The Athletes and Athletic Sports of Scotland

PUTTING THE STONE. 39 Donald Dinnie does not claim the Dunkeld put as a genuine record, as the groundwas far from level, but he claims 39 ft. 9 in. In that case, whenin good form, he should never havebeen below 37 ft. 9 in. with a 22 lb. At Aboyne, where the ground is very nearly level,his best throw with a round 22 lb. stone is 37 ft., and he has more than once beenunder 36 ft., orfour feet behind the best he claims. With reference to George Davidson it is to be remarked that he has no extraordinary puts beyond his average. His Dublin and Luss records are well backed up with 36 ft. 8 in., and 37 ft. 2 in. at Aboyne. As the games at Bridge of Allan, at the time Owen Duffy and James Fleming were making their big records, were held on ground so steep that the chief difficulty when putting was not to make along throw but to keep from going over the stance,the records there may be dismissed as worthless. The Birnam throw, in 1887, agood judge then present puts downas the best put he eversaw Duffy make, yet it cannot be accepted as a genuine 22 lb. stone record, as M'Krae andDavidson were each 38 ft. 6 in., and Duffy ought never, if it is correct, have been under 38 ft.,whereas his best at Aboyne is35 ft. 9 in., while two years in succession at Inverness, 1888-1889, average was under 37 ft. with a 21 lb. stone. His put of 44 ft. 5^ in. at Edinburgh with a genuine 16 lb. ball, on ground almost if not quite level, and, correctly measured, was as genuine a performance as ever donein Scotland; run 7 ft. 6 in. Duffy, as his name indicates, belongs to Ireland. Since 1881 he has had considerably the bestrecord as a putter inScotland, but trains for puttingonly. He is a splendid specimen of a man, 6 ft. 1 in. in height, 46 in. round the chest, thigh 26 in., calf 172 in-, biceps 15I in. James Fleming never claimedeither the Blair Athole, Dunkeld, or Bridge ofAllan throws asgenuine records. What he has told the writer was that the best put he ever made was38 ft. 4 in., in private practice atBlair Athole, with a 22 lb. stone, on ground apparently quite level. At Blair­ gowrie he putted a ball some ounces over 22 lbs. 38 ft., on ground apparently quite level. With regard to many of Flem-