190 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



ated with rain, and, as every one knows, provides 

 the best sport when in that state. I am not alto- 

 gether of the opinion that the difference lies in the 

 improvement of scent, but have always thought 

 that a great deal is due to the sticky nature of the 

 clay, which clogs a fox's brush and handicaps 

 very considerably his speed. We all know that 

 if hounds can keep fairly close to their fox, they 

 will run well with a moderate scent. 



Season 1904-1905 



Unlike the previous one, the beginning of this 

 season was extraordinary dry, and it was really 

 hardly fit to ride until December. With the ex- 

 ception of a very smart run on the Quorn opening 

 day from Gartree Hill to Wyfordby with a kill in 

 the open, sport was moderate up to Christmas. 



Capt. Burns-Hartopp continued his run of 

 ill-luck by losing the services of his first whip 

 through a fall in cub-hunting. Will Farmer gave 

 every promise of being a very efficient whipper-in, 

 and it must have been a great disappointment to 

 him to break his leg before the season had begun. 

 There was a slight improvement in scent with the 

 beginning of the New Year ; but frost and snow 

 curtailed most of the hunting days in January. 



On 17th February the Quorn finding an outlier 

 close to Queniborough village ran him to Ranks- 

 borough, where they unfortunately changed. This 

 was a very fine run with only a moderate scent, 

 and the point is over eleven miles. The gallop 

 of the following Friday was, however, better appre- 

 ciated, for hounds ran very fast, and rolled their 



