FARMERS AND FOX-HUNTING. 281 



liuQtiiig with the tenant farmers of the district. In North 

 Staffordshire considerable pains and trouble have been 

 taken to establish this practice, but it is by no means an 

 easy thing to organize, and it may well be that there is 

 still room for improvement in this respect ; but we are 

 sure that it is from no want of pains on the part of the 

 Master and the Hunt Committee if the practice is not so 

 general as could be desired. 



We have already quoted with approval in an earlier 

 chapter the circular on this subject issued by the joint 

 secretaries in the year 1888, setting forth the material 

 help to farmers that would ensue if members of the Hunt 

 would make a point of purchasing, as far as possible, their 

 corn, hay, and straw direct from the farmers. This was 

 followed up about a year later by another circular from 

 the Hon. Secretaries in the following terms : — 



"April, 1889. 



"Dear Sik, 



" At the meeting of members of the Covert Fund Committee held at 

 Trentham Hall by invitation of the Marquis of Stafford, on March 5th last, it was 

 imanimously admitted that the advantages to tenant farmers arising from a 

 country being hunted were considerable. It was thought desirable that the 

 amount expended upon hunting in the North Staffordshire country should be 

 ascertained, and with this object in view the Hon. Secretaries were requested to 

 communicate with each subscriber. 



" We shall therefore feel obliged if you would kindly fill in the amounts you 

 have paid for articles enumerated as annexed, and return the same by an early 

 post. 



" The Secretaries will be very glad to forward to any subscriber requiring 

 forage, the names of farmers from whom the same can be obtained upon reasonable 

 terms. 



" Yours faithfully, 



" KiCHARD BOOTE, "J ^- „ . • ,i 



,, . c, } Hon. Secretaries. 



"Alex-Vnder Simpson,/ 



We think most of our readers will agree with us that 

 the steps thus taken by the North Staffordshire Hunt Com- 

 mittee were in the right direction, and even if the response 

 from the members of the Hunt has not been so general as 

 it should have been, there can be no question that a 

 valuable stimulus to the system of direct dealing with 

 the farmers of the district was thus given, and, at any 

 rate, the agriculturists of North Staffordshire have had 



