LANDSCAPE AND LARDER 219 



the grain is exhausted. Wherever pheasants are 

 required they must, of course, have access to arable 

 land ; but as this does not always lie adjoining the 

 coverts which you wish to stock with birds, its place 

 must, where possible, be supplied by taking a piece 

 of ground and using it as above described. If it lies 

 between two woods, or if in planting new woods you 

 provide for it beforehand by leaving an open space in 

 the centre of your plantation, being careful to choose 

 a piece which can be treated by the plough, you will 

 derive even greater benefit from it than if it lies out- 

 side. A day or two's ploughing can always be hired 

 from the farmers, and the sowing should be done by 

 your keepers, who should learn to look upon this as 

 one of the most important matters connected with the 

 rearing and keeping of pheasants. 



I am a great believer in broom for pheasants, as it 

 is very warm overhead, and they can run under it with 

 freedom and sheltered from wet and wind. But, like 

 many other things which you may desire to plant, it 

 is a very favourite food with rabbits and hares, which 

 will eat the young shoots with avidity. It will be 

 necessary, therefore, to wire in all broom or gorse 

 coverts, as well as the freshly planted open spaces 

 which I have mentioned above, until they are suffi- 

 ciently grown. Even then I would as much as pos- 



