00 



<^tfev g d 



he thinks there will be an ample market for all that can be produced. 

 "One trouble, I fear, however," he said in discussing the matter, "is that 

 the average breeder would not be content with prices received the preced- 

 ing year when he came to market his birds the following season. This 

 has been our experience with various kinds of poultry and in this matter 

 our breeders are in marked contrast with those of Europe, who seem con- 

 tent with the same price from year to year provided it yields a fair profit, 

 and who can be depended upon to furnish their quota of birds as each sea- 

 son comes around. That is one reason that we have not made much 

 effort to stimulate American pheasant breeding. 



9,000 BIRDS BROUGHT FROM ENGLAND YEARLY. "Our 



yearly importation of pheasants averages about 8,000 birds, most of which 

 come from England, but some are Chinese birds. The latter, however, 

 come by way of England also." 



If the assumption that Mr. Silz imports ninety per cent, of the pheas- 

 ants brought to this country is correct, it will be seen that the annual im- 

 portation runs in the neighborhood of 9,000 birds. 



In this connection, it is interesting to note that, under the rulings of 

 the customs office, the ringneck pheasant is a domestic bird, and hence 

 the bringing in of its feathers is not in violation of Schedule N of the tariff 

 law, which forbids the entry of all plumage except that of domestic fowl 

 and the ostrich. On the other hand, the Chinese pheasant is still classified 

 as a wild bird and bond must be given for the destruction of its feathers 

 when it is imported for eating purposes. 



MAY DRIVE OUT GUINEA. The comment of Mr. Tschirky re- 

 garding the supplanting of the guinea by the ringneck on the menus of 

 the leading hotels and restaurants is of particular interest. It was the 

 passage of the non-sale of game laws that forced the hotel men to resort 

 to the guinea as a substitute for game. This fowl does not compare with 

 the ringneck in edible qualities and, once the public taste acquires a little 

 more education it seems probable that the latter will force the former into 

 the background. Guinea breeding, if I am correctly informed, took on 

 great strides when the laws above referred to were passed. There is no 

 reason to doubt that a similar experience awaits pheasant breeding. 



MARKETING EGGS. Eggs can be made to form an important 

 part of the pheasant breeder's income. They are in demand from the time 

 the birds start laying, but the wise breeder will see that his own wants are 

 amply satisfied before selling. Egg quotations are given earlier in this 

 chapter and full information as to packing for shipping is contained in 

 Chapter III under the subhead, "Caring For Eggs." 



