at the same price. These same Mission grapes 
make capital raisins for family use, or to use as a preserve 
°my , as they possess so much saccharine matter no addition 
of sugar is needed to preserve them. They are merely hung 
m unches to the rafters in a garret or barn, where they 
gradually dry up until wanted for use. Indeed such is 
J. e, . r HWee tncss and so dry is the climate that they turn to 
aisins on tho vines without decaying. 
he value of California’s fruit crop is now $(1,000,000, as 
W'ich as that of all New England. 
he Mentiel. 
“RANGER.” 
PLUNKET. 
New York, July 17th, 1875. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
In a late issne of the Ro<l and the Gun I noticed a report of the arrt 
he ° f t, ,hL h n *rf / CtWr ’ PI " nket ’ with his P«digree attached, he bavin" 
jnn I fl H ,T Cd fr0m M . r ,\ Llewcllin by Dr Goldsmith. Upon eompari 
son 1 find the one as paid, shed in the Bod and ttu Gun in some res LcL 
entirely different from his pedljjree in my possession, received frorTThe 
Rev. J C. Macdona shortly after he bad disposed of Pl.mket to Mr 
Llewcllin, and also to the one in the Kennel Club Stud Book. Enclosed 
yon will And a copy of the same as I received it, the nmnerals applying 
to their number m theK. C. S. Book, and the asterisks, etc., show!ne 
Re - ardln ? C^rie. which the Dr. also im 
ported to breed to Plunket, she is half Lavcrack, being by Prince (pure 
Laverack) out of Cora (pore Trish). 6 * P 
k ui<)n oTrili'i'ini 0 Bdtt 8 er - 11 m°derotely concentrated so- 
Hiiiiulion of i SOd ^ or potnsh secms promote the gor- 
coffee I! 8 ?'- r'' n mbrtJ ,han especially of 
ing a feS l‘germma c with difficulty. After soak- 
Wh 8n owX^ solution, they often put 
•Chief performances— Dog shows, Crystal Palace. 2d prize, 1870- Bala 
Champion prize. 1S73. Field trials, Shrewsbury, 1870, 2d pri/.o. Shrews- 
bury stakes; Vavnol, 1870, 1st prize for setters; Vaynol, 1871. 1st prize 
In the borough stakes, and flrst prize with Countess in the Bodfel stakes- 
Southampton, 1871, divided 2d prize in the Hampshire stakes; South- 
ampton, 1871, entered In the all-aged setter stakes and braces, bat not 
plated; Vaynol, 1872, 2d with Marvel in the Bodfel stakes. 
tChief performance— Birmingham, 2d prize, 1868, breeder, Hon. D. 
Plunket. 
{Chief performances— Islington, 1st prize, 1863; Birmingham, 1st prize 
1862; breeder, Hon. D. Plunket. 
tjChlcf performances— Birmingham champion prize, 1861; Islington, 
2d prize, 1863; 1st prize 186-1; Creiuoue, 1st prize, 1861, breeder. Major 
William Hutchinson. 
••This dog was sold at Dyce’s by auction for £73 Ids. 
•••Bred by the Marquis of Wuterford. 
Vc 
vory respectfully. 
Warwick. 
— Our correspondent “Guyon,” writes us from Corinth, 
Miss., that his line hitch Nora, has dropped nine handsome 
pups, of which he has saved six, five dogs and a bitch. 
Shooting prospects in that vicinity are excellent. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
The setter dog Ranger, tho property of Mr. Jenkins, of Baltimore 
. 1-, recently imported from the kennels of Rev. Mr. Pierce ("Idstone"/ 
oi7aw ,P n im l n °? th ° rP ' 1 Iri *” breed, yet not strictly np to the 
true old blood red or bay that distinguished the famed red dogs of Col 
ITiitchinson and the Evers breed, so long kept and bred at Mt Hodges 
the La Tenches at French Park. Sldwclls, Lord Watcrfords, Cooper*' 
elc., and in Derbyshire, England, many of which In years gone by conld 
be seen at the Evers kennel at Newtown. I„ I . and year* afterward in 
tile keep of many members of the old and venerable "New York English 
Gentleman's Hnnt Clnb," having qnarters in Liberty street helow the. 
old sugar house, noted as the prison in the limes of the revolution and 
holding reserves In Jersey and on the island. In those good old days we 
had the true blood, without any innovations of orange, hnf. a true Inreiv 
ti°n of rpd l,vcr - no * brown, or, in other Words, a true horse hlood-haV 
par taxedenee with no possible shading of omnge or the present show 
coior. m, -called red. Nowadays mnnv. very many, if not all. in the 
au ' 8rC SimPly thC OW faehionpd al > d rench admired orong* 
introdoced by a cross of the old styled liver and the pnre white, cnllVd 
by color selection and advanced from lemon to true orange throngh tha 
dot less 8 * ° f <he h ° ncstoId blood red with the lemon. Nothing mo.-e 
Now owing to the exclnsive breeding and personal holding cam of tha 
true red In the lnd.vtdnal kennels of the old stock breeders of Ireland 
Derbyshire, and Lancashire, we have introduced Into the States tha 
orange for the scarce red; and why sot simpl, for the reason that the 
o d stock blood red is In the hands and care of those who are landed pro- 
prietors, breeding only for personal nse on their own large and extended 
preserves -that Is, for their own and gamekeeper.' nse, and none are al- 
owed to leave the manor, not even those known as cast-offs, or aged and 
retired dogs, those generally being shot under order; yet occasional^ 
snchcanbe picked up before the sacrifice (H and hence we have d'». 
seminated through fhese connties weakened blood, which become* tha 
lorded progenitors of many henrh show dogs and tho now grand prize 
winners sent over here in pedigreed form, olmost exhaustive in Its length 
Notwithstanding all this, arc rhe sportsmen of America to accept all 
Ihesc outcasts as tmo bred dogs of the true red-alas, orange rolorf 
VS hy oh yes. dear editor, why, are there no offered prize, for the one* 
highly prized orange* Simply for the reason that the Irish rod. iht r err*/, 
lent*, is not to bo had excepttby rare occasion, and hence the orange In 
now substituted for the genuine true and honest blond red h*>- Irish to 
the manor kennel born, and whelped under the gamekeeper's care and 
his lordly master s supervision. Snch dogs are not to he had bv the pub- 
lic at large and thus it Is almost impossible to obtain an A1 true bred 
Konnelea dog. 
Ranger is a great gain to the few good docs of the country, being flat 
and finely coated, high in color, free from the black and orange shade 
defects, and well up in hi* many excellent points. We congratulate the 
sportsmen and gentlemen breeders, as well ns Mr. Jenkins, on his fortu- 
nate purchase, as this dog brings to oor aid tho following true Trl.h blood 
strains, viz: By Major Barry's Larry; Dam. Lilly the 2d. whelped July 
L.l; sire. Cooper’s noted Ranger, hv Hutchinson's Bob. out of Lilly 
Lilly by Shot, ont of Trumbull'* Quail, by Willlkin. bred hy Mr Crea’- 
gan out of Belie, bred by Mr. Trumbull. Wlllikln traces back to the 
noted breed of Mi-s Ledwich. who obtained It of the Rev Mr stnb- 
^'Wanse?. 11 n brCed ' r ° m l U O'^nner ™le by Nugent's Don ont 
of Wallace* Dove. Don bv Reeve's Robin, ont of Dr Lahntean’s 
Jesse, bred by R. Moore, of Monnstrnin. Dove by Corbet’s Grouse 2d 
out of Corbet's Oronse 1st. from Lord DeFrrynas’ kennel, oat of Cor-’ 
., at ® p ln M b y Barry's Da«b, ont of Brennan's Fan Dash by 
Corbet s Gronso 1st ont of Kate. Fan by Grouse 1st ont of Corbet’* red 
bitch. Hutchinson’s Bob by Dash, ont of Quail. Dash bv Ranger, tho 
property of Mr La Touche, out of Hutching'* .Indy, she by Capt. Gooff'* 
Dash, out of nutchinson's Fan. Fan hy Dycer's Dan 1st ont of n.itch- 
■nsons Nelly. Dan 1st by Miss Ledwich's York 1st, out of Estella. 
Quail by Lord Howth’s Rover, ont of Harris' Flounce, bred by tho late 
Marquis of Watorford. 
(lays ac ° 1 hnd ,ho pleaanre of meeting my old friend “War- 
W’ck Mr. F R. Ryer, at /.private pigeon shoot. and was then nnd there 
en . . " 7 '? ®b^ ot - »nd aftenvard* examine, a breech loading shot gnn 
which ho had just received from that old established gun making firm, 
Williams A Powell, of 25 South Castle street. Liverpool, It is a 12-gange 
central fire, seven and a quarter pounds weight, and the barrel* of tho 
finest quality English Dumnscns, On removing the lock I noticed tho 
name of J. Graluger. which Is a sufficient guarantee for substantial 
work, and to whom, if 1 mistake not, was awarded the prize at the Lon- 
don exhibition. I also noticed that tho lock plate Is not flush with tha 
wood, but bedded and die sunk, and the edges of the wood finely nnd 
delicately rounded. We examined It in all It* distinctive ports, and havo 
not the slightest hesitation in saying It is a strong, clear shooter, and a 
splendid piece of workmanship, and refiects great credit on Hie maker's 
•rt* • W. Trrcs Evers, 
