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Practical Game Preserving. 



out in fields which are reasonably secure both from poachers 

 and vermin, for both the human and animal depredators 

 have every opportunity of molesting and destroying them. 

 There is no doubt that, looking at matters from this point 

 of view, oat fields are the most suitable rearing grounds for 

 the young birds, as they offer far more cover and security 

 from winged vermin, and more opposition to the progress 

 of ground vermin than wheat fields. The same may be 

 said of barley, but we prefer wheat or oats. Another con- 

 sideration is not to put the broods down sufficiently near 

 enough to run into one another, otherwise they will pack to 

 some extent, and very large covies will be the undesirable 

 result. One brood to every four acres is a sufficiently thick 

 stock ; if they are reared up more numerously than this, 

 serious consequences may result. We allude to the outbreak 

 of disease in an epidemic form, which will soon carry off the 

 stock. 



Once turned away, young partridges require no more 

 looking after beyond the usual attention from the keeper, 

 but he ought to watch, without necessarily disturbing, each 

 brood turned down, until they become too large. Stealing 

 birds, pure and simple, is so much practised nowadays by 

 farm labourers, that it becomes yearly more necessary to 

 watch for and counteract their nefarious designs. While 

 the meadows and hayfields are being mowed, whether by 

 machine or scythe, the keeper, or someone that can be 

 reliably trusted, should be present, attendant either on the 

 mowers or following the machine, with a view to the dis- 

 covery and acquisition of any hard-set nests. He should 

 further arrange for two or three broody hens to be available 



