10 THE HUNTING-FIELD. 



and a regular " cul-de-sac/^ Out of a large fields 

 one day^ some scores of horsemen got into tliis 

 trap; but as the fence out was not practicable^ 

 tbey had to return to the gate : thus the field 

 came in for no ordinary treading, and certainly 

 presented a rather disarranged appearance. I 

 sent a roller into it next day, and never saw or 

 had a finer crop off the same quantity of land. 

 I must, however, allow, that on a more stiff 

 clayey and wet soil damage would have been done; 

 but if it had, a proper application to the master 

 of the hounds would have set all right, had I been 

 disposed to make one. 



Now turnips really do suffer when ridden over, 

 for when a shoe bruises one, the chances are 

 that it decays and rots away. But turnips are 

 seldom ridden over if it can be avoided, for the 

 damage they incur is known to all regular fre- 

 quenters of a hunt; and one who is not so is soon 

 reminded of, or taught this fact, if he is seen 

 transgressing. And again, a field of full-grown 

 turnips is not a kind of galloping ground any 

 man would select if he could avoid it. 



Clover lays suffer - much if ridden over ; but if 

 crossed in the direction of the lands the furrow 

 is always selected, and if transversely, there is 

 mostly a headland that leads to a gate : this is 

 also generally the soundest part, and is, in most 

 cases, the part ridden over. In short, the damage 



