Dear Dr. Fountain,
In answer to your question,"what do you think in regard to hounds carrying the Dorsey's Big Boy or H. L. Marshall's Casper crosses". I think the descendents of these hounds should be accepted if either Casper or Big Boy is far enough back in the breeding to enable one to determine that the product of these crosses consistently intensifies or reflects in a more pronounced degree than the average July, the true July characteristics
and true July appearance. It seems to me that these two things are the key that should unlock the door of acceptance of any breeding that does not carry but a slight amount of outcross or smear. After all the principal thing we are trying to do is produce a hound that is truly a July Maryland in the fullest sense of the meaning of the word, in deed and in truth, not just a hound that can legally be called a July in name. If the product of the use of such hounds as breeding hounds are not above the average or stand a good chance of not just maintaining the virtues of the strain but improving it, the hounds carrying the smear or outcross blood, should be rejected. In other words if we are going to compromise a bit on breeding, we should demand a twofold payoff in strain improvement. You will notice I underscored the word consistently. Now I do not believe that any line of breeding that carries a strong infusion of the blood of another strain whose fixed characteristics are in direct conflict with the fixed characteristics of the July hound will consistently produce hounds that are truly July in their characteristic performance. There will be too many throw backs along the line to the conflicting characteristics of the strain used as an outcross. The nature of the outcross and the nature of the smear should have a direct bearing on any decision.Now this discussion leads to an even more important question perhaps, and that question is, "what is the standard for July characteristics and performance and appearance". If there is too great a conflict among breeders on this question, we will find ourselves traveling in different directions and the July strain would be in danger of degenerating into a nondescript mongrel strain. Yes, it seems to me that a very important question before us is what is the standard of July appearance and performance. I touched this subject in my article in "The Hunters Horn" titled "Quick to jump, run to catch". It seems to me these old bywords set forth what the standard July characteristic performance should be. These were the characteristics that set the July strain apart from other strains, when we turn away from this we are turning toward other strains.
Now it seems apparent that speed is not the only thing required to enable a hound to be quick to jump and run to catch. Speed is essential, so is a good nose, natural fox sense, strong body, good feet and legs.
It is my belief that Mr. Garrett thought the original Julys to be too fast of their noses and too frail for their nerve and energy and that was the reason he made the outcrosses he made. He once stated that it had been his ambitition to secure suitable English blood to cross on the July, to combine the physique of the English hound with the nerve force and energy of the July or words to this affect.
Now let us reason together, why was the outcross on Maryland Nip so readly accepted. Mr. Garrett states definitely that he considered this an outcross. According to my memory at the moment, Nip was 1/4 Brooke hound. Now you or I would not accept such a radical outcross today even if it occured as far back as the second or third generation. If you will think about this a moment I think you will agree with me. Now Mr. Garrett's Prestiege might have had something to do with the acceptance of Maryland Nip, but I feel sure the true reason was that it was quickly apparent that this cross produced and seemed to intensify the July characteristic performance,'quick to jump, run to catch". It gave the July a better nose enableing him to scent the game better and use the speed he already possessed to move up speedily on the game without losing the line of scent as often as he had before acquireing the sensitive Nip nose. Pehaps it gave him a stronger physique also.
Here is one of the things that leads me to believe that the product of the Nip cross intensified the July characteristic "quick to jump run to catch". Mr. Garrett sets forth the Milner pack to have been the most outstanding pack he ever knew about from a standpoint of consistant July Performance. In his book on page 248 he states what Hop Milner said about the performance of Hunt, son of Nip. Mr. Hop Milner said "Hunt took the fox away from my entire pack with ease during the first round and they had to cut in on him during the first turn. He did the same trick during the next circle and killed that fox more than a quater of a mile ahead of my hounds"
Now on the other hand why did Mr. Garrett reject the blood of the bitch Countess and why was it weeded out? Why was it that he personally could not see any reason to continue the blood of the Eskedales after giving them a trial? Why did he seek out the Sugar Loaf hound to cross on his Julys? Was any of these hounds produce accepted or rejected on the basis of pedigree or was it on the basis of desired performance? I realize these are extreme cases but I am relating them to emphasize the fact we could put too much emphasis on pedigree and not enough on progeny tested July performance.
Now Dr. Fountain, I am a pedigree extremist myself and it is hard for me to overcome it. I have received quite a bit of criticism because of it. It is reflected on the fact I have hounded Mr. Cunningham unmercifully in an effort to obtain the breeding of Cunningham's Joe. I will not tolerate any radical outcrosses in my breeding hounds, but when the strain characteristics can be enhanced and intensified by the use of hounds that might carry a little blood from a way back that might not be too blue, I am of the opinion we should accept them. Your friend, Jack Davis
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