EXPENSES 297 



required and the irregular times at which they are 

 wanted in private stables do not suit the farmer. 

 Then there is the question of credit. No doubt 

 ready money is best for both buyer and seller ; but 

 it is not always possible to conduct our business on 

 this excellent system, as every one knows, and it 

 does not always suit the farmer to give credit, nor is 

 it fair to ask him to do so. 



I doubt, therefore, whether the direct purchase 

 of forage from the farmer is practicable as a general 

 rule, or even desirable in the interests of hunting 

 and of farmers. Every case must be decided on its 

 merits, and at all events certain ideas must be rooted 

 out from the minds of both the buyer and seller. 

 The man who buys hay and corn from farmers ought 

 to pay the market price or a little over, and to pay 

 ready money. To suppose that he is to pay less than 

 in the case of purchases from a dealer, and to take 

 credit as well, is to mistake the conditions of the 

 forage market and to do more harm than good by his 

 purchases. If a hunting man finds that it is desirable 

 to buy from farmers, he does so because he thinks 

 it is in the interests of hunting and not for the sake 

 of his pocket or convenience. It will, as a matter 

 of fact, neither save the one nor suit the other, though 

 there are a good many people in the world who want 

 to do good actions and " make a bit " at the same 

 time. If a hunting man is willing and able to buy 

 hay or com, particularly the former, from his neighbours 

 when they want to sell, and will put his hand in his 

 pocket and pay a good price there and then, no doubt 

 he will make hunting more popular. But if he is to 

 haggle and try to obtain discount, if he keeps the 

 farmer waiting and ignores requests for money, and 

 above all if his groom is not moderate in his demands 



