20 



THE GAME BREEDER 



to have the laws protecting vermin 

 amended so as to provide that gamle ene- 

 mies may be destroyed on game farms 

 when they are observed destroying game. 

 Here as elsewhere more can be ac- 

 complished by the excellent educational 

 work of the Audubon Societies and in- 

 telligent game preservers than can be ac- 

 complished by a multiplicity of laws re- 

 lating to skunks and others which surely 

 will be changed often and for the most 

 part will remain unknown, not observed 

 and not executed. I am not one of those 

 who believe in the wanton destruction of 

 all vermin on suspicion that it may do 

 harm. But until the game becomes 

 abundant and cheap in the markets we 

 surely can spare a good lot of vermin 

 when it is observed destroying game. 



Prices. 



The prices of pheasants have kept well 

 up and we have had repeated inquiries 

 for birds. Live hens sold at four and 

 five dollars per bird and cocks brought 

 nearly as much in some cases. 



Pheasants sold in the New York mar- 

 kets for $2.50 each in large lots. 



We predict that good prices will pre- 

 vail during the year since many new 

 game shooting clubs and preserves will 

 be started. We are kept busy writing 

 those who contemplate having shooting. 



Many State game officers purchase 

 large numbers of pheasants and eggs and 

 since many of the birds liberated are 

 taken by vermin and most of the rest are 

 shot the State departments will continue, 

 no doubt, to be good customers. 



True wild mallards sold for $2 and $3 

 each and the "near mallards" were not 

 in as great demand as they were when 

 nothing else could be had. Early eggs 

 are $25 per hundred, late eggs $20 and 

 $15 per hundred. 



The Egg Market. 



The egg market seems to be opening 

 strong. There is especially a big demand 

 for wild duck eggs from true wild mal- 

 lards and from "near mallards" guar- 

 anteed to be strong on the wing. Pur- 

 chasers are insisting more and miore on 

 knowing how the birds which lay the 

 eggs are handled and if they are used 

 for shooting. The "otherwise than by 



shooting" duck and its eggs do not com- 

 mand very good prices any more. The 

 "otherwise than by shooting" legislative 

 nonsense if not checked, would result 

 in a small production of not very saleable 

 ducks. 



Late Eggs. 



We predict there will be a good de- 

 mand for late eggs if the breeders will 

 advertise them since some of the places 

 will rear late birds as well as early ones. 

 Although it is not quite as easy to rear 

 late birds as early ones it is evident there 

 will be more game where both early and 

 late birds are reared and some of the 

 shoots have not sufficient equipment to 

 rear a very large number of birds at once. 

 Late birds come in well for late shooting 

 and although we favor putting all of the 

 birds on the rearing field at the same 

 time when this is possible, we have seen 

 some good results produced by two crops, 

 early and late. 



Readers who have eggs to sell are re- 

 quested to send advertisements so that 

 our readers surely will be supplied. 



By all means advertise birds for late 

 summer and fall delivery. It is a good 

 plan to have the orders in and customers 

 waiting for the birds and ready to receive 

 them early. 



Early Ducks. 



In England hand-reared duck are shot 

 as early as August. We hope some of 

 our breeders will be ' able to furnish 

 ducks suitable for early sport so that the 

 shooting can begin early and run through 

 a long open season. We like to see the 

 boys have a good shoot before school 

 opens. 



Early Shooting. 

 There is no danger of State or United 

 States ducks being shot on the preserves 

 during the last of August and early in 

 September since the migrants have not 

 arrived at that time. Where the State 

 laws permit breeders to shoot their game 

 at any time we undestand the State law 

 prevails. If we are wrong about this 

 we hope the U. S. regulations can be 

 made to conform to the State law, "in 

 order to increase our food supply." It 



