70 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



liave their water in. They should be placed rather high off the 

 ground, for obvious reasons, and fresh water supplied every day. 



In some establishments there is a separate kennel for the 

 young hounds, with a grass-yard attached for their own use, 

 and it is certainly very advantageous ; but, with a little caution, 

 the buildings and courts I recommend will be sufficient, and be 

 the saving of considerable expense. 



In the hunting season the old hounds will not require the 

 green-yard at all, as they should be walked out, five or six times 

 a day, into a paddock or field, and not be allowed to lie about 

 in the yard or courts, but shut up in their lodging rooms as soon 

 as they return home, particularly the day after hunting. 



In the rear of the kennels should be a covered passage (into 

 which the doors of the middle kennel should open) leading to 

 the feeding house, which stands under the same roof with the 

 boiling house, and is only separated from it by a lath and plaster 

 partition or wall. This passage is intended to answer the pur- 

 pose of a warm bath, also for the hounds' feet after hunting, for 

 which purpose the bricks are to be gradually sloped from each 

 end to the centre, which is to be about a foot deep, and in 

 which is placed a large fiat stone with a plug-hole, to let off the 

 water into a drain, as soon as the hounds are washed. On both 

 sides of this passage will be a paved court, with a small lodging 

 house at each end, one for lame hounds, and the other for those 

 young hounds who may be seriously ill from distemi)er. 



In the feeding room should be also two large coolers for the 

 oatmeal, when boiled, to be placed in. You may then make by 

 one boiling sufficient pudding to last two or three days, which 

 will be a considerable saving in fuel. In clean coolers it will 

 keep well for this time, but not if placed in the feeding troughs. 

 At the end of the feeding house is a door leading into the grass- 

 yard, or out into the field. When hounds are very dirty, they 

 may be passed several times through the passage bath ; four 

 buckets of hot liquor, with a handful of common salt, being 

 thrown into the bath to keep it at a moderate temperature. 



A plan of these kennels is here annexed, the construction of 

 which, where stone is plentiful, would not much exceed two 

 hundred pounds. 



I now purpose treating of the purchasing of hounds, the oldest 

 blood now extant, and the packs from which the best drafts are 

 likely to be obtained, kennel management, breeding and rearing 

 whelps, treatment of young hounds wlien first brought into tho 

 kennel, various kinds of distemper, with, remedies and receipts 

 also of the duties of huntsmen, whipper-in, and feeder, during 

 the summer months. 



