424 The Hunting Countries of England. 



line to divide it on tlie west from The Eadnor and 

 West Hereford. 



The Kennels are at Whitecross, close to the town 

 of Hereford, were built by Mr. John Arkwright, and 

 are now lent by him to the country. The present 

 Master is Col. Hey wood; and under his care the 

 little pack has risen to high proficiency and is built of 

 the best of blood. 



How the Hereford, whole and undivided, came to 

 be formed into two separate Hunts was briefly as 

 follows. Some years ago Sir Velters Cornwell and 

 Mr. J. H. Arkwright, as partners, hunted the 

 Herefordshire Country in its entirety — the former 

 working the southern portion with half the pack, Mr. 

 Arkwright the northern with the other half; and the 

 hounds being kept at the Whitecross Kennels. This 

 led eventually to Mr. Arkwright building other 

 Kennels at his place at Hampton Court, and to the 

 Country being divided into North and South. Capt. 

 Helme afterwards reunited it for one season; but it 

 soon relapsed again into a division. Mr. F. Piatt 

 bought a pack of hounds of Mr. Villebois for the 

 North Herefordshire Country ; and the ladies of these, 

 with additions made by Col. Heywood, have formed 

 the present pack — which is said to have worked an 

 improvement in sport, commensurate with the trouble 

 that has been taken with its development. 



The fertility of the soil of North Hereford extends 

 its influence to the growth of timber as well as to the 

 varied and lighter assortment already enumerated. 

 Every hedgerow is set thick with spreading trees; 

 and, as the inclosures are, as a rule, of very narrowed 



