326 
August 28, 1875. 
THE BOS. 
Bench Shows and Field Trials. 
BT DOG-WHIP. 
There is no denying the fact that besides forming a 
very pleasant amusement, bench shows and field trials 
once established and properly managed, will prove of im- 
mense benefit to the sportsmen of this country. It is very 
easy for one to imagine he owns the best till he wakes up 
to the fact tliat his neighbor has something better. This 
he cannot know unless he sees it, or at least hears of it 
from reliable parties, being themselves eye-witnesses of 
something superior to what he possesses. In nothing 
is it more excusable for a man to think he has the best 
than a dog; he owns him, may be, from puppyhood. 
The dog grows up attached to his master, and his mas- 
ter becomes attached to and fond of him; he trains him 
perhaps fairly ; the dog works willingly for him, and 
pleases him very well ; and if failings he has, they may 
be, and for want of comparison often are, looked over 
or unnoticed; consequently, it is the easiest thing im- 
aginable for the owner of such an animal to think he has 
just as good as, if not a better dog than, anybody else, 
and may be he has; but if he has, then bench shows and 
field trials are just the places to satisfy himself and his 
friends whether he is laboring under a mistake or not. 
Again : supposing one has not a good dog, and want.® 
one — surelj’ bench shows and field trials are the plaeea 
for him to attend to become possessed of the animal he 
wants; and I might go on mentioning advantages with- 
out number that the above institution will work for the 
lovers of the dog and gun, or, for that matter, dog alone. 
Now that bench shows are becoming common among 
us, we must remember they are to us a new thing, and, 
to be properly managed, entail considerable trouble, 
perseverance and forethought on the part of those who 
manage them. The responsibility of such affairs gene- 
rally falls upon the shoulders of a few, and if a pleasure 
to them, eertaiuly the labor and responsibility are none 
the less, ilost of the shows which have been held here 
up to the present, taking all circumstances into account, 
have proved successes, and I know of no reason why 
— in fact, I will here venture to say that they will ira 
prove. Those who were at 3Iemphis, Detroit and- 
Watertown will not only go again, but will take their 
neighbors with them on the next similar occasions. 
^Memphis is bidding for a big thing to come off in Octo 
her. Bench show, field trials, pigeon .shooting, and 
dear knows what. Chicago has a grand bench show on 
the boards for Januar)- next; Detroit has to repeat her 
success of January last; and between these times no 
doubt lots of other places will have their shows. My 
object in writing this paper is to offer a few hints to 
those concerned in the getting up and managing of bench 
shows. I hkve had some little experience in these, to 
me, pleasant affairs; and if some of my hints should be 
adopted and prove successful, to know that would be 
sufficient recompense for me for any trouble in penning 
these*'few lines. 
To begin with. Let no one labor under the impres- 
sion that some errors will not be committed at our bench 
shows. This is- done even in England, where we are 
led to believe they are almost perfection in canine mat- 
ters. I will speak only of setters and pointers by way 
of criterion, as other classes will fall in and prove more 
easily managed. Beginning with setters, 1 would say 
in this, make a champion class; dogs competing in this 
class to be imported or the direct progeny of imported 
dogs; also, any dog that has won, say. one or two prizes 
at bench shows. By doing this, dogs purchased at high 
figures in Britain, and imported to this country, don’t 
compete with our native dogs, for I cannot see that it is 
fair for a dog such as I have mentioned to compete in a 
class wherein it may be said he has no competitor. For 
my part, I am perfectly satisfied our native dogs stand no 
chance against such d-ngs as Mr. Adams’ Rock and Dora, 
lllr. Raymond’s Pride of the Border and Fairy, Burgess’ 
Rufus, Friend and Queen Mab, and the dogs in my own, 
Mohawk’s and other kennels, if properly judged; conse- 
quently, it is not fair to the owners of native dogs to 
enforce them to compete with imported dogs of blue 
blood, for surely no man would want to take his dogs 
the second time may be one hundred to five hundred 
miles to a show where his being beaten is but a foregone 
conclusion. Hence I would say, let each dog be entered 
in separate classes. There is no need, as has been done 
at seme of our shows, to make classes for Laveracks and 
another for field trial setters, etc. An English setter is 
an English setter, and they should all compete together; 
there is no necessity to make different classes for the 
different strains of English dog. The same rule for 
pointers, imported and native, should be adopted. 
I am of opinion, if this system should be followed, it 
will prove a success. It will encourage the owners of 
native dogs, if they choose to try and get blue blood, 
they can do so, and if they still will to cling to their 
own, may be favorite breed, then there is a cla.ss for 
them where they meet with no unequal competition. 
As to the judging at shows, this is the most difficult 
part of the whole affair. Few in this country have 
studied the points of dogs to qualify them for good 
judges. Still there are good judges in the country, and 
their number is increasing; and, bye and bye, this will 
not be the obstacle it is now. I would say to the com- 
mittees of shows, secure, if possible, one, at least, good 
judge in each class — more, if possible. His superior 
knowledge is soon apparent, and he can easily post his 
companion judges on points in whicu they may be a lit- 
tle deficient, thus avoiding, in many cases, errors which 
might otherwise be committed in giving their decisions- 
Next, as to prizes. These should be as valuable as 
possible; the more so the better. Make sportsmen be- 
gin to think that a good dog is no longer a worthle.ss 
brute, but that there is just as much true value in him 
as there is in the carriage horse, each animal being, as 
he is, kept only for our pleasure and not for our ne- 
cessities; give prizes worth competing for, and I would 
sa}' cups or articles of taste for first prizes. For mj- 
part, I would much rather have a cup on my sideboard, 
to show what my canine friends won at a show, than 
I would have the value in my purse. The cup would 
stay as a thing of beauty and a joy forever, but the 
slippery cash — what comes of it? Everybody can an- 
swer this question. 
As to second and third prizes: these, I think, can ap- 
propriately be given in cash. Care should be taken that 
the articles given as prizes should be genuine, and priced 
at their true, not their fictitious value; and any article 
of plate, especially cups, let them be silver, if ever so 
small. All know the intrinsic value of solid silver or 
gold, but none but dealers — and they not always — of 
plated goods. Better charge more for entrance fees for 
sporting dogs, and give good prizes, than to charge less 
and give mean ones. I think any good show can 
afford for first prizes silver cups, with suitable in- 
scriptions, costing $2.5 to $30, gold; say, second, half 
the value in cash; and third prize about one-fourth. If 
committees feel unable to give prizes so valuable, they 
can give one or two specials, charging extra entrance 
fee to compete for them; but I am sure the Detroit 
show last January, if on its own account, could have 
given the above prizes, and I think any good show can 
do it. There are always some sportsmen who are bet- 
ter able, and are willing to give, special subscriptions, 
both in cash and articles for special prizes. These 
friends to the cause should not be neglected by the com- 
mittee of management. I have no doubt that any show 
that can secure an entrance of two hundred dogs can, 
V. ith the receipts at the door from visitors, give the 
prizes I have mentioned (for pointers and setters, and 
smaller for other dogs), pay all expenses, and if reason- 
ably aided by subscriptions, carry over a small balance 
to the credit of the next show. 
As to field trials, we are still less experienced in these 
than in bench shows, and having no practical experience 
in these contests, I feel much less able to write on these 
than on bench-show matters; but reading for several 
years the accounts of all the field trials held in Britain, 
I think, with few variations, their rules will very well 
suit our purpose. The imported dog here most decid- 
edly changes place with his Britisher; he has no such 
advantage over him here as on the show bench. It is a 
case of a foreigner against a native; climate, game and 
everything is strange to him. He might be a very good 
dog in the old countrj', but transport him here, and a 
native dog, equally as good in the field, will beat him 
on American soil. Consequently, I consider the im- 
ported dog heavily handicapped at a field trial here ; but 
of his progeny, born in the country, reared and broken 
here, I would not .say so. 
It will not surprise me if, at the coming Memphis 
field trials, native blood prove too much for both im- 
ported dogs and their progeny. The former, in my 
mind, have no chance, and the latter’s numbers are too 
small as yet to compete with the hosts of native dogs 
brought against them. For instance, take all the dogs 
of blue blood bom in America in 1874; I don’t think 
they will number, living to-day, two dozen. Out of 
these few have to be drafted the dogs which have to 
compete against native blood, which can be drafted 
from among 5,000, and I dare say even this number 
would not represent all the setters and pointers of na- 
tive blood, born in 1874, and alive to-day. Consequent- 
ly, I don’t consider that it is at all improbable that blue 
blood may be defeated at these trials by native stock; 
but take all the blue-blooded dogs of 1874, and all the 
native, and draft from each by ballot, dog for dog, till 
all the blue bloods are drafted, I am satisfied they would 
beat the native dogs so badly that tbeir owners would 
not care to take them home off the field. By drawing 
this comparison I mean to say that, dog for dog, for 
field purposes, blue blooded dogs are far superior to 
our native bred animals, and when the)' become suffi- 
ciently numerous I am satisfied they will prove this be- 
yond a doubt. 
I look forward with much interest to the comingMem- 
phis field trials. The management is in good hands, and 
native or foreign, may the best dog win, and few as the 
progeny of our imported dogs are, I think it will take 
good ones indeed to make some of them take a back 
seat. I bespeak a big turnout of sportsmen for the 
Memphis meeting. What with the trap shooting, which 
will be got up on a big scale, the bench show and the 
dog Derby — that is, the field trials — present such an op- 
portunity for the entertainment of the sportsmen as has 
certainly never been offered in this country. The dog, 
in the field trials, will be tried on quail, of which I un- 
derstand there are a good supply in the neighborhood; 
and all sportsmen know, at that season of the year, the 
last days in October, no better bird can be for the pur- 
pose. Knowing, as I do, the principals in the manage- 
ment of the whole affair, I will here venture to say it 
will prove the best thing of the kind ever got up in the 
United States. Nothing will be left wanting to make 
the trap shooting, the bench show and the dog Derby 
pass off in first-class style, and it will not surprise but 
please me to see Memphis become the Shrewsbury of 
America for sportsmen. All sportsmen should and will 
assist her, and none will envy her well-earned reputa- 
tion. 
The National Exhibition of Dogs. Poultry and Pigeons 
next January, in Chicago, is to be on a very great 
scale. $10,000 will be given in prizes, and the list of 
the promoters includes some of the highest names in the 
Northwest. 
The red Irish setter bitch Kittle, imported by Jlr 
Wm. Jarvis, but now owned by Mr. Bierbower, of Mays- 
ville, Ky., has visited Plunkett. Mr. Bierbower thought 
so highly of Plunkett as to take Kittle himself all the 
way from MaysvUle to Rutland, Vt., in order to get the 
sire of him. 
Kesxei- Additions. — Mr. B. M. Jenkins’ prize black 
and tan Gordon setter bitch, Alice, whelped last Sun- 
day night eleven, five of which have since died. The 
remaining six are remarkably healthy-looking and hand- 
some. Hero is the sire of them. Dora, belonging to 
Mr. Luther Adams, of Boston, which was in whelp to 
Pride of the Border, also whelped on Sunday last nine, 
one of which has since died. 
The Dog Show Committee at the New England and 
New Hampshire State Fair are active and energetic, 
sparing no expense nor personal trouble. New England 
is richer in good dogs than most people believe, and al- 
though her sportsmen have hitherto been somewhat 
backward, not caring to make display of their tastes for 
Rod and Gun, they are waking up to the necessity of con- 
certed action in behalf of their favorite pursuit. This 
will be shown at the Manchester Show, which will com- 
mence September 7. The Turf, Field and Farm rules 
will be adopted. 
^9 » 
Stkahge Fkeak rx a IVoodcock.— A few days since 
a woodcock was discovered by some boys to have taken 
up temporary quarters in a deserted tan-yard, in Tren- 
ton, N. J., and upon being driven by them (the boys) 
therefrom, made a short flight and alighted on the top 
of a three-story wholesale liquor store and remained 
some time. Perhaps the bird was not a believer in tem- 
perance principles, and had hopes that the dealer in 
drinks would send him up a glass of the ardent where- 
with he might cleanse his bill of tan-yard refuse. There 
can be no doubt of his having chosen this strange rest- 
ing place, as there were several witnesses to the fact. 
