SPORTSMAN 67 



nine months old, which is as perfect at all sorts 

 of fences as the best hunter. 



The writer hopes, in selecting these extracts 

 from a collection of his own practical observations, 

 not to be thought too severe on any description 

 of men who hunt with fox-hounds ; for it is fair 

 to suppose that those who have not resided in 

 the country cannot be so much aware at times of 

 the mischief they are doing in riding as those 

 who are constantly resident there, and who have 

 more opportunities of getting acquainted with the 

 state of crops, etc. If these men would only 

 consider this, they would not be surprised at seeing 

 a farmer extremely irate with them for riding on 

 a field of tares, for instance (which they had 

 mistaken for weeds), young seeds, — that is, clover, 

 etc., or turnips, — ^when there is a footpath within 

 two yards, and this merely for the sake of keeping 

 up a conversation by riding by the side of another 

 man, who is riding on a path or furrow under a 

 hedge, instead of behind him. Men being thus 

 unconscious that they are doing mischief, makes 

 it no matter of surprise that they flare up, or 

 are much provoked at the coarse or rough language 

 addressed to them by the owner of the land — a 

 circumstance often witnessed by the writer, who 

 has invariably proved the old proverb to be true, 

 that " A soft word turneth away wrath " ; and 



