448 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



families, with the natural result of decadence and a falling 

 birth-rate. 



Driving upsets the family arrangements, mixes all the 

 birds together, and produces a healthier and more prolific 

 stock. 



It is often noticed that a good Grouse crop succeeds a severe 

 winter Nature's method of producing the same result. The 

 severity of the winter causes the birds to shift their quarters, 

 and the all-important crossing of the blood follows ; the possible 

 weeding-out of the weakly birds helping the general situation. 



The system of driving as carried out at Broomhead namely, 

 over one set of butts obtains to the fullest extent possible, 

 and intensifies all the benefits to be derived from driving. 



The coveys pack, the packs are shuffled and reshuffled till 

 the crossing of the blood is thoroughly ensured far more 

 thoroughly than under the usual system of driving. 



Nor is this the only advantage ; apart from gastronomic 

 considerations, it will be conceded that it is of the first import- 

 ance that the older birds should be killed and the younger 

 left for stock. 



It is only the older birds that possess the necessary stamina 

 to be so frequently on the wing and to cross the butts as 

 they are asked to do six times in the day. Many of the 

 younger birds soon tire, and finding cover and safety, live to 

 form the nucleus of a young breeding stock. 



Another advantage under the above system of driving is 

 that the pick-up of both dead and wounded is almost necessarily 

 a very clean one 



To sum up, the writer believes the freedom from disease at 

 Broomhead for the last thirty years is mainly to be attributed 

 to the fact that the above system of driving, continued for a 

 series of years, has produced a young stock so healthy and 

 vigorous as to be to a great extent immune to disease. The 

 system, in fact, automatically produces the conditions essential 

 to a well-managed poultry farm namely, young healthy stock 

 and a constant change of blood. 



