250 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



towns, where horse-flesh is used as cats'-meat, and, 

 for all we know to the contrary, converted into 

 sausages, the demand for this commodity is gene- 

 rally so great that few find their way to the kennel; 

 but near smaller country towns, and in coal districts, 

 the rejected of the equine race are so numerous, 

 that they are disposed of at almost any price, and 

 those dying from disease, or killed by accidents, are 

 quite unsaleable. We were assured by an owner of 

 a scratch lot of harriers, occupying a few acres of 

 land, who did also a little in the butchering, and 

 other trades besides, that he positively kept his 

 hounds for nil, for feeding them on flesh all the year 

 round. His account was that he gave eight shillings 

 for the horse, selling the skin and bones for this 

 sum ; and at the present time we know of another 

 lot of hounds which, from the number of horses, 

 living and dead, brought to their kennel, are main- 

 tained at a very trifling expense ; and need scarcely 

 mention that the bill for oatmeal does not form a 

 very heavy item in the yearly expenditure of this 

 establishment. 



If, indifferent as to appearances and condition, 

 hounds in such favoured districts may be kept at 

 a very moderate cost, and if the owner is also a 

 cultivator of the soil, the kennel may stand on the 

 creditor side of his ledger. The master who farms 

 has unquestionably a great advantage in this 

 respect, by the manure from kennel and stable, 

 particularly the former. The produce of his land is 

 wonderfully increased, and, of course, this ought to 



