AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL 51 



act, the M.F.H. having a casting vote in the case 

 of two persons receiving the same number of votes. 

 It is hardly necessary to say that this official should 

 be one whose position entitles him to respect and 

 who is thoroughly acquainted with the country and 

 the people, and who possesses tact in addition to 

 the qualifications above detailed. 



It may be said that with small, or comparatively 

 small, fields the Field Master is not necessary ; but 

 I am only writing of the requirements of establish- 

 ments where hounds are hunted by the Master 

 himself, and in these days I believe that every 

 amateur huntsman will be benefited by the assistance 

 of a Field Master. 



When the late Master of the Carlow and Island 

 Hounds began his long career as huntsman, his 

 father, Mr. John Watson, was M.F.H. and was 

 present to guide and control ; fields were small ; com- 

 plaints from farmers few ; and hunting men with 

 their hounds were educated to demean themselves as 

 sportsmen. Thus, when Mr. Robert Watson assumed 

 supreme command, he had to deal with a field whose 

 obedience and trust in their Master had become 

 traditional ; and, being a born leader of men and 

 possessed of exceptional talent and energy, he had 

 little trouble in maintaining discipline when fields 

 grew larger and difficulties appeared which were 

 undreamt of by the fathers of the men who hunted 

 with him in recent years. Such a thing as over- 

 riding hounds, unduly pressing them at a check, or 

 noise at the covert side would have struck horror 

 into the habitues of the Carlow hunting-field, such 



