158 LETTERS TO YOUNG SHOOTERS LETTER 



A bushel of barley may now and then be scattered 

 over the rakings and under the shelter. There is 

 nothing pleases a pheasant more than searching for 

 hidden food ; and he will persevere and scratch up 

 the rakings and chaff as long as there are a few 

 grains to be found, which is an excellent employment 

 to prevent him from straying in the open, and, at the 

 same time, gives him food so that rats and small birds 

 cannot easily purloin it. 



The barley placed on the netting and among the 

 rakings may be varied with wheat, peas, buckwheat, 

 and beans ; but be careful to bestow the food in small 

 quantities just enough to amuse and occupy only. 



A strip of buckwheat or beans, sown near the edge 

 of a covert, is an excellent device (so I have read) to 

 keep your pheasants from straying. Unfortunately 

 buckwheat is difficult to grow ; and buckwheat or 

 beans close to a covert would require careful fencing 

 against rabbits. It will be found cheaper and easier 

 to purchase any such seed and give it to the pheasants 

 among rakings inside a wood as described. 



If you have grain fields close to your coverts, it is 

 an admirable plan to purchase an acre of standing 

 corn (barley is best) from the farming tenant, and 

 leave it uncut, as a refuge for your pheasants. 



The birds will draw to it when the fields are bare, 

 both for food and shelter, and you can now and then 

 cut a load and cart it into the coverts. 



An acre of standing corn may cost you 6Z. (a 



