HINTS ON THE SUBJECT OF FEEDING 43 



and has had more experience in these matters than 

 any one that you perhaps may get) how he mixes up 

 his meat. He tells me, that, in his opinion, oatmeal 

 and barley mixed (an equal quantity of each) make 

 the best meat for hounds. The oatmeal he boils for 

 half an hour, and then puts out the fire, puts the 

 barley into the copper, and mixes both together. I 

 asked him, why he boiled one, and not the other ? 

 He told me, that boiling, which made oatmeal thick, 

 made barley thin; and that when you feed with barley 

 only, it should not be put into the copper, but be 

 scalded with the liquor, and mixed up in a bucket. I 

 find there is in my kennel a large tub on purpose, 

 which contains about half a hogshead. 



You little think, perhaps, how difficult it is to be a 

 good kennel-huntsman ; nor can you, as yet, know 

 the nicety that is required to feed hounds properly. 

 You are not aware, that some hounds will hunt best 

 when fed late ; others when fed early ; that some 

 should have but little ; that others cannot have too 

 much :— however, if your huntsman observe the rules 

 that I have here laid down, his hounds will not do 

 much amiss. But should you at any time wish to 

 renchdrir upon the matter, and feed each particular 

 hound so as to make the most of him, you must 

 learn it of a gentleman in Leicestershire, to whom 

 the noble science of fox-hunting" is more beholden 

 than to any other. I shall myself say nothing further 

 on the subject ; for as your huntsman will not have 

 the sense of the gentleman I allude to, nor you, 

 perhaps, his patience, an easier method I know will 



