Re -stocking Coverts. Ill 



other estates that the stock of hens is insufficient to supply the 

 number of birds which the owner wishes to rear. Some people 

 believe in reducing the stock to the lowest numbers possible, 

 •and beginning with a fresh stock each season. Others find — 

 and this must have happened in many places owing to the war 

 — that the stocking of coverts has to be begun de novo. In 

 these cases the only course is to buy eggs. When this book 

 was first published, the practice of buying eggs was discouraged 

 by the writer, as it was found to lead to dishonesty on the part 

 of gamekeepers, and to many and various forms of poaching. 

 Such practices, unfortunately, have not altogether disappeared 

 to-day, although less frequently in the case of keepers. But 

 "the system of buying and selling of pheasants' eggs, long 

 before the war, had developed into a large and legitimate 

 Ijusiness. Game farms were formed on an extensive scale, 

 .and game farming became a recognised industry comparable, 

 though on a small scale, with poultry farming. A certain 

 number of game farmers, indeed, confident in possession of 

 their own laying hens and rearing fields, welcomed inspection 

 by potential buyers ; and a final stage was reached when, in 

 1910, the law of the land was altered so as to legalise the 

 position of all game farmers in certaiia respects as to keeping 

 and offering for sale game birds during the close season. 

 Doubtless, among many honest traders there still remained 

 exceptions ; but as regards those in the larger way of business 

 the whole thing was perfectly open and above board, and was, 

 indeed, a great convenience to owners of shootings. 



The war put an end, for the time being, to trade in game 

 birds and eggs, and it was obvious that, even given an increased 

 number of persons wishing to rear pheasants after the war, 

 it would be long before the business could be put on a prosperous 

 footing again. However, since the Armistice matters have 

 gradually improved, and a market in pheasants' eggs has 

 again been established, though with prices considerably 

 increased. Would-be purchasers of eggs may be cautioned 

 against dealers who rely on private circulars rather than the 



