144 CENTURY OF ENGLISH FOX-HUNTING 



the sisters which were not spayed, while they hunt 

 generally several years longer than open bitches. 

 Moreover, the cheapest pack of foxhounds to keep is 

 a pack of spayed bitches, as they do more work with 

 less food than any others. I do not dispute it for 

 a moment, but what would be the value of such a 

 pack? Besides, most M.F.H.'s are anxious to be- 

 come famous for breeding good hounds. Mr. Smith 

 also advocated cutting dog hounds which are slight 

 and weedy, maintaining that it improves their nose. 



By way of change Mr. Smith tried cub-hunting 

 in the afternoon instead of in the early morning, 

 leaving the kennels about 4 p.m., and commencing 

 about 5 p.m., which certainly is more agreeable 

 than getting up in the middle of the night. I will 

 relate his experience in his own words {vide Extracts 

 from, the Diary of a Huntsman^ second edition, page 

 52):- 



"The consequence is the cubs are by that time 

 moving, and soon found ; and the longer you run 

 the cooler it is, instead of getting broiled with heat at 

 nine or ten in the morning. The result was the cubs 

 took more time to kill than in the morning, probably 

 owing to their being more fit to run, being lighter. 

 But the later it was the cooler it was also ; and, 

 consequently, the hounds were never so much dis- 

 tressed as in the heat of the morning, which increased 

 as the hounds got tired. But however agreeable 

 it may be, it is not so much like business as if in 

 the morning ; the men have a great deal to do 



