THE HUNTING SEASON. 319 



as a hunting centre, but most of the best meets are a long 

 way off. 



The good service of trains which exists all over the 

 Midlands greatly helps hunting people in getting about. 

 Besides, special trains frequently run from the chief hunting 

 centres to outside meets. 



Furnished houses at from ^150 upwards for the season 

 can be obtained with more or less difficulty, and ^250 would 

 be a fair amount for the hiring of a good hunting box at 

 Melton. A man with economical ideas could live comfortably 

 in an hotel on a pound a day, and could have his hunters put 

 up at 27 or 28 shillings a week, in loose boxes and with the 

 best of forage and bedding ; but would have to provide his 

 own grooms. Outside Melton, one ought to be able to hire 

 loose boxes at five shillings a week each. 



THE HUNTING SEASON. 



In Leicestershire, hunting begins with the first meet of the 

 Quorn at Kirby Gate, generally on the first Monday in 

 November with the first draw usually at Gartree Hill (Fig. 

 218); and the last meet is generally that of the Belvoir in the 

 first week of April. Although a man may add to the duration 

 of his happiness by cub-hunting, which usually commences 

 about the beginning of September, or earlier if the ground is 

 not too hard ; Leicestershire farmers do not welcome strangers 

 before the regular season. Also, cub-hunting in the Shires 

 is poor fun for outsiders, because hounds as a rule are 

 not allowed to go over the open until the middle of 

 October. It has, however, the merit of teaching a stranger 

 the geography of the country, and the position of the coverts, 

 which knowledge will be useful to him later on. If a man 

 can spare time for only half a season, he will generally do well 

 to take his sport before Christmas ; for although the fences 

 will be blind, foxes will be plentiful, and there will be less 



