TJie Farmers — Fox Prese?^vers, &c. 199 



by those who are under an obligation to them no 

 untoward results are to be feared. 



Masters of Hounds and Gentlemen hunting 

 from their homes in the country are, as a rule, 

 very liberal ; but there are visitors and strangers 

 of whom it may truly be said that they might 

 very easily do more than they do, and I shall 

 hardly be ruled out of order if I remind that 

 class of hunting men that the farmer finds the 

 playground, and there is certainly something due 

 to him for so doing. The apparent overlooking 

 of this fact may be only the result of thought- 

 lessness but it is not the right thing anyhow. 



It is a great pleasure to me to be able, in 

 writing of the Grafton farmers, to say that in 

 the period covered by this history we only had 

 one man who revolted, and he did it openly ; he 

 was utilised and that in a fitting manner, namely, 

 to compare with the good ones and show them 

 up to the best advantage. 



Some of the farmers had coverts on their farms, 

 whether the same were their own property or 

 rented. Messrs. Aris, of Weedon, father and son, 

 had Weedon Coppice, than which there w^as no 

 better place, and the Diary extracts now pub- 

 lished will show the value of this covert to the 

 hunt. Mr. Aris, of Oakley Bank, had the 



