44 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, 



It is not, however, my intention to oppofe {o gc-r 

 neral a pra6licc, in which there may be fomc 

 QtiHty; I fhall only obfervc, that it fhould be 

 ufcd with difcretioD, lell the whip ihould fall 

 heavily in the kcnnpl on fuch as never deferve it 

 ixi the field. 



My hounds arc generally fed about eleven 

 o'elock;* and when I am prefent myfelf, I take 

 the fame opportunity to make my draft for the 

 next day's hunting. I feldom, when I can help 

 it, leave this to my huntfman, though it is ne- 

 cefTary he fliould be prefent when the draft is 

 madcj that he may kn,o\v what hounds he haa 

 out. 



* Having found it neceflaiy to alter my method of feeding 

 hounds, it may not be improper to take notice of it here. 

 They are now fed at eight o'clock, inftead of eleven. Their 

 firft feed is of barley and oatmeal mixed, an equal quantity of 

 each. Flefli is afterwards mixed up with the remainder for 

 fuch hounds as are poor, who are then drafted off into another 

 kennel, and let in to feed all together. When the fleflx is all 

 eaten, the pack are again let in, and are by this means cheated 

 into a fecond appetite. At three o'clock thofe that are to hunt 

 the next day are drafted into the hunting kennel; they are 

 then let into the feeding-yard, where a fmall quantity of oat- 

 meal (about three buckets) is prepared for them; not mbced 

 up thin, as mentioned in page 45, but mixed up thick. Such 

 as are tender, or bad feeders, have a handful of boiled flefli 

 given to them afterwards. When they are not to hunt the next 

 day, they are fed once Gjnly — at eleven o'clock. 



It 



