1 82 HARE-HUNTING AND HARRIERS 



in his grass yard. This he thought of use to keep 

 hounds clean and improve their coats. " You will 

 find them," he says, " frequently rubbing themselves 

 against it ; the shade of it is always useful to them 

 in summer." A hayrick, however, is not an appur- 

 tenance that can be managed in the grass yard of 

 every kennel. Hound gloves, which are commonly 

 in use among huntsmen, are good substitutes for Mr. 

 Beckford's hayrick. The grass yard itself should 

 be looked after closely. The grass should be attended 

 to and encouraged, for, after all, grass is one of the 

 best, as it is the most natural, of medicines for every 

 hound. The yard is to be kept clean and tidy, and, 

 to ensure this the kennel huntsman, or feeder, should 

 go over it at least once daily with his broom in his 

 hand. Every hole worked by a hound should be 

 filled up, and no bones or other refuse should be 

 suffered to lie about. 



In some kennels, where hounds are fed almost entirely 

 on raw flesh, and there is little cooking to be done, the 

 duties of a feeder are very considerably lightened ; 

 but in the great majority of establishments hounds 

 are fed upon cooked flesh and meal, with the occa- 

 sional addition of vegetables.* Horseflesh is the 

 usual food of hounds, and part of the kennel hunts- 

 man's or feeder's duty will be in seeing that such flesh 

 is duly forthcoming. The Master, himself, especially 

 if he happens to move about the country, can often 

 hear of the necessary food-supplies, or is able to make 

 some permanent arrangement with a horse-knacker. 

 The flesh should be boiled for hours until it parts 

 readily from the bone. Digesters are recommended 

 for this process, and although they add to the prelimi- 



* Various kinds of vegetable are used : cabbage, greens, 

 turnips, parsnips, beet, &c. All of them arc good, in season. 



