EARTH STOPPING, ARTIFlCIAly EARTHS, &c. 



foxes may to a certain extent be in-bred, but in 

 the majority of countries, the necessary change 

 of blood is generally forthcoming. The habits 

 of the fox, such as travelling long distances to 

 visit the vixen of his choice, preclude any pos- 

 sibility of consistent in-breeding. With regard to 

 over-stocking, a well known M.F.H. once said : 

 " You might as well say you have too much 

 money, as too many foxes." 



Once mange has made its appearance, the only 

 thing to do is to destroy the affected foxes as soon 

 as possible, and do the same with contaminated 

 earths. Where there are many mangy foxes, 

 it is useless to attempt to destroy them by hunting, 

 for this only drives them about the country, and 

 helps to further spread the disease. A shot gun, 

 held straight, is the best antidote for a fox with 

 mange. 



Harking back for a moment to the subject of 

 stick-heaps and artificial earths, I am inclined 

 to think that quite small gorse coverts are better 

 than either. They are easily made, and if kept 

 quiet, are sure to hold foxes. 



All Hunts have a system of payment for earth- 

 stopping, which varies to some extent in different 

 countries. Some pay by the acreage of the 

 estate, others for litters, and some for finds. 

 Payment for the latter however appears to work 

 unfairly for the man who looks after a litter or 

 litters in the small places, for when hounds draw 

 them the foxes which were bred there are quite 

 likely to be lying in the bigger woods adjoining, 

 and the keeper of the latter pockets the " find " 

 money. This system also encourages unscrupu- 

 lous keepers to show hand-reared or other bad 

 foxes. It is quite easy to turn down a fox before 



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