1894J MR. "THIRTY SEASONS." 271 



Langham, Majors Wickham, Ricardo, Tempest, Browning-, Drake, Park Yates, 

 Messrs. Ames, Asliton, J. Arkwright, Bathni\st, Brand, Do Burgh, Fomie, 

 T. Fitzwilliam, Fielden, Lindsoll, Mackenzie. Butt-Miller, Cliandos-Pole, 

 Portal, Colville-Smitli, Rawnsley, Rigden, Slierhrooko, Tlmrsby, Wraughara, 

 Wright, Wroughton, with several others, and many hunt servants. Of 

 the general public it would be impossible to attempt any representative list. 



We may here mention that successes of the Warwick- 

 shire hounds at Peterborough have been so frequent, that 

 we must apologise to our readers for not finding room for 

 them all. 



The following letter appeared in the Field on July 21st: 



The Peterborough Show. — Sir, — I have a resolution to jn-opose, which 

 is both radical and revolutionary ; it will no doubt call down vials of wrath 

 on my devoted head. Never mind ; I must bear it. 



I beg to move. Sir, " that the Peterljorough Hound Show is useless and 

 dangerous, and ought to be abolished." Possibly I may he in a minority of 

 one in your columns ; but, oddly enough, it happened that, while riding home 

 from hunting one day late last season, my companion of the ride remarked to 

 me : " The worst thing that ever happened for hunting is that Peterl)orough 

 Hound Show ! " We fell to discussing it, and, rightly or wrongly, we came 

 to the conclusion that it led to breeding for looks and pace, to the disregard 

 of nose and tongue. Is it so P Well, I venture to assert that a very fleet 

 pack of silent hounds does not conduce to " the greatest happiness of the 

 greatest number." 



I have had the privilege of seeing in the field the pack which took premier 

 honours at the last show, and, while I freely join in the universal admiration 

 of their appearance, and the pace at which they can go, I venture to suggest 

 that it is possible to have hounds too fast, and certainly too silent. No 

 one doiiljts the tremendous pace at which the prize-winning pack can slip 

 away from Shuckburgh or Ladbroke. But the reverse of the medal is often 

 quickly apparent. An unjumpable fence, and having to wait your turn at a 

 narrow wicket-gate or the only available gap, and where are you P If you are 

 not one of the first three or four at the place, you may just as well be in 

 barracks at Weedon or on the Parade at Leamington for all you will see of 

 them again, as long as they are running straight and fast. And when they 

 cease to run straight and fast, when the inevitable sheepdog or men at plough 

 has caused a check, are they as ready to come to their noses when they have 

 done racing as some less fasliional)le packs ? Are they a killing pack p No 

 doubt I shall be told they made a big bag last season. Quite so ; but how 

 many of the total were killed before Novemlier, and how many after 

 Christmas, on the top of the ground P 



Seriously, Sir, in these days of agricultural depression, and when too much 

 cannot be done to make hunting popular with all classes, is it wise to " run 

 the show " for men with a couple of two-huudred-giiinea horses out P 



Do one-horse men — the majority and the mainstay of most hunts — prefer 

 to ride to a pack as fleet and as silent as greyhounds ? I have my doubts. 



Thirty Seasons. 



[Our correspondent surely cannot be serious in suggesting that, in the hope 



