346 THE HOUND. 



Irish is the best) one year old, and well-boiled 

 horse-flesh, quite free from taint. The meal is put 

 into the copper when the water boils, and should 

 be boiled up a second time, and, in all, for at least 

 two hours ; for nothing is worse for the wind of 

 hounds than meal not thoroughly boiled. When 

 taken out of the boiler, it forms a substance resemb- 

 ling coarse rice pudding ; and when the fresh flesh, 

 which is shredded, and the broth in which it is 

 boiled, are added to it in the trough, and very well 

 mixed, it forms the best and highest food that can 

 be given to hounds. In some kennels, after the 

 example of that famous huntsman the late Thomas 

 Oldacre, the meal and flesh are boiled up together, 

 with the idea that more of the virtue of the flesh 

 is then imparted to the meal than when it is merely 

 mixed with the broth ; but the practice is not 

 general. But such is the diff'erence of constitution 

 in hounds, and the aptitude of some over others 

 to gain flesh, or become foul, persons who are parti- 

 cular as to the condition of their pack have troughs 

 filled accordingly ; that is, one with thinner food 

 than another, for hounds of the former description. 

 No animal in the world is so soon up and down in 

 his condition as the dog ; and, strange as it may 

 appear, the efl'ect of two or three extra mouthfuls 

 of thick meat will be visible on some hounds on the 

 second day after they have eaten them. Never- 

 theless, the dog being strictly a carnivorous animal, 

 cannot stand hard work without flesh, which he 

 should have a fair allowance of once a day, accord- 

 ing as his constitution may require it. Some mas- 



