by the most superior condition which the indefatigable attention of the best experienced trainers old England can boast of beyond any other nation, can establish. This is a time when the beautiful elasticity and freedom of action of that noble animal, the horse, unequalled by that of any other quadruped, may be studied to the greatest advantage. Some men congregate on these occasions to admire this splendid work of nature, but most of them for the purpose of scrutinizing the appearance of each candidate for public favour, in order to speculate accordingly, and either to back or bet against, as their individual judgment may dictate; but every year's experience proves how fallacious man's opinion is; the best judges are frequently most egregiously mistaken in their anticipations, and are often influenced by an unaccountable and bigoted prejudice to lay sums on or against horses, the payment of which is beyond their means of accomplish

ment,

The speculator who has made a heavy book, may generally be seen here, watching with intense interest the stride of every horse, as he takes his gallop; the state of his calculations may generally be read in his anxious countenance, the workings of which, when the favourites against which he stands heavily are found to go incomparably well, present a fine study of human nature; however strong a man's nerves may be-however great a stoic he may be-however he may study not to betray his own secrets, there is not an individual who does not at times manifest the" inward workings of his heart;" there are moments when he is off his guard, and with his mind partially absorbed by the events of the passing scene, but more forcibly with the" state of his own affairs," however subtle his heart may be, unconsciously unveils it to the penetration of the inquisitive observer.

There are other places in the precincts of Epsom available for the purpose of exercise, either during the temporary period of the races, or even for more permanent purposes, but they are certainly inferior to those just mentioned; they are principally at Carshalton, Mitcham, and Sutton.

There are several splendid tracts of Down land in Berkshire peculiarly adapted for the purpose of training upon, especially in the neighbourhood of Isley, at which place Stevens has stables, from whence, with occasional interruptions of arable land, you may travel to Marlborough, in Wiltshire; proceeding farther onwards, Treen's establishment at Beckhampton is found; still farther westward is Pimperne, in Dorsetshire, where Percy trains, and who has brought out many horses in very first-rate condition, with the just reward for his assiduity and skill, amounting to more than an average of success. Returning back in a south-easterly direction, at Danebury, near Stockbridge, are the stables of the well known John Day, and so well is he known that it is unnecessary to make any observations about him; suffice it to state, from the high character which he has obtained, the skill which he has manifested, with now and then a pretty good nag to add to his fame, that his stables, extensive as they are, are generally pretty full, having the horses of the highest class, the property of the most influential patrons of the turf, as inmates. Mr. Isaac Sadler also resides in the neighbourhood, and trains over the

same ground; his premises for the accommodation of his stallions and brood mares, independent of the stabling occupied by the horses which are in training, are exceedingly complete and well arranged. The turf in these Downs is excellent; but since John Day has trained so extensively for Lord George Bentinck, the gallops have been vastly improved by reducing all inequalities of the surface, filling up hollows; and in order to render the sward tough and good, repeated dressings of tan have been given. Great as the variety is, it is scarcely sufficient for the leviathan string which John Day commonly turns out, from fifty to sixty horses being frequently his complement.

Many horses which are trained for the meetings in the Midland Counties are sent to Hednesford, situate between Cannock and Rugely in Staffordshire, at which place many public trainers reside. There is also one very extensive private establishment, belonging to Mr. Edmund Peel. A few, a very few, fleeting years have passed away, and the reminiscence affords a striking example both of the frailty of human nature and the vicissitudes of this life, since three extensive studs were to be seen daily at exercise on these hills, glorying in the utmost pride of fame and good fortune, the remains of which are dispersed to almost all the quarters of the globe; the mortal remains of two of the proprietors who shone so conspicuously on the turf are now doomed to moulder under it; the other is such a dreadful martyr to that painful disease, the gout, as to be unable to enjoy any amusements beyond the precincts of his own domain; the latter gentleman alluded to, is Mr. Gifford, of Chillington, than whom, during his career as an owner of race-horses, there was not a more honourable, respected, or popular patron of the turf, and his withdrawal from it has ever been a source of regret to all its frequenters. The former two, it is almost unnecessary to hint, are the late Mr. Mytton, and Beardsworth of Birmingham.

These hills afford considerable variety of gallops, most of them abounding in ascents and descents, which are so far estimable, and in wet weather the turf is generally in pretty good order, but in dry summers it is execrably hard; a great portion of the land is of a gravelly nature, which never can be altered; at the same time, if due attention were to be paid, and a little money expended in the purchase of tan, much improvement might be produced. A ploughed gallop, if permission could be obtained from the Marquis of Anglesey, who is Lord of the Manor, would be a most desirable acquisition.

A portion of Delamere Forest, in Cheshire, is used for the purpose of training; it is a light sandy soil, which never becomes hard but in dry weather; it is subject to work into holes, the land not being good enough to carry a sound turf; manure, judiciously applied, would vastly improve the surface, and amply repay the expense of laying it on.

There is a training ground arranged at Liverpool, connected with the race-course, comprising a circle, or rather an oval, within that upon which the races are held; its ostensible purpose being for the use of those horses which are sent to run there, although it has been occasionally used for regular training at other seasons. The nature of the soil is good, but it wants that important auxiliary to the esta

R

blishment of condition, a hill-without which horses cannot be brought to the highest state of perfection.

Jones, of Prestbury, trains on Cleeve Hill, the site on which Cheltenham races are held. The nature of the land taken altogether is good; there is, however, one disadvantage-the horses have a long hill to ascend in going to their work, and, of course, the same to descend afterwards; nevertheless, Jones's horses always look fresh and well, and if great attention on his part could ensure success, they would never be beaten. The situation, two miles from Cheltenham, is centrical for many country meetings worthy of notice.

The ground over which Scott trains at Malton is highly spoken of; indeed, nothing can more faithfully demonstrate the fact of its being well calculated for the purpose than the excellent condition in which his horses always appear when brought to the post, especially the remarkable freshness which they invariably exhibit in their legs. A trainer's ability and assiduity may be unequalled, but no man can prepare horses properly unless he has good ground to work them upon. I have never seen the exercise at Malton, but I have seen Scott's horses, and have so invariably admired their condition and appearance as to be quite satisfied the necessary adjunct of appropriate land must be combined with Scott's acknowledged skill to produce such favourable results. He has stables at Newmarket, as also at Pigbourn, near Doncaster, at which place most of his horses undergo the latter part of their preparation for the great northern meeting, so that they have not to encounter the risk of travelling far immediately before they run.

Whether training ground be public or private, some attention is requisite to keep it in order; and if it be a very poor, weak, hungry soil, occasional dressings of manure will be found the greatest auxiliary possible. The description of manure must depend upon the nature of the land; on some, stable manure will have an admirable effect, but upon almost all, tan will be found to be the best.

Rolling during wet weather is, in many instances, indispensable to press in the tracks and holes which have been made by the horses' feet, but the less this practice is resorted to the better, as it must tend to render the land more solid; therefore, the lighter the roll which is used for the purpose, the more advantageous, so that it is sufficiently ponderous to press in the turf which has been misplaced. If, previously to rolling in the spring, some seeds of the finer grasses, which are natural to the land and productive of a firm, tough, and elastic sward, be sown, it will add greatly to the verdure of the land and improvement of the turf. In order to avoid the use of the roll as much as may be, the boys should be sent on to turn down the foot-marks and tread them in their proper places whenever the surface is so soft as to be cut up; when they have not got their horses to attend to, such employment keeps them out of mischief at the same time that they are doing good in another way.

KENNEL LAMENESS.

BY A VOYAGER.

For this scourge of the pack extended enquiry has led in every instance to one conclusion-dampness and coldness in the kennel, either separate or combined, are the cause of the disorder.

Mr. Davis, the Queen's huntsman, imagined that the presence of some of the salts of lead in the water drank by the royal buck-hounds was the cause of the disease in that noble pack; water, taken from the leaden pipes at the Ascot kennel, was therefore submitted to the chemical inspection of Dr. Ryan, and his analysis showed that half a gallon of water, which is more than a hound consumes in a day, contained rather more than half a grain of carbonate of lead-a minute quantity, totally incapable of producing paralysis in the hounds, though the same dose were repeated daily for months. Such repetition, however, never occurred, for it was only in the water that had been allowed to remain in the pipes for some time, that even so much of the salt of lead was contained as was detected by Dr. Ryan.

But, setting aside all proximate considerations, we may at once demolish the lead theory, by reminding the reader that kennel lameness is not paralysis at all; there is no want of nervous power; the animals I have seen affected by it showed every demonstration that it was a muscular affection, and that it has every symptom attendant upon rheumatism in the human subject. In summer the animal is either quite well or less severely affected, and, when excited, often loses all appearance of lameness-results which could not occur if the nerves were paralyzed.

It is also a characteristic of rheumatism in the human species to attack the limbs, and especially the shoulders, and it is here where is seated the kennel lameness. Again, rheumatism is most usually induced by remaining in damp clothing and by being suddenly exposed to chills whilst the body is heated: precisely so is it with the kennel lameness; it invariably makes its appearance during the hunting season, when the hounds, heated and wet, are turned into a cold kennel to get chilled and shivering. So certain is this to produce the disorder, that if any master of hounds will scrupulously inquire, he will invariably find that cases of lameness have occurred after some severe runs in cold weather.

Every master of hounds, therefore, has the means of prevention in his own hands; let him have his lodging-rooms heated either by means of warm air, or, which I think far better, by the hot-water system; the benches might be tanks with hot water circulating through them, according to the mode lately invented by Mr. Rendle, of Ply

mouth. The whole might be fitted up for a very few pounds, and the cost for fuel is so ludicrously small, as to require no consideration.

Into a lodging room thus genially warmed the pack ought to be turned upon their return from the field, and to be kept there until they are quite dry, with plenty of straw in which to roll and cherish themselves. Not until quite dry, ought they to be admitted to the feeding troughs.

If any authority were required to support so common sense a prac tice, I have the facts that the Woburn Abbey and the Goodwood kennels have their lodging rooms warmed by flues. If a published opinion be required in favour of the practice, there is that of Mr. Blaine, who says-" It is our opinion, as well as that of many respected masters of hounds, that warmth occasionally applied to the kennel lodging-rooms is of great utility." Indeed, innumerable testimonials might be adduced in proof of the direct benefit which artificial warmth yields to the tired and draggled hound after a severe run. Not only does it prevent disease, but also tends to bring the dogs sooner round after severe fatigue than any other treatment whatever, by preventing any stiffening of the limbs. We constantly admitted our pointers and our greyhounds into the kitchen, when we had worked either the one or the other severely, by which means their limbs remained unstiffened, and their fatigue vanished. Let it not be forgotten also that Liebig has shown, upon scientific principles, confirmed by the general experience of practical men, that an animal kept cold requires much more food than one that has been kept warm, to preserve him in good condition.

P.S.-I have just heard that the Hambledon hounds are going to be moved to their old kennel, which is warmer and drier, to recover them from kennel lameness, which they never had whilst there.

THE SAVING CLAUSE;

OR,

"IF I HAD ANOTHER PAIR OF

BY AN OXONIAN.

"Much virtue in if."

AS YOU LIKE IT.

If I had another pair of-What? "Ponies," sighs the would-be dashing Mrs. Stylish, as she pitches the silk into her solitary prad, which her own good man affirms he has been unable to match since the close of last season; though we rather reckon he has proved himself more than a match for his "missis," in saving his pocket so long,