56 The Hunting Countries of England. 



Wentwortli as its centre^ is, again, completely 

 separated from tlie remaining useful strip along the 

 east, by the narrow valley of the Don — having two 

 lines of railways, a river, and an unbroken street or 

 two, all along its border on that side. Indeed, a fox 

 found near Wentworth, can only run a narrow circle, 

 or dodge about from covert to covert till he is killed 

 — for a double line of railway, a river, and a canal 

 block him again round the north, and coal and iron- 

 works entirely cut off his escape to the west. It is 

 different with the eastern strip ; for a fox can travel 

 thence as far as he pleases into the Grove country. 

 There are plenty of coverts to lead him thither, while, 

 as already mentioned, the valley of the Don at his 

 back altogether prevents him turning his head in the 

 other direction. A little patch of gTass, good enough 

 for Leicestershire even, exists on the eastern border. 

 A three-mile circle would perhaps contain it ; but, as 

 far as it goes, it offers a charming soup9on amid ruder 

 fare. With this exception, all the open ground in 

 Lord Fitzwilliam^s country is ploughed — where 

 cultivated at all. As a whole, it puts forward httle 

 pretensions to being an agricultural country. It has 

 other, and more wealthy aspirations. ^Yhere cultiva- 

 tion comes in at all, it is generally done as if it were 

 merely a temporary operation. The stiff clay is turned 

 and tended to grow whatever it will ; but the fences 

 are more often built in the most heterogeneous and 

 haphazard fashion — especially as we near the coalpits. 

 Thorns, sticks — even wire and old chains — are thrust 

 together to make some sort of barrier. Ditches are 

 never dug ; and an honest post-and-rail is rare. In 



