COST OF PHEASANT BEARING. 129 



dry, they will require water, but it must be very clean, and 

 given only once a day, and must not remain before them 

 longer than to allow each bird to have a little. If the birds 

 are fed on moist scalded food, they will not require any water 

 unless the weather is very hot, when a little may be given as 

 before stated. Birds reared on heavy clay land will require 

 less water than those reared on sandy or gravel soil ; atten- 

 tion must also be paid to the amount of dew which falls, 

 supposing the birds are set at liberty before the dew has 

 time to evaporate. Those who argue that nature should be 

 the guide on this point must recollect that the rearing of 

 pheasants by hand is altogether an artificial process, and that 

 therefore nature cannot be strictly followed with regard to 

 water any more than with regard to food.^' A well-known 

 game preserver writes on the subject as follows : "My keeper 

 is a very successful breeder and rearer of pheasants. It 

 seems to me (for I watched his proceedings very closely) that 

 he gives the birds the very smallest supply of water. He 

 carries a bottle in his pocket when he feeds, and puts about 

 a wineglassful into each hen's saucer. The hens seem thirsty 

 enough, and leave but little for the young birds. He feeds 

 very sparingly, but frequently, throwing the food wide. He 

 has brought up a great many pheasants and birds for me. 

 One year, strange to say, out of 211 he did not lose one. 

 Certainly the season was favourable. Little water, and food 

 thrown wide round the coops, seems to be his system." The 

 scattering the food on clean soil being the most probable 

 source of his success. 



Inquiry is frequently made as to the cost of rearing 

 pheasants in numbers. It is very difficult to state even an 

 approximate sum, so much depends on the conditions under 

 which they are raised. For food only until they are ready to 

 go into the coverts, an average amount of from Is. to 1.9. 6d. 

 per head may be stated. 



Mr. T. C. Cade writes : " The result of my own obser- 

 vations in two years (1870 and 1878) is as follows — In 



K 



