xii Preface 



By good management the average weight of deer may be 

 greatly increased ; and I hope the time will come when pedigree 

 deer will be available for interchange between various parks owned 

 by breeders. 



As regards my own deer, I am fortunate in possessing a man 

 to look after them who is ready to learn; the chief difficulty being 

 to get such a man. For, as a rule, the ordinary forester or keeper 

 works on fixed ideas, and cannot be induced to do otherwise ; 

 whereas for the purpose of breeding and crossing deer it is 

 essential that the old methods of deer-park management should be 

 largely modified. The average keeper is indeed like the Count 

 described by Guy de Maupassant in Confessions tfUne Fenune, of 

 whom he writes as follows : 



" On sentait un esprit plein de pensees toutes faites, mises en lui 

 par ses pere et mere qui les tenaient eux-memes de leurs ancetres. 



" II n'hesitait jamais, donnant sur tout un avis immediat et 

 borne, sans embarras aucun et sans comprendre qu'il put exister 

 d'autres manieres de voir. On sentait que cette tete-la etait close, 

 qu'il n'y circulait point d'idees qui renouvellent et assainissent un 

 esprit comme le vent qui passe en une maison dont on ouvre 

 portes et fenetres." 



WALTER WINANS 



SURRENDEN PARK, KENT 



May, 1912 



