134 PHEASANTS FOR COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



1870 my keeper's bill for four hundred birds was, eggs, 

 5 6s. 6d.-, bread, 1 12s. 4Jd. ; milk, 2 Us. 8d. -, suet, 

 13s. 6d.; 'secrets/ 7s. 6d. 10 11s. 6$d. To this must 

 be added Indian corn, meal, and rabbits ; but I cannot 

 give the exact quantity of each, as dogs were fed from the 

 meal barrel, and the rabbits were not counted; 9 8s. is, I 

 consider, a fair estimate of the cost of what was used for the 

 birds making a total of 20 for four hundred, or Is. each. 

 About the ' secrets ' I can say nothing, except that none are 

 required." 



" In 1878, for three hundred under my supervision, the 

 cost was : Very coarse Scotch meal, 9 15s. 6d. ; milk, 3 ; 

 eggs, 1 15s.-, rennet, 2s. 8d. wheat, 8s. 8d. -, bread, 

 5s. Hid.; sheep's paunches (two hundred), 1 5s.; ahorse, 

 10s. ; a cow, 5s. ; a sheep, 5s. The last three for producing 

 maggots. Total 17 12s. 9icL No rabbits were used. 

 With this supply of food, at the cost of a little more than 

 Is. a head, not only were 97 per cent, of the birds reared, but 

 I think they were as fine as possible." 



The cost of labour, protection, &c., varies so much in 

 different localities and circumstances that it is impracticable 

 to draw up even a rough average of general application. 

 Under very favourable conditions, as Mr. Cade demonstrates, 

 pheasants may be reared at as small a cost as Is. a head for 

 food, and in others the cost rises to 14s. or even 15s. 



