I'ARMERS AND FOX-HUNTING. 279 



damage to growing crops and clover root should be dealt with by a joint com- 

 mittee of assessors, consisting of farmers and representatives of the Hunt. Any 

 one who followed hounds occasionally should contribute accordingly to a damage 

 fund. He referred to the fact that a number of hunting gentlemen purchased 

 fodder from farmers, and remarked that if some means could be devised for 

 extending business relations between farmers and the Hunt, farmers would not 

 object to a good customer riding over their land, (Hear, hear !) 



The Chairman (Mr. John Hobson) said that as a class farmers were not an- 

 tagonistic to hunting, but they desired to see the fields greatly reduced. 



Mr. .James Sadler (secretary) said the grievances which farmers required to be 

 redressed arose from the large fields, insufficient remuneration for damage done, 

 and the lack of an organization establishing direct dealing between farmers and 

 ] uniting men. The principal grievance was that the fields were too large. 



Mr. Thomas Button (Ash House) said that where formerly there was a field 

 of about eighty horsemen there were now sometimes four hundred horsemen. 



Mr. Lea (Hunterson) said that the Hunt should be asked to acquire hunting 

 rights by paying so much an acre for the land over which hounds ran. 



A resolution was moved by the chairman, seconded by Mr. Allwood, appoint- 

 ing a committee to formulate the grievances of farmers, and to appeal to the Hunt 

 Committee to arrange a conference with a view to their being redressed, and was 

 unanimously passed. 



The whole subject is one which has been often con- 

 sidered, and much has been written and said about it from 

 both sides of the question, but it cannot be too carefully 

 and considerately handled by those who, while wishing 

 well to fox-hunting, realize that farmers must be fairly 

 treated and that their just grievances should be met with 

 the utmost fairness and even with generosity. We have 

 not the slightest doubt that Masters of Foxhounds and 

 Hunt Committees as a general rule do show the greatest 

 consideration for the farming interest, and as a rule we 

 believe that farmers for the most part do not resent their 

 land being ridden over by their neighbours, and by men 

 they know to be residents and bond fide sportsmen. But 

 the large fields from the manufacturing centres and the 

 gentlemen who are here to-day and gone to-morrow are 

 the cause of much heart-burning and discontent, and too 

 often sportsmen of this class, who know nothing, and care 

 less, about farming matters, are the men who, by treating 

 the farmer with scant courtesy when they come across him 

 on his farm while out with hounds, tend to bring the noble 

 sport into disrepute, and in some cases give rise to serious 

 friction. 



