196 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



reminding us of Beckford's description of a similar 

 lot of hounds in his neighbourhood, which ran in a 

 long extended line, the scent being always recovered 

 by an old soutliern hound. If scratch packs, ill 

 matched, can give good accounts of their foxes, 

 eight or nine couples of really efficient hounds are, 

 save for the fashion and appearance of the thing, 

 quite sufficient for the purpose of hunting and 

 killing any fox. The great mistake in the present 

 day is to suppose that nothing can be done without 

 vast numerical strength in the kennel or the stable. 

 We hear of sixty, seventy, and even eighty couples 

 of hounds being kept in some large establishments, 

 with a corresponding number of horses and servants, 

 to hunt four days a week, whereas somewhere 

 about half that number would do the work more 

 efficiently, with an immense saving to the master. 



I think we have before remarked that young 

 hounds cannot be worked too much, particularly 

 those of unsteady character ; and as long as they 

 can jump off their benches quickly, they will be 

 better hunting in the field than lying idle in their 

 lodging-room. Good old steady hounds, of well- 

 tried character, should be used more sparingly, 

 although every hound in the kennel, taking the 

 season throughout, should be able to show at the 

 covert-side at least two days in a week, except 

 from lameness or accidents. 



