embody the whole code of honour and practice which it becomes 

 a gentleman to obey in the hunting field. 



That it is a costly amusement, goes without saying, especially 

 if our Nimrod elects to hunt in one of the fashionable countries 

 where the pace necessitates a large stud of horses, but there are still 

 packs in existence which make more modest demands upon the 

 purse, and perhaps show better hound work, even if fewer foxes are 

 killed. The old trencher-fed packs, which provided sport at a 

 minimum of expense, are, alas, disappearing, very few now being 

 found in any part of the country. They had the advantage of 

 interesting the farmers and small local men to an extent that is out 

 of the question with other packs. Presumably the objections to 

 the system were stronger than the advantages, otherwise it would 

 not be allowed to fall into desuetude. On the one side, it may be 

 said that hounds cared for by a number of people are less liable to 

 suffer from diseases which are inevitable when many are kennelled 

 together. On the other, hounds so reared cannot possibly be kept 

 in the sound condition desirable for a hard day's work, and there 

 was usually a lack of discipline in the field which was not always 

 conducive to success. 



The influence of fox hunting upon the social and economic 

 side of rural life is one that should not be overlooked. It means 

 that during the winter months thousands of wealthy men and 



