CHAPTER X 



GAME 

 LARGE GAME 



RED-DEER. In the Highlands of Scotland large areas of land, 

 called deer-forests, are devoted to this ruminant, the main object 

 in view being pastime, known as deer-stalking, for the wealthy, 

 who may be the proprietors, or, as more generally is the case, 

 rich commercial magnates, alien millionaires and princely per- 

 sonages. Thus the landlord's chief interest is income rent for 

 game-shooting privilege and profit from timber production. 

 These pursuits are probably the best that can be followed on much 

 of the vast tracts of land in the Highlands from the owners' point 

 of view that is, more rent can be obtained for the land as deer- 

 forest in conjunction with timber produce than were it devoted 

 to arboricultural, agricultural, and horticultural crops in accord- 

 ance with its adaptation in respect of soil and environment. But 

 it is very questionable if such reservation of land for sporting 

 purposes conduces to the welfare of the nation in as full measure 

 as were the land afforested, farmed and gardened. Forest, farm 

 and garden produce needed by the inhabitants of the British 

 Islands is largely imported, and it is a matter of vital interest 

 whether timber, cereals and forage crops could not be grown in 

 place of scrub and pasture (of a sort), supporting only a few semi- 

 wild animals, not contributing anything approaching in utility 

 to the nation as cultivated land crops, giving more home pro- 

 duce, less reliance on importations, much more employment, in- 

 creased wealth, and, better than all, multiplied sturdy Anglo- 

 Saxons. 



Red-deer are great strayers, invading meadows and arable 

 fields, also orchards, at night-time, and inflict great damage on 

 crops : and as these belong to tenant-farmers, alleviation from 

 such incursions is imperative, in order that they may reap the 

 advantage of their efforts in full productive capacity of the soil 

 in place of having to suffer a diminution of each year's harvest 



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