16 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



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years, and have shown superior sport, not only Tunning 

 hard ^ but overhauling their foxes in long runs with 

 a ticklish scent. Long has a thorough knowledge of 

 his business, fully appreciates old pedigrees, and is alto- 

 gether well fitted to hold the situation which he now 

 does with credit to the Duke and satisfaction to the 

 country. Lord Yarborough's are a favourite sort with 

 many, and Lord Seagrave's, who both breed largely, 

 with many others in fashion at the present time. I 

 would begin if I could with the old drafts from the 

 Duke of Rutland's, the Quorn, Sir R. Sutton's, Lord 

 Fitzwilliam's, and Lord Henry Bentinck's, which I 

 think most likely to supply the most useful five and six 

 year old hounds. For the young unentered hounds, I 

 should go to the kennels of Tedworth, the Badminton, 

 Lord Fitzwilliam's, and the Duke of Rutland's. To 

 hunt two and sometimes three days a week, you must 

 purchase at least a hundred couples of hounds, but you 

 need not keep them longer than you are obliged. When 

 you have bought the old draft, the huntsman will, I 

 have no doubt, tell you what hounds are likely to answer 

 your piu'pose ; view with suspicion the three and four 

 seasoned ones, and if out. of fifty couples of old, you can 

 select twenty which will hold out through the season, 

 you may consider yourself fortunate. Put forward 

 twenty-five couples of unentered hounds at least; be not 

 over particular as to appearances, but keep the best 

 bred. You will have to contend with distemper and 

 other maladies, and young hounds are seldom safe until 

 they have been rounded, and have passed over the 

 summer months. 



If you intend hunting your hounds yourself, you will 



