30 EEMIXISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN. 



I strongly advise that every endeavour should be used to 

 be on friendly terms with the farmers, whether they are 

 your tenants, whether you rent the shooting, or whether 

 you have the exclusive right from a relation or friend. 

 This, I conceive, may be accomplished by displaying 

 always a conciliatory manner towards them ; and if they 

 have wives and daughters by paying them occasional 

 visits. Civility costs little, and generally gets com- 

 pound interest. 



Most farmers will assist to a certain extent a gentleman 

 in the preservation of his game, provided he conducts 

 himself as I have above stated ; and if the game should 

 be so abundant as to occasion serious damage to the 

 crops he should be readily allowed a fair compensation, 

 to be made by calling in some person who is a compe- 

 tent judge and fully able to estimate the loss. 



The farmers have it certainly in their power to 

 destroy much game during the breeding season. Their 

 time being chiefly occupied in riding and walking over 

 their farms, the probability is, therefore, that they must 

 sometimes discover both pheasants' and partridges' nests, 

 and when an ill feeling predominates in their minds 

 against the gentleman who has the shooting, the eggs 

 will most likely be destroyed, and perhaps his labourers 

 encouraged to do the same. I feel very unmlling to say 

 anything against this useful class of men, but I know 

 from experience they are sometimes very vindictive.* 



* Several foxes and some of Baron Eothschild's stag hounds were found 

 poisoned, in the summer of 1856, on the farm of Mr. Bowden in Bucks. 

 A farmer of the name of Bowden, brother of the above, was convicted 

 before P. Dauneey, Esq. and E. W. Lowndes in a penalty of 11^. 3s. 6d. 

 for poisoning with strychnine two sporting dogs belonging to his neigh- 



