CLOSE OF SEASON 1897-98. 221 



Iiunt him. Drew Harrow's Wood, Three Brooks, Canridden, and Biierton Gorse 

 blank. Found in Adderley Gorse. Had anotlier very good gallop through 

 Golling's Rough to Bellaport ; then on by Dorrington Old Hall, Woore Hall, and 

 beat us at the Flash Farm. Rather a nice hunting day, and a good holding scent. 

 His Grace hunted the hounds. 



'■'■March IQth, 1898. Sandon. — Drew the wood blank. Found a brace iu 

 Gajiion Gorse. Hounds ran fast through Gayton Wood, then nearly to Chartley, 

 back by Fradswell, and ran him to ground near the gorse where we found him. 

 Drew Shaw's Wood blank. Found in Hardiwick Heath. Had a nice hunt, and 

 killed at Day Hills. Drew Sherratt's Wood and Middleton Gorse blank. Found 

 in Brindley's Wood. Had another very good run, a wide ring, and killed him at 

 Dodsleigh. A very nice day ; a good scent. I think this was the best day's 

 sport we had on this side of the country this season. 



"March 28th, 1898. TFoore.— Drew Mill Hay and Admiral's Gorse blank. 

 Found in Mr. Noden's osier-bed. A very fast gallop, a wide ring, and ran him 

 to ground in the made earth near Admiral's Gorse. Bolted him with a terrier, 

 had another good spin for twelve minutes, and rolled him over near Birchall. 

 Drew all the Woore coverts blank. Found a brace in Buerton Gorse. Ran fast to 

 Audlem, back by Cox Bank to Betton, and stopped the hounds at Oakley, after a 

 very good run. A very nice day, and one of the best scenting days of the season. 

 The same two foxes had given us two good runs on two other occasions." 



Tlae season wound up with a poor day's sport at 

 Swynnerton Old Park on April 4tli. 



Boxall records it as his opinion that "although an 

 open season, it has not been a good one. Foxes have run 

 badly." Record : sixty-four foxes killed, eighty- two run 

 to ground, one hundred and fifteen days' hunting altogether. 

 No blank days, and only six days stopped by frost. 

 Subscriptions amounted to £2687, of which £526 were 

 allotted to Poultry and Covert Fund, and J£205 to wire. 



The following article, which originally appeared in 

 Country Sport, was reproduced in the Staffordshire 

 Advertiser of January 8th, 1898, and is worth reprinting 

 here as a racy and entertaining, though not a perfectly 

 accurate, account of the North Staffordshire Hunt and its 

 followers : — 



THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HUNT. 



Hunting men generally, and members of the North Staffordshire Hunt in 

 particular, will read with interest the following article that appeared as the leading 

 article in Cowitr'y Sport under the hunting heading " In the Pink," in the issue 

 of that journal of January 1st. The remarks on riding to hounds may cause some 

 introspection among followers of the Hunt. The writer says — 



" Christmas is over. ' Thank goodness ! ' some of my readers will exclaim, but 

 personally I am sorry, for I spent the festive season in my native county of 

 Staffordshire, a county, so far as fox-hunting is concerned, which will bear 



