THE FARMER 103 



fox-hunter. Few farmers can afford to wait for 

 their money after the corn is sold, and still less 

 even afford to keep their oats for eighteen 

 months. The majority of men who hunt in a 

 fashionable country do not buy any forage until 

 the last moment, when they must have old hay 

 and old oats. The dealer knows there will be this 

 demand in the autumn and lays in a stock during 

 the spring or summer, whenever the farmer wishes 

 to sell. The price, in the meantime, through a 

 heavy crop or other causes, may go down, and the 

 dealer is obliged to charge something for the risk 

 he runs ; but I don't think the farmer grudges 

 him his fair profit on the outlay of money and for 

 his trouble. 



It is very unfair to blame the dealers : they are 

 business men and naturally want to make a living ; 

 besides, they buy the farmers' wheat and other 

 grain which are useless to a fox-hunter. 



What the farmer wants is that all forage used 

 in the hunting-stables should be grown in the 

 neighbourhood, and not imported from other 

 counties. Considering that the farmer gets 

 nothing for allowing his land to be ridden over, 

 I think this is the very least we can do for him. 



