old ones, and, consequently, for quail shooting, your bitch is all correct
and well behaved, so far as regards the dam. I look upon the breeding of
dogs from any except the best and most perfectly formed of their species,
as an act of great folly. There are times when it must be done to keep up
the breed, or to acquire one; for no one drafts his best bitches unless he
is an ass. For my part, I keep five or six constantly, and draft yearly
all my dog pups but two or three, say one pointer, setter, and cocker. By
this means I have the pick out of a large number of well bred ones for
myself, while the drafts pay the expenses of keep and breaking. This is
impossible for every one to do, and they must pick up their dogs the best
way they can. It is my intention for the future to draft my setters to New
York and my pointers westward. My cockers, I fear, will not go off yet, my
imported dog having taken it into his head to die, and, until he is
replaced from England--I have no stock for breed. I could only get a
chance of four while last there out of many valuable kennels. However, I
have promises of drafts from two or three parties, and ere summer cock
come in, doubtless a brace or so will dare the perils of the sea for me; I
have no hesitation in saying that, unless most amply remunerated, I would
as soon sell my nose as the best pup in the litter, if I wanted it, nor
would I advise any one else to do it. If done, you have to put up with
inferior dogs. No; I breed to put a brace or so of the best young dogs
yearly into my kennel, for my own use, and, while doing this, I also have,
probably, ten good, well formed dogs to pick from, any one of which were
one in want, would gladden the heart to get hold of. Sir William Stanley
used to breed some fifty pointers yearly. Out of this lot, two brace were
culled for his use. The rest were sold. They paid expenses. Many were
excellent dogs, but he got the tip-top ones, and so he ought. This is the
way a man who cannot afford to give great prices for good dogs must do, if
he is much addicted to shooting. It requires two brace of dogs to do a
day's shooting as it ought to be done. Each dog at full gallop the whole
time, except, of course, when on birds; and to do this he must be shut off
work about noon. Few dogs can go from morn till night without extreme
fatigue. I never yet saw the dog that I could not hunt off his legs in a
fortnight's hunt, taking him out every second day only, and fee