PHEASANTS 139 



demanded by the sport. To afford more cover on 

 the estate the old woods could be underplanted, 

 and the soil would be the gainer. They would 

 change more often than has been the case in the past, 

 since as soon as the woods had reached the com- 

 mercial felling age they would be cut out and the 

 areas replanted. Consequently the varying position 

 of the old woods would necessitate modifications in 

 the system of driving the covers. But this to a 

 proprietor who is himself interested in this aspect 

 of the sport would present an added interest. And 

 the same applies to the good keeper. 



On the subject of the attraction a young plantation 



in its early youth has for pheasants, I may give an 



illustration culled from personal observation during 



the past shooting-season. I planted a small piece of 



larch, barely above half an acre. It is eight years old, 



from the seed, and growing remarkably well. The 



area had been felled during the war. On one side 



lies a stretch of arable land, on the others three old 



woods on the slopes of a glen, with practically no 



undergrowth in them on the south and western 



aspects. I visited the little plantation, once or 



twice throughout the winter. More often than 



not a large covey of partridges reared in some 



rather tall larch in the nursery, a quarter of a mile 



away, were to be found in the plantation, and as 



often pheasants in varying numbers were to be 



observed scratching about for food. It is needless 



to say that no food of any description had been 



put into the woods during the season. The little 



plantation on its own merits attracted the birds. 



10 



