26l' the north STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



Stafford Hounds had a good day's sport on Monday. The field was an exception- 

 ally large one, and included the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, Major Stanier, 

 Mr. and Mrs. Guy Knight, Mr. Donaldson Hudson, Mr. Rawson, Mr. Coghill, 

 Colonel Dobson, etc. Mills Hay Covert, Admiral's Gorse, Harrow's Wood, and 

 Tiiree Brooks were all blank, but on going to Canridden a fox was disturbed, 

 which got away across College Fields to Bellaport, where he turned to the left, 

 crossed the racecourse at Syllenhurst Farm, and was eventually lost, after a fine 

 gallop of thirty minutes. Below Admiral's Gorse another one was got away from 

 an artificial earth. Going through Harrow's Wood, Mills Hay Wood, and across 

 Syllenhurst Farm, he raced over Greaves's Farm right up to Onneley village, 

 and thence through Aston Plantation up almost to the Maer Hills. Here he was, 

 liowever, lost, as there was little scent on the ploughed land. This was another 

 good run of forty minutes. 



^^ March 30th, 1900. First Milestone, Market Drayton Road. — Found in 

 Tunstall Rough. Had a very good gallop by Betton, the Brand, Norton-in-Ilales, 

 Napeley, and Miicklestoue to Oakley Folly, through it to the farm, near where 

 the fox got into an outhouse, but was let out, and hounds killed him in Burnt 

 Woods. Found in Peatswood. Had a slow hunt to the Spoil Banks, and beat 

 us. A very fine day. Hounds ran very fast from Tunstall Rough. After cross- 

 ing the railway, the hounds ran clean away from every one, and were not 

 caught until they got to Oakley Folly. This was one of the best runs of the 

 season. 



April 2nd, 1900. Madeley. — Drew Beeches Wood blank. Found in Wrine- 

 hills {three). Had a good deal of bustling about the woods ; then had a nice 

 gallop by the Bitterns to Maer Hills, and beat us. Found in Checkley Wood. 

 Had a nice hunt by Finson's Hay Gorse, nearly to AVoore, back to Wrinehills 

 and Checkley, where liounds were stopped. One fox went to ground in Wrine- 

 hills. Owing to the Cheshire packs being stopped, we had a large field out, and 

 gave them a good day's sport. Parker, the first whip, had a fall near Finson's 

 Haj% and broke the fibula bone of his leg. 



''Aprillth, 1900. ^gj^/i/brrf iTa/Z.— Drew the Moors blank. Found in the 

 Old Ford Wood. Ran sharp to William's Wood, over the brook into the 

 Albrighton country, and ran him to ground near Gnosall. Five-miles point. 

 Came back to Seighford and drew most of the coverts blank, also Cresswell 

 (lorse. Found in Hopton Gorse. Had a very good gallop by Marston Wood 

 and Euson Moor, where the fox swam over the Trent, ran up the meadows nearly 

 to Oston, where he recrossed the Trent, and nearly to Yarlet Hall, where 

 hounds ran up to him and killed. This was a good run throughout, and made a 

 good finish for the season. A very fine morning, also sunny and warm, but we 

 had a capital day's sport for the last day of the season. We finished off well by 

 killing the last fox, after a good run over a nice country." 



The season which ended thus auspiciously had on the 

 whole a good record. Seventy-nine foxes were killed, 

 and sixty-seven run to ground, one hundred and three 

 days' hunting altogether. Subscriptions for 1899-1900 

 amounted to£2;372. The Poultry and Covert Fund absorbed 

 £346, and upwards of £500 were spent in removing wire, 

 and in laying about nine and a half miles of fences on 



