﻿PRESERVATION 
  AND 
  PROPAGATION. 
  25 
  

  

  ness 
  of 
  the 
  bobwhite. 
  When 
  several 
  inches 
  o.f 
  snow 
  were 
  on 
  the 
  

   ground 
  and 
  the 
  thermometer 
  registered 
  from 
  15 
  to 
  27 
  degrees 
  below 
  

   zero 
  every 
  night 
  for 
  a 
  week, 
  Mr. 
  Bolus 
  took 
  a 
  tramp 
  to 
  see 
  how 
  the 
  

   birds 
  had 
  fared. 
  He 
  found 
  no 
  dead 
  birds, 
  but 
  saw 
  six 
  thrifty 
  

   coveys 
  — 
  81 
  birds 
  in 
  all. 
  They 
  were 
  feeding 
  on 
  ragweed 
  projecting 
  

   from 
  the 
  snow, 
  and 
  were 
  jumping 
  up 
  to 
  reach 
  seeds 
  on 
  sprays 
  above 
  

   their 
  heads. 
  Some 
  coveys 
  remained 
  under 
  shelter 
  of 
  little 
  weed 
  

   patches, 
  but 
  others 
  ranged 
  over 
  the 
  more 
  open 
  fields. 
  

  

  In 
  Maryland 
  and 
  Virginia 
  large 
  landowners 
  often 
  feed 
  their 
  birds 
  

   in 
  severe 
  weather. 
  Wheat 
  and 
  corn 
  are 
  the 
  best 
  food, 
  and 
  should 
  be 
  

   scattered, 
  if 
  possible, 
  among 
  the 
  briers 
  where 
  the 
  birds 
  are 
  safe 
  from 
  

   hawks. 
  Bobwhites 
  have 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  feed 
  with 
  chickens 
  in 
  barn- 
  

   yards. 
  By 
  a 
  little 
  forethought 
  landowners 
  and 
  sportsmen 
  can 
  easily 
  

   make 
  winter 
  provision 
  for 
  their 
  birds. 
  Sumac 
  bushes 
  should 
  be 
  

   left 
  along 
  hedgerows 
  and 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  woodland 
  to 
  furnish 
  food 
  

   that 
  is 
  always 
  above 
  the 
  snow 
  and 
  lasts 
  well 
  into 
  spring. 
  Twelve 
  

   bobwhites 
  collected 
  in 
  December 
  in 
  North 
  Dakota 
  had 
  made 
  nine- 
  

   tenths 
  of 
  their 
  food 
  of 
  sumac, 
  having 
  eaten 
  from 
  50 
  to 
  300 
  berries 
  

   each. 
  A 
  similar 
  use, 
  in 
  coast 
  regions, 
  of 
  the 
  bayberry 
  and 
  wax 
  

   myrtle 
  has 
  been 
  noted. 
  Their 
  berries, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  sumac, 
  

   last 
  till 
  May, 
  and 
  the 
  plants 
  should 
  always 
  be 
  spared 
  by 
  everyone 
  

   who 
  is 
  interested 
  in 
  the 
  welfare 
  of 
  the 
  bobwhite. 
  Smilax, 
  affording 
  

   little 
  food 
  but 
  fine 
  cover, 
  and 
  wild 
  roses, 
  giving 
  both 
  food 
  and 
  cover, 
  

   are 
  also 
  valuable. 
  Blackberry 
  thickets, 
  young 
  pine 
  woods, 
  laurel, 
  

   and 
  holly 
  furnish 
  safe 
  retreats 
  from 
  enemies. 
  

  

  The 
  farmer 
  can 
  well 
  afford 
  to 
  feed 
  the 
  bobwhite 
  in 
  winter, 
  but 
  he 
  

   can 
  not 
  afford 
  to 
  spend 
  as 
  much 
  time 
  and 
  money 
  as 
  the 
  owner 
  of 
  game 
  

   preserves, 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  latter 
  class 
  further 
  suggestions 
  may 
  be 
  helpful. 
  

   In 
  the 
  Eastern 
  and 
  Southern 
  States 
  land 
  that 
  will 
  not 
  grow 
  profitable 
  

   crops 
  may 
  be 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  game 
  preserve, 
  provided 
  it 
  has 
  water 
  and 
  

   bushy 
  coverts. 
  The 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  mowing 
  machine, 
  so 
  destructive 
  to 
  

   eggs 
  and 
  young 
  birds, 
  should 
  be 
  avoided 
  when 
  possible 
  during 
  the 
  

   breeding 
  season. 
  Wheat 
  for 
  the 
  birds 
  should 
  be 
  sown 
  in 
  long 
  strips 
  

   not 
  over 
  50 
  yards 
  wide. 
  The 
  best 
  of 
  the 
  grain 
  may 
  be 
  harvested 
  and 
  

   the 
  rest 
  left 
  standing. 
  On 
  the 
  stubble 
  a 
  luxuriant 
  growth 
  of 
  ragweed 
  

   will 
  generally 
  spring 
  up 
  — 
  a 
  perfect 
  food 
  supply, 
  except 
  that 
  it 
  does 
  

   not 
  last 
  till 
  spring 
  ; 
  hence 
  the 
  need 
  of 
  sumac 
  or 
  bayberry. 
  In 
  regions 
  

   too 
  dry 
  for 
  ragweed 
  to 
  grow 
  in 
  the 
  stubble, 
  sunflowers 
  are 
  an 
  excellent 
  

   substitute. 
  Sorghum, 
  millet 
  (Chaetochloa), 
  and 
  possibly 
  panicum 
  

   may 
  be 
  planted 
  and 
  left 
  standing. 
  Pop 
  corn 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  particu- 
  

   larly 
  valuable, 
  as 
  large 
  corn 
  can 
  not 
  easily 
  be 
  swallowed 
  by 
  the 
  

   younger 
  birds. 
  Buckwheat, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  South 
  the 
  nutritious 
  cowpea, 
  

   and 
  the 
  climbing 
  false 
  buckwheat, 
  the 
  thick 
  tangles 
  of 
  which 
  also 
  

   afford 
  good 
  cover, 
  bear 
  excellent 
  food. 
  Other 
  plants 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  

  

  