HUNTING TOURS. 287 



the visitors. There is some very nice grass 

 country in this district, but bearing north- 

 ward, the eastern boundary consists of fens, 

 where horses cannot follow. On the north, 

 Lord Henry Bentinck exercises the preroga- 

 tive of hunting, and from Grantham to Cay- 

 thorpe the fences are light, and so is the 

 land, and is not, therefore, except in wet 

 weather, favourable to scent ; but when that 

 important element does serve, hounds can 

 race over this country at a terrific pace, 

 bringing horses to grief, as soon, or possibly 

 sooner, than where the fences are of greater 

 magnitude. North of Caythorpe, the country 

 becomes stronger, with more grass, though, 

 unfortunately, there are fewer foxes than in 

 other parts. The western confines are good, 

 and the vale of Belvoir enjoys a wide-spread 

 fame, but the improvements of modern farm- 

 ing, as in almost all other places, have con- 

 tributed materially to alter the hunting 

 aptitudes of the country. Draining, for ex- 

 ample, by increasing the powers of evapora- 

 tion, has had a great effect; and artificial 

 manures are very generally condemned as 

 antagonistic agents, an impression, however, 

 with which I am not quite prepared to 



