696 
FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
mendation. Among these was the uncommonly fine red 
Irish bitch Fannie, belonging to A. S. Bache, Esq., of Plain- 
field, N. J., and Mr. DuBois Wagstaff’s beautiful bitch Dove, 
out of Parke : s Lady, by Kobinson’s Duke. Among the 
black and tan Gordons highly commended were the seven 
months pups Jet, Jewel, Pascal, and Scamp, out of the Tilley 
kennel, sired by Jerome’s Shot, out of the prize bitch Di, 
and also, Gipsy, Dream, Jessie, and Rake, from the same 
kennel, out of Mab, by the prize dog Shot. Mr. Bennett’s 
Nell, by the Leavitt dog, out of George R. Bennett’s Bonnie, 
was also highly commended. 
Of the any-breed class the most remarkable pair of ani- 
mals— one of which took a prize — was the tan-and-blue- 
ticked dogs of Mr. Edmund Orgill. His dog Rake, trained 
by Horsfall, of Memphis, is one of the best field dogs in 
America. 
As we are not of those who believe in “ hiding one’s lights 
under a bushel,” we will terminate this account of the 
Bench show at Mineola with the concluding paragraph of 
the report of the gentlemen who assumed the onerous and 
thankless office of judges on that occasion : 
“ The judges wish to express for themselves and for others 
their gratification at the success which has attended this 
inauguration of Bench Shows in this country, a success due 
in the first instance for the suggestion, advice and encourage- 
ment to Col. Skinner, of the Turf, Field and Farm, and 
to Mr. H. S. Parke, for his gentlemanly, patient and earnest 
efforts in its details. 
We have little doubt that this pleasing success will go far 
toward establishing Bench Shows of hunting dogs as an 
attractive and regular feature of agricultural fairs.” 
Chas. H. Raymond, j 
A. Gubner, >- Judges. 
E. S. Carman. J 
— The Turf , Field . , and Farm 
SELECTING SETTERS AND POINTERS IN 
ENGLAND. 
Though the idea is in the main correct, I think that many 
American sportmen place too much importance on the ad- 
jective “ imported ,” and like man}' Englishmen would be too 
apt to go in for dogs that have either taken prizes at dog 
shows or are the progeny of such, with too little regard for 
other qualities should they go to England with the object of 
securing fine dogs. Setters I think have held their own and 
improved in England of late years more than pointers, and 
for the reason that pointers have generally been esteemed 
more highly in the southern counties, whereas setters have 
been greater favorites in the north, where their rougher 
coats makes them more serviceable in the moors of the 
northern counties and Scotland, and the improvements in 
agricultural machinery have made the stubble shorter, and 
in many counties of England it is almost impossible to use a 
pointer, and battues and driving the game have taken his 
place. Five years ago I went home to purchase a few good 
dogs, and was I again to do the same thing I would do it in 
the same way. I made my headquarters in a good shoot- 
ing district in Cumberland, and making up my mind that 
the breeding must be perfect, decided also that nothing but 
a first-rate dog at his work should accompany me back ; and 
then made it known that I was buying setters. My father’s 
estate answered admirably for the purpose of buying the 
different dogs. 
I had tried a few dogs without being satisfied, when one 
day Jimmy Demain, the proprietor of a rural inn, called 
and told me that the keeper at Edmond Castle had the best 
dog he knew of, and that evening I drove there and saw 
the keeper and the dog which he had with twenty others 
or more. I asked the usual questions, and among others of 
course was, “ Is he steady on his point?” “ He will stand 
to a running horse, sir,” was the keeper’s answer. That 
settled it with me, and I asked him if he would then go 
over the preserves and let me see him work, to which he 
assented, and we started forthwith. I could not find one 
particle of fault ; his quartering was beautiful and his nose 
perfect ; nothing was wanted but the hare (and that I would 
have done without). As we were nearing the kennels again, 
however, and crossing some poor land with a few gorse 
bushes, the dog came to a dead point, opposite a very small 
bunch of gorse and grass. The keeper went ahead, and just 
as he was about to kick it, out jumped a hare. I turned to 
the dog, he had not moved from the first position, but was 
quivering in every limb and muscle, and as the hare ran in 
full view it seemed almost cruel to have a dog so intensely 
broken. 
Few and short were the words I said in making him mine, 
and have him now, and though five long years have rolled 
over his head in another and a harder climate, the old dog 
looks well and money can never part us. Many keepers are 
allowed a dog — or perhaps two a year, which they can raise 
and break for their own profit, and it was so in this case. Of 
all the dogs in the Edmond Castle kennel there was none 
like him, and my advice is, buy the keeper’s own dog — for 
they will not pick the worst and they will not take the lesser 
pains with them. An old sportsman in England asked me, 
“ Ned, how many' dogs is thou going to take back?” 1 re- 
plied, “ Five or six.” “ "Well,” he said, “ if thou gets one 
good one out of the lot thou’ll be lucky, for in all my life I 
never had but one first-class dog (as I call it). I’ve had a 
heap of poor ones and some pretty good ones, but I had one 
that was so far ahead that it makes me think I always missed 
it before and that was the last dog I had — old Rap. Many 
a time has that dog made me follow him when he crawled 
down a furrow in a stubble field after a running bird, and 
when I’ve stopped and whistled for him, saying to myself, 
‘ The old fool is getting childish ’ (though the most biddable 
of dogs), he would look back and drop his ears and wag his 
old tail, as much as to say, ‘Come on, old fellow, I’ll catch 
up with him directly and so he generally did. The old 
dog died at the advanced age of 18 years, and the only de- 
scendant that I ever knew him to have is with me now, 11 
years old, and I believe as good as her father every bit.” 1 
was luckier, however, than my old friend prophesied. But 
death has claimed some (but thank heaven for it, not the 
best), as generally seems to be the case. A year or two ago 
an acquainance of mine returned to England, and at my 
advice made up his mind to bring some dogs when he came 
back. The result was a gun shy pointer dog, two retriev- 
ers, one with a tail carried like the handle of a jug, and the 
other I never could make up my mind whether she was all 
dog or not, let alone a retriever and a pointer bitch, for 
which he had given a very small price — expecting nothing, 
and which came nearer being passable than anything he 
had. The others, however, he owned had first-class pedi- 
grees, and he had certainly paid enough to have a long one 
written out. This, I think, however, an extreme case. I 
will finish by adding that I think dog shows are useful in 
accomplishing beauty of appearance and fine breeding, but 
if you want a good working dog avoid them ; also dealers 
who can supply you with anything from a toy terrier to a 
bloodhound . — Riverview in Field and Stream. 
