THE SEASON OF THE YEAR. 75 



When I hoar a huntsman constantly complaining of a 

 lack of scent, I usually think that something besides 

 scent is wanting. And after all, with a burning scent 

 any hounds will run hard, without a huntsman at all, 

 if the scent be really first-class ; but it is the killing a 

 fox on a bad-scenting day that is the test of huntsman 

 and hounds. 



No doubt the present system of farming is not favour- 

 able to scent. Draining is in many places overdone, so 

 that a dry summer produces an outcry about want of 

 keep for stock, and a fine week in March makes the 

 fallow in most countries as dusty as the desert of Sahara. 

 How do we meet this deterioration of scent ? Common 

 sense would reply, by getting hounds with increased 

 hunting powers. But what is the fact ? Why, that we 

 are actually encouraging them, year by year, to liane less ; 

 A great deal of nonsense is talked about fast and slow 

 hounds. I am no friend of the old Towlers; but surely 

 most hounds of the present day (I may almost say all) 

 are well bred enough to go, with a good scent, fast 

 enough for any horses. It is the keeping on going that 

 stops the horses. Bluecap and Wanton themselves would 

 be no further from the horses than the slowest old blue 

 mottles if they had overrun the scent and were casting 

 about to recover it. It is going steadily on that reaches 

 a given point in quick time not flying for five minutes, 

 and checking for ten. What does it matter hoAv fast 

 hounds go on a scent, if they are off it every three fields 

 from over-running ? No, all hounds, in condition to go, 

 can go fast enough if they keep on going; and if any- 

 one doubts the fact, let him, if he can, persuade a master 

 of harriers to run a drag straight for four miles. Let 

 him take his best horse, and say at the end whether he 



