336 THE OLD BERKS HUNT 



time the Old Berks country was terribly- 

 affected with mange, and consequently foxes 

 were scarce, and long draws frequent. Mange 

 had been, indeed, prevalent for some years, and 

 it came to a climax in 1893-94. The summer 

 had been a very dry one and the ground 

 throughout the autumn was very hard. Cub- 

 hunting commenced on September the 21st. 

 The winter was comparatively mild and open, 

 frost seldom interfering with hunting, which 

 was, however, stopped on November the 21st 

 by fog. In February hunting was stopped by 

 frost from the 19th to the 25th. Hounds were 

 out altogether seventy-five days and killed 

 twenty-one and a half brace of foxes, of 

 which seven and a half brace were affected 

 with mange. Hounds drew blank no less 

 than five days — a record in this undesirable 

 direction in the Old Berks country. Perhaps 

 the best run of the season took place on 

 February the 7th. After a meet at Wicklesham 

 they found at Coxwell Furze. Getting away on 

 good terms over the road, hounds ran sharp for 

 Beckett, then bearing to the left, crossed the 

 Fernham and Longcott road and ran down to 

 the railway at Iron Bridge Covert. Here they 

 turned back to the right, and ran nearly to 

 Fernham, on to the New Covert, then slower 

 to Uffington, where he was viewed, and run 



