ix. PHEASANT REARING {PART VIII) 151 



birds were left to the credit of the beat for laying eggs 

 in 1892. If all the pheasants had been shot down, 

 the cost of feeding each bird would come to a less sum 

 than 2s. l{d., but then doing this would entail a 

 heavy expense in purchasing eggs the ensuing season ; 

 and though the 200 birds spared for breeding were 

 reared with the 1,300 killed, we cannot well credit 

 their value as if brought to bag. 



If you divide the above total of 169Z. 5s. 2d. by 

 four, you will find the cost of feeding 325 pheasants 

 (killed) is 42L 6s. 3^d. ; you can also tell how much 

 corn, meal, &c., this number would require, allowing 

 fifty hens as the stock left for laying eggs. In a 

 similar way you may calculate that 100 pheasants 

 will cost you a few pence over 13Z. in food. 



This shows that on suitable soil, pheasants certainly 

 pay for the food they eat, if nothing more ; and it is 

 well they do so' with corn at about 17s. a sack. 



As I have described what may be done on an estate 

 suitable for game, I will now refer to the cost of pre- 

 serving and rearing pheasants on land that is unsuit- 

 '//>/'/. Be his land good or bad, a landlord in order to 

 entertain his friends and himself, if he can afford to do 

 so, will often make up his mind to show sport somehow, 

 and will sacrifice a certain sum for this purpose. 



