THEM TO FOX. 89 



them, and they seldom give much trouble after- 

 wards. Ill September I begin to hunt in 

 earnest ^ and after the old hounds have killed a 

 few foxes, the young hounds are put into the 

 pack, two or three couple at a time, till all have 

 hunted. They are then divided : and as I 

 seldom have occasion to take in more than nine 

 or ten couple, one half are taken out one day, 

 the other half the next, till all are steady. 



Two other methods of entering young hounds 

 I have practised occasionally, as the number of 

 hounds have required ; for instance, when that 

 number is very considerable, I make a large 

 draft of my steadiest hounds, which are kept 

 with the young hounds in a separate kennel, and 

 are hunted with them all the fore part of the 

 season. This, when the old hounds begin to 

 hunt, makes two distinct packs, and is always 

 attended with great trouble and inconvenience. 

 Nothing hurts a pack so much as to enter many 

 young hounds, since it must weaken it consider- 

 ably by robbing it of those which are the most 

 steady ; and yet young hounds can do nothing 

 without their assistance. Such, therefore, as 

 constantly enter their young hounds in this 

 manner, will, sometimes at least, have two indif- 

 ferent packs, instead of one good one. 



