188 The Hunting Countries of England. 



remain in security (or otherwise) than to tempt fate 

 by returning to his old haunts. In other words, he 

 gets outside the range of country hunted, and either 

 remains there in peace or, what is much more probable, 

 falls a victim to a keeper. Consequently, as the 

 season advances, the Suffolk country often finds many 

 good coverts unoccupied, and has to face a pronounced 

 diflSculty in the form of scarcity of foxes. 



Suffolk is, for the most part, so admirably adapted 

 for game breeding, that it is difficult for those who go 

 thither for shooting purposes to recognise that the 

 country should also be credited with foxhunting func- 

 tions. The residents see it strongly. But it so 

 happens that, while farm rents have of late years been 

 so often represented by the algebraic x, shooting rents, 

 on the contrary, have always been fixed quantities., 

 easily obtainable. Thus many landlords have let 

 houses and game to the stranger; the stranger comes 

 thither to find partridge and pheasant, and Mr. 

 Velveteen^s orders, positive enough in reference to 

 these, are too often discretionary (if seldom actually 

 negative) with regard to the fox. As a matter of fact, 

 no county, subordinate to the plough, is better fitted 

 for foxhunting in its fairest form than Suffolk. Its 

 coverts are plentiful, without being too extensive or too 

 thickly packed ; the country is open and sound, and 

 everywhere either level or gently undulating. The 

 fences, bank and ditch, are pleasantly rideable without 

 being insignificant, and are frequent enough for the 

 most greedy of jumpers. If foxes were but plentiful, 

 there would be room enough in Suffolk for three more 

 packs of foxhounds; and Yorkshire itself would 



