THE GAME BREEDER 



145 



of the same mind. Two years ago I shooting and supplymg our tables with 



had such a demand that I was sold short the most dainty game meat That these 



of breeding stock before I was aware cannot be sold as food I find the greatest 



of it causing me to import a number of grievance. The unreasonableness of our 



birds' to replenish. present game laws are most apparent. 



Up to this time I had only attempted Naturalists agree that m their wild state 



to raise a few, neither had I read a pheasants reproduce more males than 



work on pheasants, preferring to study 

 it out by close observation of their 

 nature and the results of different kinds 

 of food and pens, etc. 



A gentleman from Pennsylvania came 

 over to see my pheasantry last June. 

 As I showed him the different systems 

 of management, from the first pen to 

 the more elaborate and much enlarged 

 system used at present, and as _ he 

 watched me prepare food and noticed 

 how the healthy young poults eagerly 

 devoured it. "Delighted," he exclaimed, 

 "this is the best trip of my life." 



What pheasant books have you read, 

 he asked. I told him I had none. 



Well, he said, I have read everything 

 I could get hold of ; I have visited many 



females and a number of males are never 

 selected by the females. The extra cocks 

 either are killed off by those selected or 

 live solitary lives. 



In their somewhat demoralized con- 

 dition in a state of captivity I find this 

 the case. Again one cock will mate with 

 from one to a dozen or more hens. 

 What is to be done with the extra cocks ? 

 I have yet to learn that I can legally 

 kill one of those birds and reduce it 

 to food. I am sure I cannot offer it to 

 another. I wish to be law-abiding but I" 

 am up against it right now. In trying 

 to solve this proposition I liberated 

 some. I find while I cannot shoot, others 

 do. Neither can I afford nor have I 

 the inclination to go to the great ex- 

 pense- of importing birds, putting up 



of the pheasantries, but say, you have j ^ ^^^^ iJ order to turn them 



them beat. He has become a customer ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^j^ ^^ ^ ^^^^^^ ^^ 



since and a good friend. I^jjl^ 



From the stock I had last season I sir, I would suggest the laws should 



expected to rear about 200 birds but j^g gQ framed as to foster and develop 



they hatched out well and were as hardy ^j^e highest type of manhood. As it is, 



as nails and I reared over 450. This I t^g tendency is to demoralize. Laws 



did as a side line, in addition to general 



farm work on 250 acres, with only the 



assistance of one man and my son, age 



13 years, and, sir, I reasonably conclude, 



were I to give my entire attention to this 



work I could raise pheasants by the 



thousand. What can be done here can 



be done most anywhere, as I have no 



natural advantages of location. 



I have raised the young of many 

 varieties. I find very little difference in 

 results obtained from young hatched, 

 some varieties requiring more seclusion 

 or warmth or shade or more meat in 



rations. All require just a little study on acknowledge that it is against the law 

 the part of the attendant. But, sir, in to offer the food the answer is, "What 

 considering rearing pheasants on a large good are they," or "How do you dis- 

 scale I find myself seriously handicapped pose of surplus stock?" All say the law 

 in marketing. While there is a demand is wrong if it will not allow a man to 

 for ornamental varieties, for various dispose of his own pheasants the same 

 purposes the covert species or commoner as he can chickens or turkeys, 

 varieties are used more especially for Well, I am with you for "more game 



should encourage and protect industries 

 that are for the betterment of mankind 

 making the way for their maintenance 

 easier. We hear of the high cost of 

 meats. Would not the hundreds and 

 thousands of pheasants help in that di- 

 rection? Were the markets open on 

 this continent for the sale of such foods 

 it would be a great boon to an industry 

 filled with promise. 



I am frequently asked by those pro- 

 posing to engage in pheasant breeding, 

 what is the price of pheasant meat on 

 the open market. When I have to 



