THE PREPARATION, ETC., OF FOOD. 91 



Poults will keep on growing and progressing well 

 enough upon this stuff, as long as the weather is 

 favourable, and the ground they are on suitable (the 

 mixture as above described contains no less than seven 

 different varieties of food, all of which are most suit- 

 able to the appetites, and beneficial to the growth of 

 our tender charges), but when they once begin to show 

 symptoms of having given over progressing, then look 

 out for gapes, chills, and all sorts of misfortunes. 



When using the term "best" or "prepared" food, 

 I allude, of course, to a spiced or carminated meal con- 

 taining stimulative properties. There are plenty 

 advertised, but I consider it my duty to warn the public 

 against a too great faith in such, as does Mr Carnegie 

 on page 35 of his " Practical Game Preserving." 

 These foods may be founded upon the best materials, 

 but again they may not, and when a firm has attained 

 a high reputation for the sale of such, it is apt to get 

 careless and go in for a little extra profit ; and, as I 

 have before had occasion to remark, there is nothing 

 tells so quickly upon young birds, or causes them to 

 lose condition so rapidly, as the application of inferior 

 food in any shape. The best, and nothing but the 

 best, is the motto to bear in mind in pheasant rearing ; 

 it comes cheapest in the end, as it does in most other 

 walks in life. 



The preparation of this stimulative meal is trouble- 

 some, and I will not bother my readers with it, merely 

 remarking that my manager (William Guest) has done 



