282 POACHING. 



greater extent than ever it was under the old 

 game hiws ; but the reason there are fewer con- 

 victions is that small landed proprietors cannot 

 afford to keep up a sufficient staff of men to con- 

 tend against a large body of poachers, and there- 

 fore give up preserving game altogether; and 

 farmers who, under liberal landlords, have now 

 the privilege, or rather reasonable right, of killing 

 the game raised and fed upon their own lands, 

 kill what they can themselves, leaving the rest, or 

 generally the lion's share, to the poacher, the dread 

 of a Jlare-vp in the farm-yard operating as an 

 effectual check to deter the farmer from taking 

 proceedings against these unlicensed sports- 

 men. 



" Well," I hear some millionaire exclaim, " if 

 you clodhoppers don't care about your game, why 

 should not we or the poachers have it, and what's 

 the harm done by poachers after all ?" Not very 

 much, perhaps, if these gentlemen would only 

 confine themselves to taking what we do not care 

 much about losing ; but this is only the beginning 

 of evils. In a neighbourhood in which I resided 

 a few years since, the farmers allow the poachers 

 to walk over the course without dispute ; but the 

 misfortune is, that as soon as the game is swept 

 off, these midnight marauders commence their 



