126 FOX-HUNTING FROM SHIRE TO SHIRE 



and each successive season it grows in popularity, 

 maintaining an excellent average of sport. A 

 shooting country abounding in beautiful coverts 

 requires time and education before it becomes an 

 established hunting area, but now the happiest 

 state of feeling exists, for foxes and pheasants 

 flourish, as they always can with proper manage- 

 ment. The extent of this two-days-a-week offshoot 

 of the Hertfordshire country proper, is twelve miles 

 from north to south, and ten miles from east to west, 

 comprising an extent of woodland and a sweep of 

 hay-growing meadows — bordering up to the Great 

 Northern Railway at Potters Bar. On the master's 

 own shooting surrounding Broxbornebury Park, 

 which is good fox ground, the average bag of 

 game for the season is 1500 pheasants, and 200 

 brace of partridges. A large number of keepers 

 are engaged in the district, furthering the interests 

 of the hunt. Liberal head-money is given for finds, 

 besides prizes of £^ and £3 presented each season 

 to the keepers of the coverts from which the longest 

 and best runs occur. The keepers' dinner and 

 shooting competition at the end of the hunting 

 season has done much to promote harmony between 

 the two branches of sport which flourish in Hertford- 

 shire, and residents vie with one another in enter- 

 taining the hunt at lawn meets. The master hunts 

 the pack at his own expense, the country finding 

 the poultry and damage fund. 



In 1907 Mr Smith-Bosanquet served in South 

 Africa, and was attached to the King's Dragoon 

 Guards, — afterwards hunting in various parts of 

 England and Ireland. Holding the mastership of 

 the Cambridgeshire for four seasons with his college 

 friend the Hon. L. J. Bathurst assisting for one 

 season as huntsman ; James Budd was then engaged. 



