EARTH-STOPPING. 407 



cording to the nature of the soil, covers, &c. ; but 

 in certain countries it amounts to as much as df*200 

 per annum. It may also surprise some persons to 

 liear, that the rent paid for artificial covers, that is, 

 for the land on which they are made, in one hunt 

 alone, in Leicestershire, (the Quorn,) amounts to 

 upwards of ^£^700 per annum. 



A new system of earth-stopping is recommended 

 in a work, called '' The Diary of a Huntsraan,''^ by 

 Thomas Smith, Esq., who formerly hunted the 

 Hambledon (Hants) and Craven (Berks) countries, 

 published 1838. His directions on the subject are 

 thus given : — 



" In the beginning of October, the head whipper- 

 in went round to every earth-stopper, taking with 

 him each day some matches, prepared in the follow- 

 ing manner : first melt some brimstone, and then 

 lay it with a brush over a sheet of brown paper ; 

 when dry, cut it in pieces an inch wide and six 

 inches long ; then take a sufficient number round 

 to each earth-stopper, to place one in every hole of 

 each earth, by first splitting the end of a stick, and 

 sticking in one of the strips or matches — the other 

 end to be stuck into the ground, and set fire to the 

 match. Or take round a pot of gas-tar, and rub 

 some against the sides of the earth within. Three 

 days after this has been done, the same whipper-in 

 should go round to every earth-stopper again, and 

 see that he stops up every earth in the following 

 manner : First, make a fagot of sticks the size of 

 each hole, which should be thrust in, then drive a 

 stake through it ; after which, with a spade, cover 



