366 HUNTING. 



and I feel sure that an entertainment of this kind 

 would be productive of beneficial results. In order to 

 make it a success, it would have to be attended by 

 some of the members of the local Hunt, and not in 

 any way bear the stamp of a charity ball ; for 

 untravelled middle-class people in this country are, 

 as a rule, very " select," and eaten up with social 

 ambition, and many who would not think of attend- 

 ing a subscription dance, would be attracted by 

 " an invitation Hunt ball." Besides, after all, even 

 if local residents and farmers pay their guinea to 

 be present at an annual Hunt ball, they feel them- 

 selves rather " out of it," if they are not personally 

 acquainted with anyone in the room, and wisely 

 avoid such dreary functions. It is recorded of Mr. 

 Conyers that he once presented every farmer's wife 

 in his hunting district with a silk dress, saying that 

 the ladies must be propitiated if hunting is to flourish. 

 One of the reasons why hunting is unpopular 

 among farmers is the selfish and reckless manner 

 in which many followers of a hunt ride over arable 

 land ; the greatest sinners in this respect being those 

 who reside in towns, and who, knowing nothing about 

 agriculture, err more from ignorance than indifference. 

 Unless vegetation stares them in the face, they 

 evidently think there is no harm in riding over ploughed 

 land, no matter how distinctly the smoothly-harrowed 

 surface and carefully prepared drains indicate the 

 presence of seed underneath. In such a case, our best 

 plan would be to skirt along, as near as possible, the 



