ue 



THE GAME BREEDER 



are bred wild, or semi-wild in protected 

 fields. 



Some interesting statistics about the 

 number of quail, grouse and turkeys 

 which can be safely reared on a given 

 area should be secured. The use of wild 

 roses, blackberry and other protective 

 covers should be studied and bulletins 

 on game breeding from such a farm will 

 be interesting and valuable. 



Feeding Old Pheasants. 



Various methods of feeding mature 

 pheasants have been tried with success. 

 Where a few birds are penned near a 

 garden it is an easy matter to give them 

 a variety of green food. I found my 

 birds fond of an ear of green corn such 

 as we used on the table and although 

 a keeper advised against feeding green 

 corn I often gave the birds in a small 

 pen a few ears of corn and enjoyed see- 

 ing them eat it with avidity. 



I fed cabbage and lettuce and other 

 green stuff from the garden with scraps 

 from the table including bread, an occa- 

 sional meat bone with very little meat on 

 it, potatoes, etc. There is more danger 

 of over-feeding than of under-feeding 

 penned pheasants and a very little wheat 

 or other grain, some bread, potatoes and 

 lettuce, cabbage, clover grass, etc., will 

 keep the birds in go6d condition. The 

 Spratt's foods are excellent and are used 

 with great success as the breeding sea- 

 son approaches. 



Potatoes for Pheasants. 



Tegetmeier says: "With regard to the 

 food of the-^ old birds in the pens the 

 more varied it is the better. Good, sound 

 grain such as maize, barley, buckwheat, 

 malt, tail wheat, oats, etc. may be freely 

 used. But maize should be used spar- 

 ingly, as it is too fattening for laying 

 pheasants or hens. Mr. Bailey recom- 

 mends strongly an occasional feed of 

 boiled potatoes, of which the birds are 

 exceedingly fond. He writes, 'For bring- 

 ing pheasants home or for keeping them 

 there, we know of nothing equal to 

 boiled potatoes. Let them be boiled with 



the skins whole, and in that state taken 

 to the place where they are to be used. 

 Before they are put down, cut out of 

 each skin a piece the size of a shilling, 

 showing the meal within. Place them at 

 moderate distances from each other and 

 the birds will follow them anywhere.' 

 Rice and damaged currants and raisins 

 are very well for an occasional change, 

 but should be sparingly used." 



Quail and Beans. 



Very recently we made the statement 

 thaj: quail are beneficial and not harmful 

 to agriculture, excepting the California 

 valley quail when over abundant in vine- 

 yards. We are informed that other 

 southwestern quail are a veritable pest 

 in some places where they destroy beans. 

 A New Mexican farmer, writing about 

 the quail, says : "I lost three plantings of 

 beans last year. I had put these under 

 ditch where I could water them, and this 

 year I lost a big patch which I planted 

 in feteria, etc., to see if it would not 

 hide them. But to no avail, for a hail 

 storm could not have made them look 

 worse. Please send instructions regard- 

 ing catching them. I have about four 

 acres and they have found the patch al- 

 ready, and they take to them like a 

 drunkard to drink." 



These quail should yield a profit of at 

 least $1,000 to the, farmer every year 

 and he can save the beans besides. A 

 little rough planting of foods for the 

 quail which they will prefer to the beans 

 and a scare boy to keep them out of the 

 bean patch is all that is needed. The boy 

 need only be employed during a short 

 sason when the beans are attractive. The 

 Game Breeder will furnish full instruc- 

 tions to any farmer, showing how he 

 can make from $1,000 to $5,000 per 

 year when he has such a good crop of 

 stock birds as is complained about in 

 the letter quoted. We will guarantee 

 that the bean crop also can be saved and 

 we predict it will be only a side line in 

 places where the opportunities for game 

 ranching are so excellent. We will at- 

 tend to selling the crop. Write to our 

 advertisers for prices. 



