DUTIES OF THE FEEDER. 39 



business. The boiling for the hounds, mixing 

 of the meat, and getting it ready for them at 

 proper hours, is what your huntsman will of 

 course take proper care of; nor is it ever likely 

 to be forgotten. I must caution you not to let 

 your dogs have their meat too hot, for I have 

 known it to have bad consequences : you should 

 also order it to be mixed up as thick as possible. 

 When the feeder has cleaned his kennel in the 

 morning, and prepared his meat, it is usual for 

 him, on hunting-days (in an establishment like 

 yours) to exercise the horses of the huntsman 

 and whipper-in ; and in many stables it is also 

 the feeder who looks after the huntsman's horse 

 when he comes in from hunting, whilst the hunts- 

 man feeds the hovmds. When the hounds are not 

 out, the huntsman and whipper-in, of course, will 

 exercise their own horses ; and that day the feed- 

 er has little else to mind but the cleaning of his 

 kennel. Every possible contrivance has been 

 attended to in the plan I sent you, to make that 

 part of his work easy ; all the courts, except the 

 grass one, being bricked and sloped on purpose. 

 There is also plenty of water, without any trou- 

 ble in fetching it ; and a thorough air through 

 the kennels, to assist in drying them again. 

 Should you choose to increase your number of 



