HUNTSMAN 81 



In order to remove the obstruction (that of 

 sheep), in Leicestershire a plan has been proposed, 

 which, if adopted, may be of some avail — namely, 

 to raise a fund for the purpose of paying the 

 farmers who are willing to allow their shepherds 

 to pen their sheep in a corner, or part of a field, 

 instead of being spread all over it, from about 

 half-past eleven till three or four o'clock, for a 

 certain distance round the place of meeting. Few 

 remedies are without objections ; and to this there 

 may be some. In the first place, the shepherds 

 who are to do this will probably have dogs ; at 

 all events they will be about, where before they 

 were not, and will be looking out for the fox, etc. 

 Where shepherds have dogs it is found to be a 

 great nuisance ; so much so, that a celebrated 

 sportsman in the south has, it is said, adopted the 

 plan of paying the shepherds a certain sum every 

 day the hounds meet near, to keep their dogs 

 fastened up, — this being a very open country, 

 where dogs are of great use to the shepherds. 



Blank days will seldom happen if a country is 

 hunted regularly and without partiality. It is 

 the too frequently hunting favourite covers, and 

 neglecting to hunt the outskirts, which is one 

 cause of blank days. The foxes go where they 

 are quietest ; and the consequence is they are 

 unfairly destroyed, on the plea that it is no use 



