48 HOUNDS. 



rattled, and hounds keen, with plenty of foxes to 

 their credit, sport should come thick and fast, given 

 good scent and' open weather, and looking back on 

 the summer's work the master will have the satis- 

 faction of seeing his trouble amply repaid in the 

 working and condition of his hounds. With the 

 hunting season in full swing, there is not very much 

 that requires attention in the kennel beyond the 

 feeding of the hounds. The huntsman will always 

 feed his hounds if possible, but on hunting days, 

 when starting early, the duty of feeding the other 

 pack will fall on the shoulders of the kennelman, 

 who should be capable of doing it carefully and 

 according to the huntsman's instructions. The food 

 in the hunting season should consist of the best 

 Scotch oatmeal (none better can be bought than 

 that supplied by Messrs. Thurlow & Son, of High 

 Wycombe) and sound horse-flesh well-boiled, varied 

 occasionally with a feed of biscuits for a change on 

 a day after hunting. Flesh is the natural food of 

 hounds, and when m hard work a liberal proportion 

 of their food may consist of it. 



It is a good plan to let hounds rest a little while 

 before feeding them after a hard day's hunting, and 

 then let the food be thin, but the broth must be 

 good. After the night's rest they may be fed 

 in the usual way. I have found 9.0 a.m. to 

 be the best hour to feed hounds the day before 

 hunting. 



