THE WARREN 65 



lime and salt, is from fifty to a hundred per year. 

 On the larger inclosed warren at Wortley Hall, which 

 is only partially stocked (77 acres of park land with 

 some covert adjoining), the average number of rabbits 

 taken up each year has been 3,000, which is about 

 forty rabbits per acre, and a good deal of grass is left 

 uneaten. It is not to be inferred from this, however, 

 that a warren half the size would produce the same 

 number of rabbits to the acre. No doubt half the 

 number of acres will suffice to feed 3,000, but they 

 require space as well as food or their domestic 

 arrangements will be sadly interfered with. Over- 

 crowding means interference with the does when 

 suckling, and there ought to be room enough to 

 obviate their being disturbed, as they would be if there 

 were too many occupants of one burrow. If a warren 

 is to pay for maintaining there is no need to waste 

 half the food it will produce. This implies a loss. 

 If there is to be a profit, the area and the feed upon 

 it should be no greater than is actually required to 

 support the stock. The question how many rabbits 

 should go to the acre can only be answered in general 

 terms, for it is obvious that an acre in one county 

 may contain double the quantity of food found on 

 another where the soil and the nature of the vegeta- 

 tion may vary considerably. 



F 



