New Serlest Number 87 I 
SATURDAY, MAY 29, 1875, 
j Established A. D. 1871, 
1s4,aYear, 10 cts a Cooy 
SPRING WORK ON A TROIT FARM. 
BY A. S. COLI.IXS. 
Now the winter season has passed. The breeder has 
through the cold weather been taking eggs, hatching 
them and feeding his fry. With the advent of spring 
comes anotlier class of work which must not be neg- 
lected. All the screens in the ponds should be thor- 
oughly examined. Sometimes a wire screen which 
shows no sign of weakness, will be so rusted that a 
slight pressuie of the finger will crumble it. The wood- 
en screens too, may have defective slats, and each one 
should be well tested. 1 prefer wooden screens for 
yearlings and all larger sizes. For anything less than 
yearlings, a brass wire screen, though more expensive 
in the first plac , will outlast many iron wire screens. 
Water should be kept running through the hatching 
troughs during the summer lest they should check and 
warp. There will also be plenty of work to be done 
about the ponds and racew'ays. The frost will leave 
the ground and displace stone walls and planks. Watch 
carefully for any holes or crevices in the ponds; a little 
leak left, a little waste, a little carelessness, makes all 
the difference between a successful and an unfortunate 
man. New ponds will probably have to be constructed. 
The fish must be sized off and then extra ponds will be 
necessary. The fish to be kept for next year’s breeders 
should be carefully selected, put into the best tank, with 
the liveliest, quickest water, and fed to their hearts’ 
content. Those intended for sale should be put into 
ponds by themselves and taken out as required. The 
yearlings require no raceways and tanks for them may 
be verv much compacted. 
At this time of the year trout require more feeding 
than at any other. During the winter they will take 
but lit le food; but as soon as spring comes on they are 
perfectly ravenous. It is much cheaper to give them 
at first all they can eaf, and fatten them quickly. I be- 
lieve that it is true of all stock that it takes compara- 
tively little to keep a fat animal in good condition. 
Have a good solid block in the meat house, and see that 
your knives, etc., are sharp. You will thus save time 
and also the lives of some fish which would choke to 
death in attempting to gorge stringy, half-cut meat. 
The grounds about the ponds should be kept neatly 
and improved from time to time; a few sods here, a 
flower or two there, a little digging out and filling up at 
odd times will make a great difference in the value of 
the place. A handsome frame makes a good picture ap- 
pear better. 
ENGLISH FIELD TRIALS. 
[ BY KEKXEL. 
I auRKwsBURY. — These trials took place on 38th, 29th, 
t and 30th of April, on an estate belonging to Lord Powis, 
K five miles from Shrewsbury. I am glad to be able to 
[ say these trials are becoming more popular every year, 
and so they should, for it is remarkable to what an ex- 
tent these meetings have tended to impiove the breeds 
^of pointers and setters. I have not much time this 
II we^k to describe the meeting, but hope to do it more 
1 fully next week, contenting myself with the most inter- 
esting performances. 
The Pointer puppy stakes brought out a rather poor 
lot, except the winner, Mr. Bishop Bristol, who is a re- 
I markably good puppy. The all aged pointer dog stakes 
I brought out the celebrated old “ Drake,” purchased by 
f Mr. Price at Mr. Garth’s sale last Spring ; Mr. Beck- 
■ ett’s good little dog “Reetoi,” who won this event last 
E year, Mr. Samuel Price’s “Mike” and a lot more. Uec- 
B tor fairly beat “Drake” and won, “Drake’ second, “Mike” 
B very unlucky and not placed, “Lord Downes’ Mars,” 3d. 
I Pointer bitch stake was won by Mr. Lloyd Price’s 
I “Romp,” also purchased at Mr. Garth’s sale. ^ 
The Setter puppy itakes contains a lot of clippers, 
but strangely enough, as after events have shown, the 
judges did not pick them out correctl)’. In fact they 
got through this large stake in half-an-hour, some of 
the best in it never coming across the scent of game 
once during their short spin of from two to six minutes. 
Mr. Lonsdale’s “ Spanker,” Ist. !Mr. Armstrong’s 
“ Dash II,” 2d. Mr. Stetter’s “Di,” 3d. 
For the aged Setter dog stakes, Mr. Stetter’s “Rob 
Roy,” Mr. Macdona’s “Ranger,” and Mr. Llewellin’s 
“Druid,” were expected to be near the finish. .In a 
long trial “Druid,” well beat “Ranger,” at all points. 
Lord Downe’s“Sam” then beat Mr. Llewellin’s “Flax.” 
“ Sam ” was immediately purchased by Mr. Teasdale 
Buckell, for his friend Mr. Llewellin, so without run- 
ning it out with “Druid,” he was placed first, at Mr. 
Buckell’s request, that he might take his part in the 
championship. The Setter bitches did not display fine 
form. The championship stake w'as run off in the 
very worst scent we had had during the meeting. It 
really lay between the pointer “Rector,” and Mr. Llew- 
welliij’s “Sam.” “Rector” is a slow sure animal and in 
the bad scent had a little the best of it, and so beat his 
splendid rival aud won the Championship of Shrews- 
bury, in 187.’). 
.Ca.\ibkidge8iiire, May 4. — The Field Trial Derby, 
79 subscribers. Mr. Llewellin’s splendid bitch “Coun- 
tess Bear,” by “ Dan,” out of “Countess,” won. Mr. 
Bishop’s “Belfast,” 2d, Sir T. Lennard’s “Mallard,” 3d. 
For the aged Setter dog stakes Mr. Llewellin’s “ Sam,” 
repeated his last week’s victory, by beating “Ranger,” 
and again getting Ist. For the aged Pointer stakes 
Mr. Lloyd Prices Drake, Ist, with 2d, divided between 
Mr. Bishop’s “Brighton” and “Bristol.” These trials 
took three da^s to runoff. 
The general results of the Shrewsbury and Cam- 
bridgeshire are that among pointers the most cele- 
brated performers have been Mr. Beckett’s little black 
and white dog “Rector,” whose own brother turned up 
this year for the first time but failed to distinguish him- 
self as the pretty little black and white has never failed 
to do. 
Mr. Samuel Price of North Devon, is again well to 
the fore with “Mike” and “Bang” of the “Hamlet” and 
Brockton’s “Bounce” cross. Mr. Lloyd Price has been 
successful with the ten years’ old “Drake” and the 
pretty “Romp,” both late purchases from Mr. Garth’s 
celebrated kennel. “Drake” as a sire has again dis- 
tinguished himself as the sire of “Romp” and Sir T. 
Lennard’s “Mallard,” who was third in the Field Trial 
Derby. The Bishops have been very successful this 
year, both in breaking and selling their dogs. “Brigh- 
ton” and “Bristol” are two good ones, and well worth a 
large sum of money. 
In setters, too, the Bishops have been lucky, “Di- 
nah” by “Brag-’ out of “Brandy.” and not by “Ranger” 
as stated by the Field, beat “Countess Bear” and “Coun- 
tess Moll” in Devon, but the“Countess’ ” pups turned the 
tables on her in the Field Trial Derby, where “Countess 
Bear” won her four ties with ease and won the puppy 
stakes of the year 187.5, over pointers and setters, to the 
credit of Mr. Llewellin’s celebrated “Dan” and “Coun- 
tess” here sire and dam. “Ranger” beat the puppies in 
Devon only by anear shave, but Mr. Llewellin took his 
revenge by beating “Ranger,” first, with the handsome 
“Druid,” and again with “Sam” twice. “Druid” has 
come out remarkably since the Sleaford Trials, where 
“Ranger” beat him, and was beaten in turn by “Lau- 
ra.” “Druid,” however, was then only a puppy, and 
he ought to improve even yet, as he is now hardly two 
j-ears old. “Ranger,” as was predicted has turned out 
no good puppies, not even from the celebrated “Bess,” 
from whom he had a large litter. “Rhyl,” who divided 
in Devon, did so by his owner buying the winner, “Di- 
nah,” after she had put out of the stake the two “Coun- 
tess” pups, so that “Rhyl” never came against a good 
one, although out of a Lavcrack bitch of high order, he 
showed poor form, and is not likely to do much for the 
credit of “Ranger” as a sire. 
Edward Armstrong has got round to his old form 
again at Field Trials and ran a few clippers as the re- 
ports show. 
The great beauties at the Trials of this year have been 
“Bang.” “Mike,” ‘‘Drake,” “Druid” aud “Countess 
Bear. ” 
SPARROWS. 
BY DRUTHVEN K.ANE. 
For months I have read with interest the numerous 
articles on the “Sparrow AVar,” which have appeared 
not only in the Rod and Gun, but in most of our daily 
papers. My admiration for this tyrannical species was 
never very great, but never having personally wit- 
nessed any of these ornithological discussions between 
our English and American friends until recently, my 
indignation has not been loused to the extent of many 
of your contributors. 
While walking across Boston Common recently, I 
stopped to look at our chipping sparrow, it being the 
first specimen I had seen this spring, they having just 
arrived. Had not this innocent bird a right to occupy 
a small branch of a large tree upon which he was sit- 
ting? His song was not of the most varied affd melo- 
dious, but certainly our imported cousin with that quer- 
ulous and noisy chatter could not have had a feeling 
that his musical powers were being outdone, and thus 
cause envy. I do not pretend to answer these surmises, 
but it is enough to say that one of these John Bulls 
made a sudden rush at our “Chippy,” aud in close com- 
bat, with noise that would have attracted a disinterested 
person, they descended to the ground where the strug- 
gle lasted but for a moment, for the “Chippy” being 
the weaker of the two was glad to clear himself and 
beat a hasty retreat, closely pursued by his antagonist 
however, who evidently intended to renew the attack, 
or at least to drive him from the enclosure. This is in- 
deed a welcome for our spring arrival to receive as he 
reaches his summer home, on ground where he has far 
more right than his assailant. I cite this as the only 
instance I have, myself, seen, yet I believe it to be only 
one of many cases that occur daily. 
It was only last week that a pair of bluebirds were 
hawked about in some of our cit 3 ' squares by a mob of 
these types of impudence, as if they were monarch's of 
all they surveyed. During one day the past winter a 
flock of pine finches flj’ing over Boston Common 
alighted on one of the trees, apparently not supposing 
they had no right to. when a committee of three or four 
sparrows were immediately sent to investigate the mat- 
ter, the result of which they took no pains to hide, and 
the finches found more agreeable quarters elsewhere. 
The species seems to be increasing at a wonderful 
rate, and it is a question if their warmest advocates will 
not ere long see that we shall be overrun with them. I 
do not doubt but that they have greatly benefited us in 
destroying the pests from which our trees have so se- 
vcrel}' suffered, and I do not propose to enter upon this 
subject; but their overpowering nature and fighting dis- 
position are becoming so conspicuous as to be a subject 
of general remark. 
The two Parker guns to be given as prizes at AVater- 
town are offered, the one by AA'^ilbiir F. Parker, editor 
of this paper, for the best Red Irish Setter; the other is 
offered bj' Parker Bros, as first prize in the double 
bird shoot. 
A BILL is before the New York Legislature to au- 
thorize the formation of companies for fish culture. 
