176 HARE-HUNTiNG AND HARRIERS 



able to stone, which is apt to absorb moisture and is, 

 for modest harrier kennels, an expensive luxury. Mr. 

 Southerden, of the Hailsham Harriers, who has built 

 his own kennels, which, having been familiar with 

 for some years, I can pronounce entirely successful, 

 sends me the following note : "I am greatly in favour 

 of wooden buildings, with thatched roofs ; they are 

 drier and warmer in the winter than any other mate- 

 rials, whUe in the summer they are cooler. Outside, 

 a coat of tar preserves the wood. My idea for size 

 of a kennel for twenty hounds is a modern building of 

 about fifteen feet by eight feet (Mr. Southerden has 

 two of these kennels, one for his dog hounds the other 

 for the bitches), with a movable bench, two feet nine 

 inches wide, on each side, which leaves a passage of 

 about two feet six inches, which is wide enough to 

 enable hounds to get on and off the bench. Use only 

 one bench at a time, so as to enable the kennel man 

 to always have one clean, lime- washed, and sweet. 

 The bed should be composed of fresh deal shavings, 

 if they can be procured, as they are better and more 

 economical than wheat straw.* Attached there should 

 be an enclosed run, the width of the building, and about 

 fifteen feet in length ; the whole of this space should be 

 floored with Portland cement. 



" Cleanliness is of the utmost importance, and 

 kennels should be swept out with an abundance of water 

 at least once a day, and occasionally a little disinfec- 

 tant should be used. Always keep the floor of the 

 kennel and the run well above the ground level, and 

 the building should be so placed that the door should 

 face as near south as possible, and arranged so that 

 half, or rather more, of the upper part can be closed 

 in bad or cold weather, leaving the bottom part open 



♦ Straw is commonly used ; but it should be kept dry. 



