328 The Hunting Countries of England, 



up with wattle and thorns. The land, mostly a rich 

 red loam, ia about equally divided between grass and 

 plough — the former always, the latter generally, 

 giving hounds every chance of driving their game. 

 The woods, like most others, improve greatly in their 

 scenting properties as the season advances. They 

 consist almost entirely of oak with a sprinkling of 

 larch, the undercovert being grass and brambles. 

 Their size and frequency call for strong working 

 qualities on the part of hounds (which the Wheatland 

 pack possesses in no slight degree) ; for, though the 

 supply of foxes is good and a blank day a rarity 

 almost unknown, the woodlands necessarily take a 

 great deal of drawing — with, likely enough, a most 

 tiring run to ensue. 



Great coverts, and many — in some parts too many 

 — of them, form a prominent characteristic of the 

 "Wheatland country. They succeed each other closely 

 all down the bank of the Severn, cluster thickly about 

 the southern or Kinlet district, and become continuous 

 and unmanageable in the rough regions of Wyre 

 Forest. In the north-east again, are the extensive 

 coverts of Lord Forester ; while in Mogg Forest and 

 along the steep side of Wenlock Edge they follow each 

 other almost in a mass. The widest and most open 

 ground — as it is probably the highest — is the Meadow- 

 ley Hill Range, which, commencing about Harpsford, 

 spreads across the heart of the country by Morvill,. 

 and round above Monk Hopton, Oxenbold and Hol- 

 gate, into The Ludlow. Well-foxed and very sporting, 

 it shares with Corve Dale and AYenlock Edge Wood 

 (which also run down parallel with it far over the 



