170 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. 



which his father bred at RoUeston, but he has not been 

 out with the hounds since he inherited his property, eleven 

 years ago. He was educated at Eton, where the river 

 proved more fascinating than the cricket-field. After 

 Eton came three years of foreign travel, and it was not till 

 after he came of age that he acquired his great proficiency 

 with the single-sticks and the " gloves." His was, for 

 some years, a familiar figure on the box of the coach with 

 yellow wheels and a team of greys, but his hands have 

 become so crippled with gout that he has had to abandon 

 what was with him a favourite diversion. In his attire 

 he, to some extent, resembles a typical " John Bull," so 

 much so, in fact, that he laughingly said, it was impossible 

 for him to go to the Paris Exhibition, because John Bull 

 was not popular in France just then. Now, instead of 

 hunting and coaching, he devotes himself to agriculture, 

 fcirming extensively at Rolleston, and proving that, with 

 proper management, it can be made to pay. His aim is to 

 have everything of the best. " Shires " have taken the 

 place of the light horses which he used to breed, pure 

 Southdown sheep have been found not to do well on 

 his heavy clay soil, while, with respect to shorthorns, his 

 object is to develop their milking capacities. Not only 

 does he aim at excellence himself, but he has lent a round 

 dozen of good pedigree bulls to his tenants. He always 

 does his best to encourage local shows, and is an exhibitor 

 himself, especially at Tutbury, where his stock have been 

 very successful.* Besides this, he, in co-operation with 

 Professor MacFadyean, has been indefatigable in experi- 

 ments with respect to the tuberculosis test. These costly 

 investigations confer a great boon on the public, and it is 

 to be hoped they will have a practical success. Sir Oswald 

 is a Deputy Lieutenant, and J.P. for Stafibrdshire, and he 

 married, in 1873, Elizabeth Constance, second daughter of 

 Sir William White, who is quite as popular as he is. His 

 son, who is so well known between the fiags, does not 

 hunt with the Meynell as much as he used to do, but the 



* Baih/s Magazine. 



