270 Forty Years Beagling 



measure adopted by the National Club, of which 

 though easily made, there are only a small number 

 in existence. 



The folding measure is a clever contrivance pat- 

 ented by a mid-western beagler, and is really valu- 

 able in that any beagler should have one, in order 

 to get within a very close measurement of his 

 hounds before taking them to trials or bench shows, 

 and have them measure out of the class. Yet it is 

 possible for an upstanding high-withered hound 

 to be so near the limit of his class, that, after being 

 taken out of his crate or kennel he will go oversize, 

 while after an hour's hard run he can be put down 

 again under the judges and measured in. 



Many a beagle has been sold for a thirteen-inch 

 hound to the novice or unitiated that went well over 

 this measurement, and the same can be said of 

 fifteen-inch hounds ; yet in the former case the pur- 

 chaser is in a measure protected by the fact that if 

 he buys a thirteen-inch hound and it goes over this 

 mark, it is not likely to go over the limit of fifteen 

 inches, while in the latter case his hound is useless 

 except for hunting purposes, as in the United 

 States fifteen inches are the limit of size of a bea- 

 gle for competitive purposes. 



There is no sport in which there are fewer men 

 of disrepute ; and a beagle bought from any reput- 



