THE WANE OE THE SEASON. 



A PECK of March dust is said to be worth a King's 

 ransom, but, however valuable it may be, looked at 

 from an agricultural point of view, it is certainly not 

 favourable to hunting, and bids fair this year to some- 

 what curtail the noble sport. Already notices have 

 been issued by several Masters of Hounds that hunt- 

 ing is suspended until rain shall fall. A retrospect 

 of past sport may not, therefore, at the present time 

 be deemed inappropriate. During the last two years 

 there has been less hindrance from frost than at any 

 time during my remembrance. This season has not 

 been only remarkably open, but the land has ridden 

 fairly well throughout the whole year. The scent as 

 a rule has been indifferent, at least that is my ex- 

 perience in my visits to some fifteen or sixteen of 

 the best countries, in which I have ridden to hounds ; 

 but on the whole the sport has been good, and the 

 only complaint that seems likely to have any serious 

 effect on future prospects, is the scarcity of foxes in 

 several " countries '' — a fact that has been ably alluded 

 to in the columns of ' Bell's Life.' These very perti- 

 nent remarks in the columns of your widely-circu- 

 lating journal will, I trust, be the means of drawing 

 the attention of those directly interested in the ques- 

 tion. I cannot too strongly urge upon those riding 

 to hounds that, if the sport is to be fully maintained. 



