THE KILDARE HOUNDS. 4I 



who spend the most money amongst us would migrate 

 to foreign lands. 



Hunting affords pleasure, is a healthful recreation 

 which keeps at home in our country the flower of the 

 Irish aristocracy, yields wealth to willing hands, 

 cements good fellowship, puts money into the pockets 

 of the landed proprietors (by Increasing the value of 

 their property), tillers of the soil, the shopkeeper, the 

 artizan, the peasant, in a word, the entire population. 



I happen to know three very wealthy sportsmen, 

 who intended coming to reside in this county last sea- 

 son for the winter months, but seeing so much of the 

 country wired, they changed their mind. These were 

 men with plenty of means and large studs, who would 

 have spent a great deal of money here. I sincerely 

 hope that the landed proprietors who have wire fences on 

 their land will remove them, and I am sure many farmers 

 will follow the example of a wake so stimulative, and 

 "go and do likewise " before they cause further injury 

 to their own interests. I believe that love of sport of all 

 kinds, as well as of foxhunting, is inherent to the nature 

 of every Patlander ; and I hope that those Kildare 

 men, whose occupation is the patriotic one of making 

 *'two blades of grass grow where one grew before" 

 will support foxhunting. If they " 'ware wire " the day 

 will never come — not even on the arrival of the long- 

 expected New Zealander on London Bridge — when the 

 gorse is uprooted, and the cry of the foxhound no 

 longer heard within the bounds of "fair Kildare." 

 Fences of all sorts and sizes are to be met with in this 

 country. In places where wire is not used you can go 

 sailing away if your heart is in the right place, and you 

 are well mounted. Walls or timber you seldom meet; 



