414 HUNTING TOURS. 



connected with the observances of early dates. 

 In former days it was the practice to breed 

 hounds all the year round, and previous to 

 the present century it was not a very un- 

 common event for young puppies to have to 

 contend against the inclemencies of Christmas. 

 About the commencement of the present cen- 

 tury it was customary to enter the young- 

 hounds in April or May, before they were 

 rounded, and it was not a very unusual occur- 

 rence to flog every one of them, apparently 

 for the purpose of initiating them in the 

 mysteries of whipcord, not for having com- 

 mitted faults, but peradventure as a caution. 

 These severities, however, seem to have been 

 discontinued, as more lenient treatment was 

 found to produce better effects. In the event 

 of frosts hounds were subjected to the process 

 of dressing, and gunpowder formed a compo- 

 nent part of the application. Bleeding was 

 a periodical performance, and commonly 

 resorted to on the appearance of any dis- 

 order ; the quantities of physic in the form of 

 salts, nitre, sulphur, antimony, and jalap 

 incorporated with the food amounted to some- 

 thing quite marvellous. To correct these 

 effects, as I imagine, the hounds were indulged 



