536 
The  Yorkshire  Farm-Prize  Competition,  1883. 
on  the  west  lawn,  laid  out  in  the  French  style,  ornamented  with 
statues,  and  many  rare  and  curious  birds  are  kept  in  roomy 
aviaries  ; others,  which  have  become  attached  to  the  place  from 
being  regularly  fed,  are  allowed  to  be  at  large,  and  display  their 
native  plumage  in  a climate  foreign  to  their  habits. 
“ The  stabling,  the  kennels,  and  other  buildings,  are  on  a 
scale  quite  in  unison  with  an  extensive  establishment  of  this 
description.  There  are  twenty  hunters  kept  in  training  for  the 
field,  and  about  forty-five  couple  of  dogs.  Burton  Constable 
stag-hunting,  however,  is  so  celebrated,  that  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  dismiss  the  subject  without  a passing  description  of  the 
noble  animals  which  are  trained  for  the  sport.  The  species  is 
the  old  English  red-deer,  with  the  exception  of  a few,  a cross  of 
the  bossac  mountain-deer  ; by  which  cross  the  old  English  breed 
is  greatly  improved,  and  better  fitted  for  the  chase.  The  most 
suitable  age  is  from  four  to  ten  years  old.  When  young  they 
are  turned  out  in  some  secluded  spot,  free  from  observation,  and 
where  they  have  a line  of  country  as  much  as  possible  exclu- 
sively to  themselves ; those  which  are  thus  trained  are  found  by 
experience  to  be  the  best  runners.  The  method  used  for  pre- 
paring them  for  the  chase  is,  to  take  them  from  the  grass  in 
the  month  of  August,  and  enclose  them  in  pens,  with  a shed 
attached,  in  as  solitary  a place  as  possible ; this  also  is  the  time 
for  taking  off  their  antlers.  In  these  pens  they  are  fed  in  the 
following  manner : — 3 quarts  of  old  oats  per  diem,  for  every 
head,  during  the  first  three  weeks  ; afterwards,  2 quarts,  mixed 
with  a small  quantity  of  linseed  and  isinglass  : they  are  also 
provided  with  1^  lb.  of  old  hay  or  rye-grass,  which  is  sufficient 
food  for  a deer  that  is  to  be  hunted  throughout  the  season  ; with 
the  addition  of  a few  ivy  leaves  once  or  twice  in  the  week,  and 
fresh  soft  water  to  drink.” 
Alas  ! Sic  transit  gloria  mundi.  The  Bos  urus  seems  to  have 
anticipated  the  decline  of  this  once  truly  magnificent  manorial 
residence,  and  determined  not  to  survive  its  downfall.  The 
stables  which  held  these  “ twenty  hunters  ” are  now  the  incon- 
venient though  comfortable  home  of  Mr.  Turnbull’s  cows.  The 
Riding  School,  which  still  contains  remnants  of  its  former 
glories,  in  the  shape  of  gaseliers,  mirrors,  stags’  heads,  &c.,  is 
now  a hay  and  straw  shed.  The  rooms  which  were  wont  to 
contain  the  superb  mountings  of  four-in-hand  teams,  and  other 
high-mettled  occupants  of  these  stables,  are  now  furnished  with 
pails,  churns,  and  other  simple  dairy  utensils,  and  the  only 
stamp  of  nobility  left  in  the  place  is  the  present  famous  butter 
stamp  “ East  Park  Dairy.” 
After  completing  our  inspection  of  the  farm  and  dairy  we 
were  shown  over  the  mansion.  It  is  very  richly  furnished,  but 
