SELECTION OF DRAFTS 137 



an extra number, as two seasons in succession are seldom 

 equally fortunate in this respect. For three days a week 

 I should put forward from ten to twelve couples of young 

 hounds, when over the distemper ; and for four days, 

 from fourteen to eighteen couples. These should be 

 worked hard through the cub-hunting, with the brood 

 bitches and others which require it, and the second draft 

 made in October. My usual number of brood bitches was 

 about seven couples, from which I commenced breeding 

 after the first week in November, when they were generally 

 laid aside for that purpose. After leaving the bitch- 

 house, they were, however, again hunted a few times, 

 to keep them in exercise, until they showed symptoms of 

 being in whelp, my object being to get as many puppies 

 as possible bom in February, the early bred always 

 proving the strongest. Allowing four whelps to each 

 dam, I had then about twenty-eight couples to send out 

 to walk ; but any of these failing, recourse was had to 

 the most promising young bitches to supply the deficiency. 

 The number of puppies bred in many large hunting 

 establishments is excessive, amounting sometimes to 

 nearly a hundred couples ; but as this practice is a great 

 benefit to the generality of small packs in want of draft 

 hounds, these large hound-owners can indulge their 

 fancies in this respect without let or hindrance, and do 

 some service to their less fortunate brother Masters. 



The renowned John Warde, as far as my recollection 

 serves me, bred fewer hounds, according to the strength 

 of his pack (hunting four days a week), than any Master 

 in his time ; but, with judgment and experience, the 

 young hounds put forward seldom went amiss. His old 

 huntsman told me that his master often considered a 

 day and a night before finally determining on his 



Lf 



