TO HUNTING. 51 



as they come in. Little straw is necessary dur- 

 ing the summer ; but when they hunt they can- 

 not have too much, or have it changed too often. 

 In many kennels they do not boil for the 

 hounds in summer, but give them meal only ; 

 in mine it is always boiled ; but with this dif- 

 ference, that it is mixed up thin, instead of 

 thick. Many give spurge-laurel in summer, 

 boiled up in their meat : as I never use it, I 

 cannot recommend it. The physic I give is two 

 pounds of sulphur, one pound of antimony, and 

 a pint and a half of syrup of buckthorn, for 

 about forty couple of hounds.* In the winter 

 season, let your hounds be shut up warm at 

 night. If any hounds after hunting are mis- 

 sing, the straw-house door should be left open ; 

 and if they have had a hard day, it may be as 

 well to leave some meat there for them. 



I have inquired of my feeder, who is. a very 

 good one, (and has had more experience in these 

 matters than any one you perhaps may get,) 

 how he mixes up his meat. He tells me that, 

 in his opinion, oatmeal and barley mixed, an 

 equal quantity of each, make the best meat for 

 hounds. The oatmeal he boils for half an hour, 

 and then puts out the fire, puts the barley into 

 * Vide page 49- 

 D 2 



