THE NEW FORESTRY. 13 



of acquiring a knowledge of game as those of the keeper do, 

 and on most estates he already performs not a few of the 

 keeper's duties. It is not proposed to abolish the office of 

 head-keeper or upset generally existing arrangements, but it 

 is proposed to class the game as a sub-department under the 

 head of " woods " or " forests," and work the two conjointly. 

 This is the German and French plan : the gamekeepers are 

 foresters, and all sporting expeditions are conducted in 

 Germany by the ober-forsters, who possess a knowledge of 

 natural history, to which gamekeepers in this country are total 

 strangers. By this plan the two departments would be worked 

 without friction, and things would shape themselves accor- 

 dingly and go on smoothly, with much advantage to the 

 proprietor. The gamekeeper would have his daily working 

 duties assigned to him as hitherto, but it is proposed to relieve 

 him of the responsibility of keeping books and accounts, and 

 to transfer these to the forester, who would assign them their 

 proper place under the head of woods or forests, subject to the 

 final audit of the estate office. As it is at present, this work is 

 usually done by someone else than the keeper, whose books 

 are generally kept by the agent or his assistants. 



We do not wish to say a word more than can be helped 

 against any class of servants on estates, but it is, we believe, 

 universally admitted that the game department is the worst 

 managed of any, chiefly because gamekeepers are, with here 

 and there an exception, an ignorant class of men, who are 

 recruited from all ranks, many taking up the business after 

 they have failed in everything else. Why gentlemen should 

 lay so much stress on securing skill and intelligence when 

 engaging a forester, gardener or bailiff, and accept the services 

 of a keeper, where both great skill and intelligence are 

 required, on the strength of a certificate that he can keep 

 moderately sober and kill vermin, is one of the puzzles of 

 rural experience. 



SECTION II. PHEASANT COVERTS IN DENSE WOODS. 



This subject is closely connected with the system of forestry 

 adopted, the opinion of many owners being that the Conti- 

 nental system of dense cropping of the timbered area is 

 inimical to the successful preservation of game, especially of 

 pheasants, which is a mistake founded upon nothing better 

 than supposition and the prejudices of keepers. The pheasant 



