STOCK 481 



equally so in the opinion of many is the destruction of the old hens. But this 

 is not the main factor of improvement. 



The habit of the Grouse left to themselves is to remain close to their early 

 surroundings, and to marry in their own 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 importance 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. 



This moor is divided in its lower half by a deep and wide valley, which 

 thirty years ago the birds rarely attempted to cross. That they now require 

 no provocation to make the passage is evidence of their higher physical 

 VOL. i. 2 H 



