220 GROUND GAME 



coverts, the protection of crops being left entirely to the culti- 

 vator, who, if to be as successful as the game-preserver, must 

 destroy vermin, in which category hares and rabbits from an 

 arboricultural, agricultural and horticultural standpoint, must 

 be classed, with a distinction that of their flesh being good food 

 and their skins useful. 



This antagonism of cultivators to many game-preservers is 

 unquestionably due to over-preservation, ground and even winged 

 game being so preserved and unrestricted as to hinder cultural 

 effort, and inflict such loss as to confer all the profit on the game- 

 preservation, or outweigh any advantage in respect of less rent 

 exaction in consideration of game protection, the 2s. 6d. to 55. 

 per acre allowance being inadequate. On the other hand, tenants, 

 particularly farmers, all imbued with sporting instincts, and land- 

 lords, especially resident owners, sportsmen " every inch," admit 

 a reciprocity of interests, and maintain a good understanding. 

 But when the landlord relegates the sporting rights over his estate 

 to a tenant uninterested in sport other than head of game, dis- 

 countenancing coursing, beagling and fox-hunting, the aspect of 

 affairs change, as then there is no consideration for crops, and 

 no requiting of injuries by taking of produce hay, corn and straw. 

 Thus the dual tenantship speedily leads to conflict the farmer 

 exercises his right to ground game and even to winged game, 

 while the sporting tenant grumbles and deafens the owner with 

 complaints, and the result is disaster to all concerned, both tenants, 

 as the landlord's interest is solely pecuniary, clearing out, the 

 sporting tenant through there not being any game adequate to 

 the rental, and the farming-tenant through dilapidation of farm- 

 steading and general neglect of estate Sooner or later the land- 

 lord finds himself possessed of land for which no tenant can be 

 found, and the nation suffers loss in forest, farm, and garden 

 crops. 



As the habits of ground game hares and rabbits have already 

 been referred to at considerable length under their respective 

 heading, we now proceed to treat of preventive and repressive 

 measures. 



WARDING OFF ATTACKS BY FEEDING. In woods, plantations 

 and ornamental coverts much damage to trees and shrubs during 

 hard frost and drifted snow may be avoided by placing freshly 

 cut branches of ash, crab, poplar, thorn-acacia, et*., on the ground 

 or snow, and in the case of a young plantation leading away from 

 the burrows in opposite direction, thinly close by the warren 

 and leading up to the main point in closer order, forming a sort 

 of branches-plantation at the desired rendezvous. A few swedes 

 strewed from time to time through the improvised covert, along 

 with a little hay and such dainties as bran^ crushed oats and cake, 

 render assurance doubly sure, not forgetting to replenish the tree 



