Appendix 



Value of Wild Animals* 



BY 



C. D. Richardson, West Brookfield, Mass. 



THOSE beautiful wooded dells should be the haunts of the wild 

 creatures, as when first discovered by the white man. Too long 

 they, with their wild life, have been given over to the pot hunter and 

 to him who would despoil them of their true charm. There is a growing 

 recognition that the strain of modern life can be best endured by often 

 fleeing to the wilds, which calls at times to all, but louder to some 

 than others. 



All over this great country of ours there are vast stretches of 

 waste land, with their variety of woods, swamps, and hillside, which 

 yield but little profit to the owner. Let us look a little into the future. 

 Suppose we make something of this land, fence it in, reforest it, and 

 stock it with game. It will require little care and the average farmer 

 may realize from it more than he now does from his tilled acres. The 

 fence problem is practically solved in the use of woven wire, and a large 

 tract may be enclosed at a comparatively small expense. 



The food problem, too, is a simple one, as grouse, pheasants, quail, 

 etc., subsist almost wholly upon insects which, if unchecked, would 

 destroy all vegetation, on noxious seeds, and on buds of unimportant 

 trees, while the larger game animals, especially those of the deer family, 

 feed almost wholly on twigs and leaves of vegetation which is of no 

 real value, if not a menace to the farmer. Ih fact, the finest grazing 

 ground for such animals is an old brush pasture in which the ordinary 

 domestic animals would starve, but which furnishes to the wild crea- 

 tures their most natural food. 



The question of vermin — the fox, weasels, skunk, cat, etc., the 

 natural enemies of the bird — must be considered and a systematic war- 

 fare waged against them. An English moor of from 100 to 500 acres 

 often rents for £300 ($1,500) a season, just for the shooting privileges 

 of the grouse alone. When the vermin is disposed of, the increase 

 in bird life on such a tract is simply enormous. 



There is a growing demand, at increasingly high prices, for live 

 game to supply zoological parks, and for game as food. The revenue 



♦From American Breeders' Association Annual Report, 1911. 



