292 The Hunting Countries of England, 



spoken oiin boto as a notably good scenting- country ; 

 for the light soil of the body of it carries a strong 

 scent only in October and early November^ and, later 

 on, after an excessive fail of wet. The best part for 

 scent — and for sport — is the upper end, adjoining the 

 North Staffordshire and the Shropshire and cut off by 

 the Old Watling Street Road which crosses the country 

 from Wolverhampton to Wellington. North of this 

 the soil at once gets stronger, the fences stouter, the 

 country more open and scent more reliable. In the 

 Penkridge direction coverts are rather scarce, and the 

 gorses planted in recent years have had no chance 

 against the severe winters; but everywhere else there 

 are coverts enough for all requirements ; while all 

 through the Albrighton territory the foxes are stout 

 and wild. The farmers are most sturdy friends ; will 

 walk puppies to any extent (sixty couple might be got 

 out if desired) ; and they themselves even assist to 

 maintain the poultry-fund as well as rendering its 

 distribution easy. Bad times have for the last season 

 or two kept many of them on foot who had always 

 before ridden a hunter, but who may yet again bring 

 a young one to the covert- side. 



A short-legged, clever horse is the most appropriate 

 mount with the Albrighton hounds. Some breeding 

 is of course desirable ; but it is above all necessary that 

 he should look where he is going and have learned 

 that a deep ditch may often underlie thick waving 

 grass. '^ Go slow at your fences, and let his head 

 alone,^^ is a local axiom, the adoption of which may 

 save a stranger many a fall. The class of fence 

 met with in the north is exactly similar to that 



