28 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



The earlier in the year you breed, the better ; January, February, and 

 March, are the best months. Late puppies seldom thrive ; if you have any 

 such, put them to the best walks. 1 When the bitches begin to get big, let 

 them not hunt any more : it proves frequently fatal to the puppies, some- 

 times to the bitch herself ; nor is it safe for them to remain much longer in 

 the kennel. If one bitch have many puppies, more than she can well rear, 

 you may put some of them to another bitch ; or, if you destroy any of them, 

 you may keep the best coloured. They sometimes will have an extraordin- 

 ary number : I have known an instance of one having fifteen ; and a friend 

 of mine, whose veracity I cannot doubt, has assured me that a hound in his 

 pack brought forth sixteen, all alive. When you breed from a very favour- 

 ite sort, and can have another bitch warded at the same time, it will have 

 this advantage, it will enable you to save all the puppies. Give particular 

 orders that the bitches be well fed with flesh ; they should also have plenty 

 of milk ; nor should the puppies be taken from them till they are able to 

 take care of themselves : they will soon learn to lap milk, which will relieve 

 the mother. The bitches, when their puppies are taken away from them, 

 should be physicked ; they should have three purging-balls given them, 

 one every other morning, and plenty of whey the intermediate day. If a 

 bitch bring only one or two puppies, and you have another bitch that will 

 take them ; by putting the puppies to her, the former will be soon fit to hunt 

 again : she should, however, be physicked first ; and if her dugs be anointed 

 with brandy and water, it will also be of service. The distemper makes 

 dreadful havoc with whelps at their walks, greatly owing, I believe, to the 

 little care that is taken of them there. I am in doubt whether it might not 

 be better to breed them up yourself, and have a kennel on purpose. You 

 have a large orchard paled in, which would suit them exactly ; and what 

 else is wanted might easily be obtained. There is, however, an objection 

 that perhaps may strike you : if the distemper once get amongst them, they 

 must all have it ; yet, notwithstanding that, as they will be constantly well 

 fed, and will lie warm, I am confident it would be the saving of many lives. 

 If you should adopt this method, you must remember to use them early to 

 go in couples ; and, when they become of a proper age, they must be walked 

 out often ; for, should they remain confined, they would neither have the 

 shape, health, or understanding, which they ought to have. When I kept 

 harriers, I bred up some of the puppies at a distant kennel ; but, having no 

 servants there to exercise them properly, I found them much inferior to such 

 of their brethren as had the luck to survive the many difficulties and dangers 

 which they had undergone at their walks : these were afterwards equal to 

 any thing, and afraid of nothing ; while those that had been nursed with 

 so much care, were weakly and timid, and had every disadvantage attending 

 private education. 



1 Of the early whelps I keep five or six, of the late ones only two or three. 



