13G Cost of Rearing. 



One great difficulty which many keepers have to contend 

 with is the necessit}- of preserving foxes side by side with 

 pheasants in a hunting country. It is, therefore, interesting to 

 compare with other accounts the figures of one who has dealt 

 successfully with this difficulty, and described his results in the 

 Gamekeeper of February, 1922 — Mr. W. Appleyard, of JBurley- 

 on-the-Hill, near Oakham, Kutlandshire. He gives the figures 

 ior the two seasons, 1920-21 and 1921-22. 



SEASON 1920-21. 



Pheasants turned into the woods 460. Killed, 411. £ s. d. 



Rearing foods and pen feeding 40 



Hard corn for covert feeding 121 1.5 6 



Rearing field (hire) 3 



Three days' shooting with beaters (beaters' pay) 10 4 



£174 19 6 

 Single-handed, and twelve finds in the lleynell Hunt. 



SEASON 1921-22. 



Pheasants turned into covert 350. Killed to date, 332. £ s. d. 



Rearing foods, and pen feeding, and sold 200 eggs 38 15 



Hard com for covert feeding 90 12 6 



Rearing field (hire) 3 



Three days' shooting with beaters (beaters' pay) 811 



£140 18 6 

 Single-handed, and up to date, fourteen finds for Hounds. 



To these figures Mr. Appleyard adds the comment that his 

 annual book " shows the returns in game killed " — that is, 

 presumably, game sold, not necessarily all pheasants, " which 

 showed a balance on the credit side." The above figures, of 

 course, show only expenses. 



In a hunting country, where grass fields are the rule, the 

 cost of feeding pheasants necessarily must be high compared 

 with those incurred in an arable country, where the fields will 

 supply a considerable amount of insect and natural food. As 

 a contrast to the conditions prevalent in Eutlandshire, the 

 circumstances in which pheasants can be reared in Hampshire 

 may be considerably happier. An interesting and instructive 



