nnecessary, leaving that to the
Discretion of the _Huntsman_; only I would have him observe, that it be
built some pretty way distant from the Dwelling-House, in a warm dry
Place, free from Vermine, and near some Pond or River of fresh Water;
and so placed, that the Morning Sun may shine upon it. Be sure to keep
it clean, and let them not want fresh Straw every day. Feed them early
in the Morning at Sun-rising, and at Sun-set in the Evening. As for the
Meat, I leave to the ingenious Huntsman to get when they come from
Hunting; after you have fed them well, let them to their Kennel, and
wash their Feet with Beer and Butter, or some such thing, and pick and
search their Cleys, for Thorns, Stubs, or the like: If it is in
_Winter_, let a Fire be made, and let them beak and stretch themselves
for an hour or so at the fire, and suffer them to lick, pick, and trim
themselves; hereby to prevent the _Diseases_ incident to them, upon
sudden Cooling, as the _Mange_, _Itch_, _Fevers_, &c.

But before I treat of the keeping your Hounds in Health by curing their
Diseases, I must speak a Word or two of the way to _Breed good Whelps_,
viz. Having a Hound and a Bratch of that general Goodness in Size,
Voice, Speed, Scent, and Proportion you like, put them together to
ingender in _January_, _February_, or _March_, as the properest Months
for Hounds, Bitches, and Bratches to be Limed in; because of not _losing
time_ to enter them. When you put them together, observe, as near as
you can, if the _Moon_ be in _Aquarius_ or _Gemini_; because the Whelps
will then never run Mad, and the Litter will be double as many Dogs, as
Bitch-Whelps. When your Bitch is near her _Whelping_, separate her from
the other Hounds, and make her a Kennel particularly by her self; and
see her Kennell'd every Night, that she might be acquainted and
delighted with it, and so not seek out unwholsom Places; for if you
remove the Whelps after they are Whelp'd, the Bitch will carry them up
and down till she come to their first Place of Littering; and that's
very dangerous. Suffer not your Whelps to Suck above two Months, and
then _Wean_ them.

When your Whelps are brought up, _enter_ them not into Hunting till they
are at least a Year and half old: That is, if whelpt in _March_, enter
them _September_ come Twelve Month; if in _April_, in _October_ come
Twelve Months after, _&c_.

When you would _enter_ them, bring them abroad, with the most Staunch
and best Hunting ho