NOTITIA VENATICA. * 159 



latod for spving hiuiting than others ; but where the above-mentioned 

 description of vegetable produce is the prevaihng crop, the sooner the 

 season is closed after the first week in April the better. How fre- 

 quently do we hear "Ware wheat!" dinned into the ears of some 

 unfortunate aspirant to the honours of a "lead," every day we are 

 hunting ! But, if Avare beans, peas, vetches, and seeds, were sub- 

 stituted for the above ejaculation, it would be much more to the piu'- 

 pose. Excepting where the land is very Avet and tender, the riding 

 over ivheat does little or no harm ; and of this I have been repeatedly 

 assured by some of the most intelligent and experienced farmers in 

 the coimtry, who have occupied farms close to fox-covers all their 

 lives. But with all kinds of pulse, young clover, or very rotten and 

 tender meadows, it is a very difterent thing ; if the wet settles aftej-- 

 wards in the clinkers, or marks of the horses' feet, the roots generally 

 perish. The fashion of hunting very late, and the custom of killing a 

 May fox, are now becoming almost obsolete, more probably because 

 the latter part of the season is spent in woodlands and forests, where 

 the modern fox-hunter Avould be as much out of his element as the 

 emperor of China w^ould be in the frozen region of Kamschatka. The 

 New Forest hounds, Avhich used to hunt out the first week in May, 

 now generally close their campaign on or about the 20th of April ; 

 and I am not aware of any other hunt of the present day Avhich pro- 

 longs the season beyond the end of that month, excepting the Pytch- 

 ley, Avhich remain at their Avoodland quarters at Brigstock until about 

 the 6tli or 7th of May, and sometimes even as late as the 12th. From 

 the nature of the country, there being httle or no arable land be- 

 tween the woods, and part of it including Rockingham Forest, no mis- 

 chief can be done here at this season of the year any more than at 

 Christmas, and there being plenty of foxes, their sport is always of 

 the very first order. A great part of the woods belong to his grace 

 the Duke of Buccleuch, avIio is not only a master of hounds himself in 

 the north, but a good friend to the cause. Few noblemen can boast of 

 such a splenchd chain of Avoodlands on their projierty as his Grace can, 

 the rides through them extending to about the distance of fifty miles, 

 with avenues along the sides of them. His head keeper, Mr. Fletcher, 

 is perhaps the finest old sportsman and the best preserver of foxes in 

 any district in England. He constantly joins the hunt, and no one can 

 forget his animated figure who has seen him when viewing a fox across 

 a riding, and blowing his horn, Avhich he invariably carries. Strangers 

 Avho have passed " the April month" at Kettering, for the purpose of 

 enjoying spring hunting in perfection, have been not more dehghted 

 Avith the excellence of the runs than astonished, as Avell they might, at 

 the great destruction of foxes, the hounds being repeatedly seen, while 

 crossing, to have the half of a fine cub in their mouths ; yet the in- 

 crease is so great, and such excellent care is taken of them at other 

 times, that Avhen the season again commences plenty of game is found, 

 and by the end of October they can generally count from tAventy to 

 twenty -five brace of noses on the door of the Brigstock kennel. Owing 

 to that groAving evil, the preservation of pheasants, many districts Avhich 



