406 The Hunting Countries of England. 



stands this, and is in the habit of doing his jump in 

 two, will save himself a great deal of unnecessary 

 exertion — a remark that applies in regard to the hills 

 even more than to the lower country. A strong horse 

 and a clever jumper is accordingly the best mount. 

 There are none too many coverts in the vale ; and 

 those that exist are in a great measure dependent on 

 the amount of work bestowed upon the opposite hill 

 coverts of the North Herefordshire, to wit, Lady-Lift, 

 the Wormsley Hills, &c. If these latter are not con- 

 stantly rattled, the vale foxes will accumulate and 

 remain in them, and sport in the vale comes compara- 

 tively to a standstill. 



By no means the whole of the Radnor- and-West- 

 Hereford country can be said to be thoroughly good 

 scenting ground. The most consistent scent is found 

 on the heather of the upper country ; but even here 

 it is often marred and interrupted by the presence of 

 fern — which huntsmen are accustomed to regard as 

 one of their worst enemies on the hills of the Welsh 

 border. The hilly woodlands, on the other hand, 

 present nothing like the difficulty that one would at 

 first suppose ; for not only are they as a rule tolerably 

 hollow and easy for hounds, but a huntsman, keeping 

 on the higher ground, is really in a better position to 

 hear and follow his pack on a fox than in a dense 

 level wood. 



Coverts of considerable consequence in the vicinity 

 of the vale are Highmoor Wood, in the Bollingham 

 district ; and Cwmma Moor, with no rides, and 

 altogether impassable to horses. Below and about 

 Bollingham the country is all rising ground, partly in 



