90 TOO MANY SHOULD 



In the other method, the young hounds are 

 well awed from sheep, but never stooped to a 

 scent till they are taken out with the pack ; they 

 are then taken out a few only at a time ; and if 

 your pack is perfectly steady, and well manned, 

 may not give you much trouble. The method 

 I first mentioned, which is the one I most com- 

 monly practise, will be necessary when you have 

 many young hounds to enter ; when you have 

 only a few, the last will be most convenient. 

 The other, which requires two distinct packs, is 

 on too extensive a plan to suit your establish- 

 ment, requiring more horses and hounds than 

 you intend to keep.* 



Though I have mentioned, in a former letter, 



from eight to twelve couple of young hounds as 



a sufficient number to keep up your pack to its 



present establishment, yet it is always best to 



keep a few couple more than you want in reserve, 



* To render fox-hunting perfect, no young hounds should 

 be taken into the pack the first season ; a requisite too ex- 

 pensive for most sportsmen. The pack should consist of 

 about forty couple of hounds, that have hunted one, two, 

 three, four, or five seasons. The young pack should con- 

 sist of about twenty couple of young hounds, and about an 

 equal number of old ones. They should have a separate 

 establishment ; nor should the two kennels be near enough 

 to interfere with each other. The season over, the best 

 of the young hounds should be taken into the pack, and 

 the draft of old ones exchanged for them. To enable you 



