262 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



AN extract from Frank Gillard's diary gives the 

 dates he commenced cubbing from August 1870. 

 The autumn of 1874 was the earliest start on 

 record, after a blazing hot summer, and a conse- 

 quently early harvest, hounds commencing on the 

 12th of August. This season under consideration 

 was the second earliest, bracketed with 1884, as in 

 both years hounds commenced on August 21st. 

 During seven years from 1886 to 1892, which were 

 wet, the dates were respectively September 13th, 

 5th, 19th, 5th, 4th, llth, and 8th, which clearly 

 proves how closely the interests of sport and agri- 

 culture are allied. 



The drought and heat this year were excessive, 

 so that the hay crop entirely failed, and our hunters 

 were asked to eat a foreign importation from 

 America and Russia. As an example of the price 

 of English -grown hay for hunters, the order for the 

 Quorn stable was one hundred tons, for which one 

 thousand pounds was paid by Lord Lonsdale. 

 Hounds also suffered much from heat and thirst 

 when drawing thick covert, all the ponds and dykes 

 being dry or choked with black mud. The grass 

 land, too, was brown as the road, and of the same 

 consistency, so that stock were unusually trouble- 

 some in breaking fence, and cub-hunting operations 

 practically confined to walking exercise. 



This season Fred Powell was promoted to first 

 whipper-in, the new hand being Harry Maiden from 

 the Linlithgow and Stirling quick to turn hounds 

 and cheery as a blackbird. Old Gambler, the king 

 of the pack, in his twelfth year, stone deaf, otherwise 



