The North Warwickshire, 247 



to test their form in their gallop. Arriving at the 

 time when one or two were undergoing examination, 

 I observed a rare sort of horse — a chestnut, up to a 

 heavy weight — who did his fences in first-rate style. 

 Then driving around, we inspected a flock of South- 

 down ewes of a very superior quality, bred by the 

 Duke of Richmond, which were feeding near at hand, 

 and a beautiful lot of animals they were ; from thence 

 we drove to the farm and looked over the stock. The 

 buildings and arrangements are the most complete I 

 have ever seen ; and everything must be in order if 

 the eye of the master is to be pleased. A large 

 number of stacks of prime old meadow hay betokened 

 the quality of the land, and the neatness of the hedges 

 and the good roads, make up one of the neatest 

 places I have ever seen. Mr. Darby is his own archi- 

 tect, and has shown the greatest judgment in his 

 plans, not only of this farmstead, but of his extensive 

 range of stables and buildings in the town, which are 

 all built alike of the best and most durable materials, 

 and executed in a first-rate style. On my return from 

 the farm I proceeded to look over the stud, number- 

 ing as a rule about one hundred, all hunters of first- 

 class quality, showing breeding; and it would be a 

 difficult man to please who could not select a few to 

 carry him in proper form out of this lot. Here, again, 

 neatness and order are the ruling features, and it is 

 quite evident that Mr. Darby is endowed with the 

 bump of organisation, as every detail shows the hand 

 of a practical and thorough business-like man. 



When sitting in the evening in the billiard-room, 

 decorated with innumerable sporting prints, portraits 

 of celebrated characters, and notably the tine collection 



