We  have  not  mentioned  this  day's  work  as  any-
thing very  extraordinary  in  those  times,  such  being
of  frequent  occurrence;  and  we  have  had  sometimes
to  feed  our  hounds  at  twelve  o'clock  at  night,  when
unable  to  stop  them  in  large  woodlands  more  than
twenty  miles  from  home.  Foxes  were  stouter
then  than  now,  having  to  travel  much  farther  in
search  of  food.  Game  preserving  is  antagonistic
to  our  sport  in  two  ways — first,  foxes  are  and  will
be  trapped  by  keepers  ;  and,  secondly,  those  which


SCIENCE    OF    FOXHCTNTING.  45

elude  the  trap,  becoming  fat  and  lazy,  fall  an  easy
prey  to  hounds.  None  but  old  dogs,  which  have
escaped  their  numerous  enemies  for  three  or  four
seasons,  know  much  about  the  country  eighteen
miles  from  home ;  and  as  these  are  very  few,  runs
of  this  length  must  of  necessity  be  rather  of  rare
occurrence.
46  STSTEJI   OF   KENNEL   AND


CHAPTER   VII.
Treatment  of  young  hounds  when  brought  home  to  kennel — Going
out  in  couples — Jerusalem  ponies  to  be  especially  avoided — Cur
dogs — Cure  for  exuberant  spirits — Deer  parks  and  hare  warrens
— Distemper  principiis  obsta — Following  the  plough — Diet —
Extraordinary  case  of  distemper — Remedies  and  prescriptions.
The  first  work  to  be  done,  or  which  ought  to  be
(lone,  with  the  young  hounds  selected  for  entry,  is
to  put  them  in  couples  as  soon  as  possible  and  have
them  out  into  the  fresh  air,  if  a  few  only  at  a  time.
