THE HUNTING SEASON. 299 



can be obtained with more or less difficulty, and 250 would 

 be a fair amount for the hiring of a good hunting box at 

 Melton. A man with economical ideas could live comfortably 

 in an hotel on a pound a day, and could have his hunters put 

 up at 27 or 28 shillings a week, in loose boxes and with the 

 best of forage and bedding ; but would have to provide his 

 own grooms. Outside Melton, one ought to be able to hire 

 loose boxes at five shillings a week each. 



THE HUNTING SEASON. 



In Leicestershire, hunting begins with the first meet of the 

 Quorn at Kirby Gate, on the first Monday in November with 

 the meet usually at Gartree Hill (Fig. 218); and the last 

 meet is generally that of the Belvoir in the first week of 

 April. Although a man may add to the duration of his 

 happiness by cub-hunting, which usually begins about the 

 middle of September, or earlier if the ground is not too 

 hard ; Leicestershire farmers do not welcome strangers 

 before the regular season. Also, cub-hunting in the Shires 

 is poor fun for outsiders, because hounds as a rule are 

 not allowed to go over the open until the latter end of 

 October. It has, however, the merit of teaching a stranger 

 the geography of the country, and the position of the coverts, 

 which knowledge will be useful to him later on. If a man 

 can spare time for only half a season, he will generally do well 

 to take his sport before Christmas ; for although the fences 

 will be blind, foxes will be plentiful, and there will be less 

 likelihood of hunting being 'topped by frost than later on. 

 Naturally, the fallen leaves and broken twigs which have 

 accumulated in the ditches during autumn, will require snow 

 and thaws to clear them out. An open February is the ideal 

 month, but if it is mild, the vixen question will arise all the 

 earlier in March. Towards the end of the season, the 

 pleasures of the chase are more or less alloyed by the 



