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Otago Witness, Issue 2325, 22 September 1898, Page 39

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With regard to the annual show of the New Zealand Collie Club, reported in this column last week, I now learn that there were actually 156 entries, represented by 54 dogs, the great bulk of the exhibitors being Wellington residents. Evidently there is something still to be done before this club'sshow can be regarded as other than a purely local fixture. "Our Dogs *' says: — For three or four weeks after service bitches should be kept quiet, and, if possible, by themselves, under lock- and key, and beyond the possibility of forming 'a mesalliance. They should be given a little exercise, afterwards more exercise, and the whole of the period of gestation' their diet should be varied, and consist of dog biscuits (forming their staple food), supplemented by hound meal, brown bread soaked in "sheep's head broth, raw, sound, lean flesh meat, bones, and uncleaned butcher's offal. Thejy- should always have access to clean water, and to grass as often as possible. All dogs,- and breeding bitches more particularly, will piok up all kinds of offal and refuse in the streets and lanes, which will do them no harm, but more often good. A dog is invariably the best judge of what is best for it, and the nearer its mode of living and life approaches its aboriginal state the better. Cleanliness- is one of the secrets of success in dog-breeding. Dry kennels, with loose wooden benches, and fixed with a southern or south-west aspect, is another essential. As a brood bitch becomes heavy in whelp, she should be provided with a "low" bench to lie upon, to prevent her "having to jump in getting on and off it. Care should be taken that the entrance to her kennel is sufficiently large to prevent injury in her seeking ingress and egress. During "whelping, bitches invariably do best if left entirely alone, unless something goes wrong, when prompt attention is, of course, necessary. In most cases, however, parturition progresses best and most satisfactorily and whelps do best when" left entirely to Nature. A correspondent in the Critic'- states that I the smallest Japanese spaniel in the world has his home in America. Fuji only weighs 15oz, but each of these same ounces is worth !an incredible amount. His grandparents | came from the royal palace at Kioto, and were among the sacred spaniels which were the exclusive property of the Mikado. Fuji is a midget even among his kind. When he was born he only weighed ljloz. He is now a trear old, and stopped growing two months ago. His only rival in the States lives in Chicago. He is a blue tan Mexican, weighing loozj and he rejoices in the name of

! The letter in this issue from "Black and White," on the subject' of colour in collies j is, ap will be observed, one to "Station Shepherd." The only points in the lettei to which I take exception, are the remarks that I "persistently champion the sables " and "wish to teaoh shepherds their business." With respect to the first charge, I do not champion the sable. All I ask is fair play and no favour for them. I objected to their exclusion from, the class for shepherds' dogs. As to my venturing to instruct shepherds as to their business, I fancy the majority of my readers know that just the reverse is the case. My endeavour all along has been to induce shepherds to ventilate in these columns their own knowledge and experience, and to get this from them I have raised various questions which I hoped would draw them out. "Black and White," it will be observed, does not confine his remarks to the simple question of colour, but launches out 1 on the subject of show versus working dogs, his idea evidently being that he is expressing views contrary to my own. lam quite impartial on this subject. As far back aa April last year I maintained that breeders and shepherds alike were neglecting their opportunities — the former in overlooking the necessity of preserving the intelligence of the inmates of their kennels, and the latter in failing to take advantage to the extent they should do of the best means of maintaining the 'strength of their workers. I still stand by this contention, and in doing so I am not attempting to teach shepherds or breeders either. I am merely reminding them of facts, and prompting them to take advantage of their opportunities. Show dogs, of whatever species, like show poultry, are just as true specimens of their breed as are their working representatives. Though birds bred for points do not give good records as regards eggs, it is well known that a male from the fanciers' yards will much improve the laying capabilities of the farmer's barnyard fowjs. Evidently, {therefore, the powerthough lying fallow- -is in the fanoy bird. Just the same is it with the fancy dog. Its brains, though unemployed, are there, and are merely resting, and not deteriorating, whilst the frame is being enlarged and the coat, pelt, and loins strengthened by selection. Bring the working bitch to the show dog, or vice versa, and the result must be good. Writing on this subject, " Station Shepdog with the worker is excellent, and' should herd " said : — " Your idea of mating the show have the cordial support of shepherds and breeders of the fancy alike. I admire the show collie, as every man 1 with a taste for matters canine must do, but at the same time I cannot help regretting that more attention is not being paid to the cultivation of their brain power, and so make them useful companions as well as handsome ones." Under the heading, "A^Noted Collie Kennel," the Wyndhaxn Farmer says: — "It is perhaps not known to many of our readers that within a stone's throw, comparatively speaking, of Wyndhara is located one of the most celebrated kennels of working collie dogs in the colony. We refer to the establishment of Mr James Lilico, Morton Mains. Mr Lilico, who is an extensive breeder of this fine variety of the 'farmer's friend,' has just imported from Hawick district, Scotland, another splendid bitch, and she is now in quarantine, with six pups. Ar an evidence of the success attending Mr Lilico's breeding, we may mention that within the past six months he has sent pups and young dogs to Wanganui (a litter of 8), Hawke's Bay (4), Mackenzie Country (10). North Canterbury, Upper Waitaki, and from there southward to the Takatimos dogs of his breeding are scattered. He has even had inquiries from Sydney Indeed, this business has made Mr Lilico possibly the best-known shepherd in New Zealand. The New Zealand Collie Club, j with headquarters at Wellington, has during the past two seasons unanimously elected him as one of their judges — a further tribute j to his evident knowledge of the collie breed." I regret having to record the death (writes " Fancier " in the Southland "TSTews) of the imported cocker spaniel Oh. Gainsborough Comet, which took place on the 14th inst., the cause being general debility accelerated by a severe cold. Comet was selected in England by Mr L. P. C. Astley for Mr E. Warriner, of the well-known Scoresby Kennel, -Victoria, and subsequently sold by Mr Warriner to Messrs Brodie and Dunlop", of Invercargill, Whelped in March, 1890, Comet has had a very successful career both on the bench and at stud his principal wins outside of the honours gained in New Zealand were as follows: Ist, Manchester, England, 1890; Ist and special, Geelong, 1892 ; Ist and special, Ist brace, Ist team, Victorian P.P. and D. 1892 ; Ist, Royal Agricultural, 1892 ; Ist and special, Launceston, 1892 ; Ist, Kyneton, 1892 ; Ist, Shepparton, 1892 ; Ist, Geelong Agrioultural, 1892 ; Ist and special, Geelong P. and D., 1893 ; Ist champion, W.arrnambool, 1893 ; Ist champion and special, Laundeston, ! 1893. At the stud he has sired some very j good ones, the most successful of his progeny being Oh. Gainsborough Transit and Oh. Roekingham Comet, both, noted winners. Some of the best of Comet's get in New Zealand are now in the kennels of Mrs E. Gallagher, Auckland; his stock, however, are to be found all over the colony, and have been very successful on the bench.