The Worcestershire. 227 



lead to successful foxhunting ; and, in common with 

 too much of West Worcestershire, pays but indifferent 

 attention to reynard^s well-being. 



Shooting is an element in Worcestershire life that 

 treads not only too closely on the heels of foxhunting, 

 but often on its toes, even on its most sensitive corns. 

 Where foxhunting could best find foothold, there it has 

 often least standing room. On the open ground on 

 either bank of the Severn it has fair play ; and there it 

 has to meet the disadvantage of a more than in- 

 different scent. Along the south-eastern border, 

 however, where the coverts are of easy limit and the 

 soil is more favourable, it has a better chance, as 

 already noted. But there is room enough, and there 

 are coverts enough, in the Worcestershire country for 

 two packs of hounds. There cannot be less, indeed, 

 than twenty thousand acres of woodland — and, if the 

 saying holds true that the worst of land will carry a 

 goose to the acre, surely twenty acres of good wood- 

 land should be enough to support a fox. But, as a 

 matter of fact, such is not always found to be the case 

 in Upper Worcestershire. Comparatively few phea- 

 sants take up a great deal of ground ; and in many 

 very large woods have frightened away the foxes 

 altogether. Yet Worcestershire scarcely aspires to 

 being a great shooting country. The keepers, unfor- 

 tunately, have for generations been bred too much in- 

 and-in ; and take to the trap almost from the cradle. 

 Early initiated to blood, they crave for it ever after, 

 and pass the instinct on to their descendants. The 

 strain that is born to understand and believe that foxes 

 and pheasants may be co-existent, has as yet only been 



