A year's work in the kennel. 



51 



the bowels regulated, and good nursing, will do more 

 to bring a distemper patient round than all the 

 patent contrivances in the world. 



A fairly good result has been arrived at by keep- 

 ing the temperature of the lodging-room up to 

 60 deg. Fahr. in cold weather by means of hot- 

 water pipes, but there is great danger of cold after- 

 wards. In February and March, when we often get 

 our coldest snaps of weather, there may be some- 

 thing in the idea, and the plan certainly has a good 

 deal of merit and is well worth a trial. 



The season will be drawing to a close about the 

 middle of April, the state and condition of the 

 •country settling the date. In some woodland 

 countries hounds generally hunt long enough to kill 

 a May fox, but by the 20th of April most packs 

 have had their last day of the season. 



The next thing to do will be to make the 

 draft, which requires some judgment, but there 

 should not be very much difficulty about it, pro- 

 vided there is a huntsman who knows his business 

 in the field. 



I would only mention that it is generally worth 

 while keeping a couple or two of the old hounds, 

 that will not do another season, over till the end 

 of the next cub-hunting. 



This brings us round to the beginning of another 



kennel year again, with a repetition of the work that 



falls on the shoulders of a master of hounds, and in 



E 2 



