SUMMER FEEDING. 63 



boiler's or feeder's Jirst care on entering his kennel in 

 the morning should be invariably to take out two-thirds 

 of the broth from the copper, which should be per- 

 petually simmering, and pour it into a tub kept for 

 that purpose and then fill up the copper again, pre- 

 vious to lighting the fire ; he will then have plenty 

 of good strong cold broth to cool the newly mixed food 

 at feeding-time, instead of waiting for it to cool while 

 half the morning is lost, or mixing it with cold water, 

 which is a bad plan ; as long as the broth is not sour 

 nor burnt, it cannot be too strong nor too rich. The 

 boilers, or coppers as they are generally called, should 

 be made of cast-iron, and not of copper; if any liquid 

 of a greasy or oily nature is allowed to remain in a 

 copper vessel, it will produce verdigris, than which 

 nothing can be a more deadly poison. In the year 

 1823, Mr. Shirley, of Eatington, Warwickshire, lost 

 about twelve couples of hounds in one night, from 

 eating flesh and broth, which had been allowed to 

 stand in a boiler which was made of copper. 



With regard to summer feeding, the system of using 

 potatoes, cabbages, mangel-wiirzel, &c., is excellent, 

 provided it is not carried to excess. Oatmeal puddings 

 should be made for constant use in the same manner 

 as in winter, and the vegetables, nettles, &.C., should 

 be put into the flesh copper, and not boiled separate ; 

 and when the feed is mixed up, the first lot should be 

 for the puppies, chiefly consisting of the pudding, 

 and only sufficient vegetables to form a cooling diet, 

 for if they are fed daily on potatoes and other rubbish, 

 as is the case in some establishments, they will never 

 throw out muscle, and furnish into fox-hounds as they 



