EARTH STOPPING. 5 



" Stopping " means stopping the earths during 

 the night. 



" Putting to " means when it is done in the 

 early morning. 



Great care must be taken not to stop the foxes 

 in, and this can easily be done by a lazy or careless 

 man stopping the earths too late, and great care 

 should be taken to unstop them at night. 



All main and large earths should be stopped 

 for the season as soon as hunting begins, and 

 opened as soon as there are signs of cubs. Great 

 care should be taken when thus stopping them not 

 to stop any unfortunate animal in. In the spring, 

 then, they should be " put to " when necessary, 

 later in the morning, so as to be sure the vixen has 

 returned to her home and so avoid any accident 

 happening to hen 



Drains should be run with terriers and then 

 stopped at the beginning of the season with stakes 

 or small drain pipes (which are best) made so as to 

 allow the water to run freely. Iron grates are 

 often stolen. 



The Hounds. 



Form your pack according to the country in 

 which it is to hunt. 



Breed from the very best blood that you can 

 get, but stick to the same sort. 



Without nose hounds cannot hunt, and without 

 pace they cannot catch a fox. These two things 

 must therefore be combined. 



A badly shaped hound cannot gallop, and with- 



