ix. PHEASANT REARING (PART VIII) 147 



from the woods that are the chief resort of the foxes. 

 The foxes will always prefer the shelter of the gorse 

 covert to that of your woods, though they visit the 

 latter for food. The M.F.H. will then find his foxes 

 in the gorse, and seldom require to disturb the coverts 

 to look for them. Keep the gorse well burnt or cut ; 

 it will require this treatment every three or four years ; 

 if allowed to grow tall and thin, foxes will not find it 

 warm to their liking. 



NOTES ON THE COST OF REARING AND PRESERVING 

 PHEASANTS 



The cost of game preserving varies greatly accord- 

 ing to the nature of an estate in regard to its soil, 

 coverts, cultivation, shape and position. 



On a compact estate of light soil, with woods 

 composed of mixed trees and thick underwood, and 

 plenty of grain fields at hand, you should be able to 

 kill, including trapped or ferreted rabbits, about one 

 head of winged or ground game to the acre always 

 provided the tenants are good-tempered, and keep 

 their dogs at heel and their guns at home. 



An estate, for example, of 3,000 acres, answering to 

 the above description, and possessing some 200 acres 

 of wood, in the form of small coverts large ones are 



r satisfactory may easily average as its yearly 

 bi r : 



1,100 to 1,200 pheasants 

 400 to 500 partridges 



150 to 200 hares 

 1,000 to 1,200 rabbits 



L 2 



