166 THE HI XTIXG FIELD 



would be extremely difficult to convince a Farmer's wife that a 

 hare was not quite so good an animal to harbour for the purpose 

 of hunting, and a much better one for the purposes of the 

 table. It may be said that harriers go three times over the 

 ground for the fox's once, and granted they do, still the}' do not 

 go over wheat, or ground on which the\' can do damage ; at 

 least they " didn't ought to do," seeing the case is never one of 

 urgency. But, with a fixing, straight-running fox, with a 

 burning scent, and main earths open in an adjoining country, 

 so far from caring for wheat, we believe a field of fox-hunters 

 would ride over the great Lord Mayor himself, and all the 

 court of aldermen, if the}' came in the way. It may also be 

 said that Farmers enjoy the sport themselves as much as any 

 one out, and we grant those who come out do ; but for one 

 Farmer that hunts, there are fi\-e hundred that do not. Recent 

 times have not been favourable to the race of Foxhunting- 

 Farmers, and many, we fear, are dismounted. Besides, those 

 who do hunt are generally the top-sawyers of the trade ; 

 whereas, in many countries, the preservation of foxes may be 

 quite as much dependent upon a small Farmer who has not the 

 means of hunting, as upon a large holder. 



A favourite argument in favour of Farmers encouraging 

 foxes and foxhunting, has always been the advantage they 

 derive from the consumption of hay, oats, straw — farming 

 produce generally — and the opportunities it affords for selling 

 their horses to advantage. These arguments are plausible 

 enough, but like many plausible ones, are destitute, or nearly 

 destitute of truth. There is no doubt that the standing of 

 large studs, such as we saw congregated at Melton, Leicester, 

 Leamington, Cheltenham, Coldstream, and other places, must 

 cause a considerable consumption of the enumerated articles, 

 but the extra profit goes into the pocket of the middleman, 

 and not into that of the Farmer : corn-chandlers, inn-keepers, 

 liverymen, saddlers, are all benefited, and many of them very 



