HUNTING PEOPLE AND FARMERS 5 



of horses brought every year to Melton get through, or get 

 put down" to them, an average of from twelve to fifteen 

 shillings a week for forage and bedding ; but the meat, milk, 

 butter, cream, cheese, poultry, vegetables, and other farm- 

 produce consumed by the visitors and their hosts of servants 

 make a far larger total. Butchers' bills of from 20 to ^30 

 a week for a hunting family, without counting the outdoor 

 servants, help to raise the price of beasts and sheep, to say 

 nothing of the other weekly accounts. As a man who loves 

 hunting, even though, worse luck, he cannot always enjoy it, 

 I plead for reciprocation and tolerance. The farmers say 

 that some of the hunting people (not many I should think) 

 send to " The Stores " ; yet I have seen farmers who supplied 

 local butchers, buy New Zealand and American meat for their 

 eating, instead of patronising their own customers. The fact 

 however remains that hunting people and farmers are 

 mutually useful to each other ; although, unfortunately, some 

 of both classes like to take all they can get without giving 

 anything in return. We all know and, I hope, detest the 

 hunting loafer who breaks down fences and gallops over 

 winter wheat and clover root without subscribing to even the 

 covert or poultry fund. And then there's the farmer who 

 keeps up barbed wire, while benefiting by a sport he helps 

 to destroy. The conduct of both is equally contemptible, and 

 reminds me of the story of a community of Polish Jews who 

 met together in order to decide on the form of a testimonial 

 which they wished to present to their village Head Man, who 

 had been very good to them. After various proposals, they 

 settled that it should be a barrel of wine. While discussing 

 the question of the best wine merchant from whom they could 

 obtain it, one of the assembly suggested that as the majority 

 of them were wine-growers, the most economical plan would 

 be for each of them to bring a bottle of wine and pour it into 

 a barrel which they would collectively purchase. This being 



