1 66 THE MASTER OF HOUNDS 



Undoubtedly many Masters breed too much with a 

 view to legs and feet and are apt to ignore nose and 

 working powers. More especially is this the case when 

 they leave the kennel management entirely in the 

 hands of the huntsman, which, owing to circum- 

 stances, they are sometimes obliged to do. But 

 the circumstances ought not to arise, nor need they 

 arise, if the Master of the Hounds resided close to the 

 kennels. It is incumbent that the Master should be 

 "the man on the spot." There have been exceptions 

 where famous judges of hounds lived at a long distance 

 from the kennels, notably Sir Thomas Boughey, and 

 his successor Captain Foster, both of whom resided 

 many miles from the Albrighton Kennels at Whiston 

 Cross, when they hunted the Albrighton country. But 

 they possessed in John Scott one of the best kennel 

 huntsmen in England, who was invited to, and did, 

 judge at the Peterborough Hound Show, while he was 

 huntsman to the Albrighton. 



" Yes, I daresay that he may be a very good man in 

 the field, but he knows nothing of hound-lore." How 

 often do we hear that complaint made against a Master 

 of Hounds 1 In certain so-called fashionable hunting 

 establishments hounds are bred with great precision 

 and care for pedigree. This, however, may be described 

 as the consequence of book-lore, not of hound-lore. 

 It is not till the early cub-hunting season has com- 

 menced that the Master of foxhounds is in a position 

 to judge what puppies should be drafted and what 

 puppies should be entered to fox. It must be admitted 

 that it is extremely difficult for an M.F.H. to avoid 



