The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-07-29
MIDSUMMER LITERATURE.
TEE wrrcHrnY OF ARCHERY.

Charles Scribners Sons. Just at tho present time,
when the country is overrun with city people p'nng
for amusement, nothing could be more apropos than
practical book archery Mr. Thompson Is an en-
thusiast this sport, and writes with SO much uhc-
tion that he inspires his readers win an rres'suoie
desire to experiment with the bow and arrow Hmay
well be said he writes that the powerful government
OF England rests upon foundation OF AFRO" he"us'
that its greatest glory has been achieved oy
the nard shooting OF It's archers; that its
his,ory's most brilliant pages have boon craven
or imperishable tablets with the ooaRin-
pointed shafts OF tho yeomen VINO drew
bows at Crecy and Agncourt and oil those h0h's
where its supremacy over Europe was enforced ny
tho "whsiling gray goose wing" ABOUT the last OF
tho eighteenh and the beginning oil the nineteenth
century archery took shape as par erceuence the sport
OF tho nobility gentry OF England, scotland and
Wales In tho United States Mr. Thompson says,
there existed no archery organization prior to tho
publication some of The magazines OF number OF
his own papers descriptive of long bow shooting on
the lawn and by field and food At there are
hundreds Of IRON Maine to Texas, the spread OF
the "roxophrliie mana' being SO sudden that deal'
were at loss 10 supply the demand Tor archery
tackle. Mr.. Thompson Is so great an admirer
of bow shooting that he rather snubs the
iowliug piece When man shoots with Low,
lie says It is his own vgor Of body that drives tie
When the archer his shaft hiss through the air
with force to be equalled by those OF his COM
pstitors, no feels justly proud oil Lis superior man
hood; his trained muscles ana toughened thcws have
done tho work. Not with gun shooting. The rifle
iowiing piecc is charged with power acting ndc-
pspdonty OF muscular operations and will shoot just
us powerfully Tor the schooboy or the weaklng as u
Will Tor the athlete Ito thinks that tho shot.
gun Will exterminate game, and says that
l. has already exterminated II In many regions
Tho very sound OF gun is terrible 10 all wild things
"A lew more years aud hunting Will DO thing Oh tho
past unless some change takes place IN our methods
OF destroying game would not, " he continues, oe
understood as decrying the shotgun when II Is kept
In it's place and used only Tor the sort OF game which
cannot from the nature OF It's habits, be shot except
when Tying, as the woodcock and marsh hen, tho
suipo a nc most water fowl, quail aud grouse 1t Is
the abuse oil gun shootng-the terrible slaughter
committed by pot huntcrs-that deplore."
Bow shooting for game this writer recommends
from experience before you try TO shoot game with
the bow you must practise shooting at some KIND OF
mark. For this purpose target Is not recommends.
who is trained to ann ut large graduated
disc, like that oil lawn target, either with gun or
game The is that in target shooting at fixed
distance gets used 10 certain size, color or con
dtion oil background, and when he gets into the
woods and hits his bow to draw on bro or hare MS
accustomed rings and gay background are not therc
waveringly ana shoots inainer:nty. black rubber
ball, TOUR inches 10 diameter, suspended IN ma
AR by string fastened 10 low Doueh
tuto for bird, and small bag OF straw
placed on the ground and shot at at about twenty
yards gives gooa hare practice. You Will soon dis
cover the great advantage gained by not using the
same distance all the time. For, after all, a bow
mans skill is scarcely worthy OF admiration II 1t IS
confined to one range. Your first shooting at wild
things should be carefully done, choosing the tamest
and least wary OF birds order that your shots may
be at very short range and their result accurately
noted. You must not think OF game until you have
killed a number Of woodpeckcrs, meadow larks and
held sparrows Three things are requisite to bird
shooting with tao bow. FIRST you must know how.
under all circumstances aad over all kinds oil ground
Atslu vi pU
secondly, you must be quick and noiscless as cat in
your movements; thirdly. you mus. draw uniformly
now far or near the bird may be. In o,her words,
draw to tho naad OF your arrow every time you
kinds OF small birds. For shooting hare ana Wild
fowl and large game The broad headed and barocd
shafts are Necessary when you nave rsaSaea 10 asa
dxsd marx ths next thing TO think OF Is shooting ION
| the w,ng" For this sort OF Practice maize spring
bosrd controlled by trigger 30 that when strug
pulled q bs Of rubber 81 any soft material 10 shtowu
IRON u into The ar, alter the masuer Of glass balls
from the Begardus tSap. From forty 20 nifty ponds
| Is good weignt tor ANAL gsmc hunting bow. II
you are very strong and agile you may use one Of
sixty or seventy pounds draw. Fer rabbit shooting
hight but broad headed arrows, sharp pointed ana
bsrbsd.
Archery clubs In England are generally confined to
the wealthy exclusive classes some oil the przcs
offered at the meetings OF tho several societies having
royal ana noble patronage are most magnificent, and
the contests for them have developed hyh degree oil
accuracy IN shooting. The Woodmen OF tho Forest OF
| clusivsly for the lady members. rho Hertiord-
shire Archers offer the lady Members prize OF
| great value and beauty. The Royal Toxopnilite So
ciety, under tho patronage OF The Queen. owns
! grand banqueting hall N the old English style,
grounds IL was The woodmen OF rho For
| est oil Arden who were tho nrst to ad-
NIT ladies INTO The circle OF their GROUNDS as compe
tors tor their prizes, since which most Of the clubs
have been honored by tho skliui shooting and charm
Ing inlucnce OF the lair sex. Ia the United States
tho Wabash Merry Bowmcn and the staten Island
Club have led the way. The latter have their meet
ngs beautu vi ground NJ staten Island he former
| meet week on their own grounds at Crawiords
| ville Ind. There 10 also excellent club A. New
burg, the Hudson, which meets once week AZ the
houses OF us several members Intelligent practice
Mr. Thompson puts down as ibe secret OF expert and
| graceful bowshooting study your bow and inc hight
OF your arrows: note the detects In your shooting
and CONSIDER now to mend them II your habit is 10
low see that you do not place your srrow-
mock TOO high on tue string. and rice uersd IL you
shoot continually side OF the centre OF the tar
get note II your string be straight on your bow aud
that you DO not TWIST the DOW With your lott hand
Just at tho point Of oosing The arrow with tho right
| hand Labor to acquire steadness In drawing ana
smoothnsss and QUICK moss IN loosing good way TO
ally increasing the distance As a sport ladies' Mr..
| Thompson places archery away above croquei Too
little Thought has been gwen TO tho ooahy
education or girls, and croquet had the "A. ct
| OF breaking the ground and taking thsm
OF doors. Croque Is objectionable. this writer
says Tor two rcasous:-The nrst Is thai, since ladies
will corsets, STOPPING IS to them very unwholo
some act causing pressure upon organs OF the body
very sensitive and easily Injured, Archery Is per-
formed In an erect a.,itude II calls into action both
hands aud arms the muscles OF the shoulders and
back, the chest aud legs Another thing-one Is sure
to draw Ia deep iuI breath, expanding tho lungs to
their utmost with pure Outdoor arr just before draw
ing the bow during the act oil drawing. Ltdes
VINO wish 10 have rounded and beautiful forms must
learn thas IN the open MIR and pure light OF
out OF tho thing that will crafty the de-
sire.
A lady should DO careful to begin shooting with n
very weak bow. A twenty-pound weapon Is not too
light the nrst montn OF practice Tho act OF brac
Ing bow likely 10 produce pain In the right side
when frat .npicd, but Tow trials will overcome
the difficulty II the bow Is not too long TOO strong.
Ladies should the shooting glove, as their fingers
are TOO delicate to bear the friction OF tho bow strings
1t is surprising how rapidly lady gains strength
under wen directed training III archery. She begins
tlow.moving guid half invalid anu at the end Of
four weeks of regular practice you see her running
across the lawn after arrows ike Diana pursuing