290 PARTRIDGE MANORS AND 



In May and June I always keep a lot of light 

 broody hens ready to sit, for during the mowing 

 season many partridge nests are cut out. The 

 eggs are brought warm to me, and are instantly set 

 under one of the hens. 



The people who bring me in the eggs I invari- 

 ably reward, but they are never encouraged or 

 allowed to look for nests. Now, if these men were 

 not paid a trifle, and a horn of ale given to them, 

 they would not trouble themselves or lose their 

 time. It would be very easy to put their foot on 

 the eggs and crush them. 



I am not an advocate for hand-reared birds, as 

 there is some trouble and expense feeding them, 

 and they do not grow strong and vigorous nearly so 

 quickly as wild ones. 



In one year alone, some four or five seasons back, 

 I had six hundred eggs cut out, and over five hun- 

 dred birds were reared. 



Chamberland's food is the best for them, as well 

 as for pheasants. 



Of course the hens should be cooped. There is 

 one thing you must be most particular about, and 

 that is never to place the coops near an old bank, 

 or where there are rabbit-burrows, for these spots 

 are not only the haunts of stoats and weasels, but 

 there is an animal quite as dangerous, who loves a 



