NOTES BY TERROR.

Otago Witness, Issue 224, 28 May 1896, Page 35

NOTES BY TERROR.

• . • I have to thank 'the secretary of the Wellington Kennel" Club fox a copy of that club's bal&ncs sheet, I regret to see that our friends of the Empire City are not much baiter off— if. any — financially than onrn elves. The liabilities exceed assets 'by J322 18s 2d, evidently as a result of outstanding members' subscriptions proving bed. No lees a sujn than £23 15s has been written off'under this head. • . ' The Stockkeeper says :—": — " Occasionally when standing at the ringside we are almost i tempted to believe there is something connected with the exhibition of dogs which adversely infiaences the human mison. Else we should sever witnefis the -spectacle, unhappily bo common, of 12 or 15 piesumably rational and grown-up men all crowding upon the top of a bewildered judge who is engaged in endeavOuringto discriminate bctweon'the merits of the competitors. It is often hard e'noughfor a judge to satisfy even himself under the best of circumstances, bub when exhibitors go on as some of tlitm did in the oollie ting at Manchester it can only be assumed that they are anxious thatAhe awards should be arrived *t haphazard, instead<of only after due reflection on the part of the judge, I 'who at least might be afforded an' 'opportunity for "doing himself justice." In'regarcT to tine above, 1 cannot do better at this^.jiatei hi v)e.w of . our own forthcoming show, .than .call. Attention to the unsatisfactory arrangements- appertaining locally in connection 'with 'judging in •the past. Certainly every facility should bo given the judge to arrive at his own conclusions. • . • With regard to the two letters from Invercargill .objecting to my notes on -the Southland P.P. B. and D. Society's schedule, I am, of course, pleased to learn that there are good reasons for the strange anomalies I referred to. At the same time, I cannot congratulate the Southland Club on the fact that owing to local peculiarities it is imposßJble to offer the usual conditions to the visiting fancy. I have heard from one or two fanciers who had intended exhibiting ab Invercargill that, owing to the schedule arrangements, they had been compelled to decide not to compete. • . • The. Stockkeeper refers to the objectionable practice adopted by some exhibitors of calling out the names of their dogs when in the judging ring, and statea that "thiß proceeding la totalty ppyosed to the principles of jactgkg)

now in vogne." No doubt in msiny case 3ib is done without thought, but all the tame the practice in one which should be discountenanced in every way possible. •.' The following return, showing the numbsr and breads of dogs imported into the colony during the last five years, his been prepared by the secretary of the Wellington Kennel Club from information kindly supplied by the Stock depa/ttnent, fend will serve to show that, in spite of heavy qu&r&nbine duties, good dogs fiud their way into this colony. As i it may prove exceedingly Interesting to many of my readers, I have a«ked hia permission to publish it he-re: — [ ! i j j I

*. • Apropos of the recent discussion in England on the fabject of docking, Mr E. Howard Wilbins, a well-known fox terrier brooder, has written to the Stookkeepcr, stating: " Notwithstanding the fact that I shall probahly off end the eeneibilifcies of fellow-members of the fcx terrier club and the eyes of tbe judges, I purpose entirely to cease docking or any form of mutilation hitherto universally adopted amongst breeder* of fox terriers. However, bow that the matter has been so thoroughly ventilated, I venture to think that I ehall by no meana be aingular in my action, especially if some prominent exhibitors or breeders were to adopt the course I intend to pursue." Evidtntly the anti-docking movement has caught on, nnd we h&ve some proapeofc even now of' looking foiward to the time when dog shows' shall be exponents of the aurt of breeding, and not of thedexterity of tbe scissors and knifo *. * The latest idea in •• dog fixing "is oaniue dentistry, which (according to the New York World) is being pursued with some considerable sucoess hi America. The operations do not extend to supping the dogs with fiAm teefeh, stopjping and extracting being the principal features of the business. As dentistry in c tnaection with hoeses ia sn acknowledged fact, there is no reason why it should not be extended to canines with advantage, not with the idea of deceiving the judges, but to assist in the proper mastication of food —Town and Country. •. * In order to give greater interest to the judging at the principal shows in England, the practice is to supply ea.ch person leading the dogs into tha ring with a numbered badge. This enables visitors to at onoss identify the exhibits, and must add considerably to the interest taken in the proceedings. The plan has proved so successful, and could be adopted at Australian shows without any considerable expense, that it is surprising that it has not been introduced. Now that the competition ia many classes is not, as formerly, confiued to a few well-known specimens, the absence of some easy method of distinguishing the competitors is very marked. At the end of the silken cord hold in her glove hand was a tiny dog. Wrapped around the pup was a small shawl, the fringe of which almost touched the pavement. This unique overcoat was htsld in place by the regulation shawl strap, the handle of which stood up in the middle of the doy's back, so as to be easily gripped. Feoplo smited as they passed the odd combination, bat neither the lady nor the pup paid any heed to either grin or comments. At the corner a big mastiff suddenly planted himself squarely in front of the wom&n and looked qu'zzicslly at the shawl-strapped mite beside her. With a ory of alarm she stopped, grabbed ttito handle, lifted the pup until its muzzle soon rested against her cheek, and in the most approved language of the nursery told it not to be in the least frightened. Then she gave the big brute, which seemed to siza up the ridiculous situation properly, a look of ulter contempt, lowerod the,pup to arm's length, carrying it as if it were a shopping attohel, and muvolied on. The dog days never end here.—Pibtbbu-g Dispatch. *. •At a meeting of the New Zealand Poultry Association a long discussion took place on the question of altering the standard for judgi&g' Wyandofcte?, so as to .provide that white on the tail should not be a disqualification. Correspondence was received from England in reply to questions which the secretary had sent Home aa to v/hbther in 1894, when the present New Zealand standards were adopted, white on the tail constituted a disqualification under the, United Wyondotte Fanciers' Association. The correspondence, however, did nob answer 'the question clearly, and the chairman having'ruled that Jill the meeting could do was to decide whether or not the correspondence afforded ground for altering the standard, the following motion was carried by seven votes to six —' "That nfter hearing the correspondence .read, this (nesting decides that it does nob juotify any alteration being made in 'the standard -which waa adopted for live years in 1894-."

Breed of Dog. 1832. 18 ft. 1891. 18D5. 1896. Tl. Airedale terriers — 11 — — — 1 Baasles — 2 — — — 2 Black spaniels ... — 8 — — — S Bulldogs — — 1 — 2 3 3oliies 8 11 3 9 11 37 Dandy dinmonts — — 2 1 — 3 Pox terriers ... 1 2 i — 4 11 3ve»t Dane ...— — — — 11 B»und — — 11 — — 1 [nsh terriers ... — 6 — — 2 8 [rish wtr :>pamelß — — — 11 — 1 Rtslti^vets -. — i 2 — 17 Scottish terriers — 2 — — — 2 Skye terriers ... 1 — — — 12 Spaniels .»,.». 2 — — —■ — 2 Eoyterrieis ...— — — ~ 11 Water. spaniels ... 11 — — — — 1 Totals ... 8 81 13 H 23 *6