3 1 2 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



above mentioned struck a deadly blow against this 

 innocent, healthy, country sport. It destroyed one of the 

 few amusements within reach of the farmers, who have so 

 many other evils to contend against, and has practically 

 put an end to local coursing. 



The retrospect of hunting, unfortunately, is scarcely 

 very favourable to its future, for forces are at work which 

 tend in many respects to militate against its well-being. 

 Increased facilities of travel, combined with lowered rents 

 and depreciated income, serve to induce owners of estates 

 to winter abroad, and thus save the cost of keeping up 

 establishments at home with a stud of hunters they can ill 

 afford to buy or to maintain. The country-house being 

 shut up, the next step is to let the shooting also, and this 

 is often taken by persons who do not hunt and who 

 naturally desire to obtain as large a return for their 

 outlay as they can manage to secure. Foxes are therefore 

 not so carefully preserved, subscriptions to the hunt are 

 diminished, and the social gathering of neighbours at the 

 meet is reduced, all from the same cause. 



Personal influence counts for much everywhere, and 

 most of all in the country. When the landlord no longer 

 resides at home, encouraging the sport by his example and 

 precept, his tenants do not take the same interest in the 

 hunt as when the squire is a hunting man and lives 

 amongst them. 



As local purchasers become more scarce, the induce- 

 ment to breed a good class of horse is withdrawn, and so 

 the farmer ceases to take an occasional day with the 

 hounds when he has no longer a promising young horse 

 coming on to educate into a hunter that might some day 

 carry the squire. His active participation in the iield 



