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THE GAME BREEDER 



faithful to them as long as they want 

 to stay with her. 



These Chinese pheasant game birds 

 are scarce in Washington and very ex- 

 pensive when bought in other sections, 

 for they cost between $2.50 and $3.00 

 apiece, besides the freight. They are 

 very beautiful as well as luscious, and 

 are considered the best eating and lay- 

 ing bird in the world. There is always a 

 market for them and steamshipmen are 

 willing to pay top prices for their eggs, 

 as well as the pheasant, as they claim 

 the eggs keep longer. Last year the de- 

 mand was three times the supply. While 

 only Chinese pheasants are being raised 

 at the penitentiary, this year, Mr. Dar- 

 win expects to have other birds hatched 

 out next year and within a short time 

 will begin the propagation of the big 

 game. 



Some of the most experienced game- 

 bird raisers did not believe the farm 

 would be a success. After being told 

 it was a success they figured that if 60 

 per cent, were hatched out that would 

 be wonderful. The truth of the matter 

 is that over 75 per cent, were hatched 

 and next year the managers expect 

 to hatch out 90 per cent. One of the 

 doubters went miles to see if the farm 

 was as successful as reported. Before 

 leaving, he said: "This bird-game farm 

 and its results are the best I have ever 

 seen." This was said by Mr. I. D. 

 Casey, an authority recognized by all. 

 Since the labor costs nothing, the birds 

 were produced at a cost of about $1.00 

 apiece. Next year the cost will be 

 brought down to 72i/^ cents, since about 

 300 birds will be retained for mothers 



. and the cost of buying eggs will be ex- 

 cluded. When the cost of constructing 

 new bird houses is excluded, as it should 

 be, the cost will be only 28 cents per 

 bird, as against $2.50 or $3.00 what the 

 state has had to pay heretofore. Of 

 course, as years go on the old buildings 

 will gradually begin to wear, etc., in- 

 cluding wear, tear, and repairs it is ex- 



, pected that the men in the penitentiary 



will produce the birds at 35 cents each. 



-Thus, the State of Washington will not 



only be saving from $2.15 to $2.85 per 



bird, without counting freight, but will 

 also fill her forests with more birds than 

 it has ever had, as far as man knows. 

 The sportsmen are very enthusiastic 

 over the proposition because they say 

 they are required to pay $1.00 for a 

 county license, or $5.00 for a state li- 

 cense and when so many birds are let 

 loose they will be sure of getting some 

 return from their hunting licenses. Com- 

 missioner Darwin has said that there is 

 no reason why this state should not be- 

 come America's "Summer State" since 

 its climate is supreme and with the pros- 

 pects of fine game to catch, tourists will 

 naturally come. The 1900 birds raised 

 this year will produce a great many 

 more next year and as the game farm 

 will be kept up each year by the convicts,, 

 unprecedented results are expected for 

 future years. 



The reason this "Game Farm" is also 

 a "Humane Farm" is because it puts the 

 convicts on a greater honor system thart 

 has ever been tried before and proves 

 to them that society is willing to give- 

 them another chance, and in a way, 

 trusts them. It also teaches them a 

 trade, if one may call it such, with which 

 they can earn a good living after being 

 released, for the Chinese pheasants, as 

 well as their eggs are always in great 



demand. 



. • 



The Maine Meeting. 



The announcement has been received 

 that the annual meeting of the Maine 

 Sportsman's Fish and Game Associa- 

 tion will be held on Thursday, January 

 18, at the State House in Augusta and 

 that William Lyman Underwood of 

 Boston, the well-known lecturer and 

 naturalist, will be the principal speaker. 

 Mr. Underwood has for the past 20 

 years been capturing animals and in- 

 sects with the camera, and has a splen- 

 did collection of lantern slides which 

 will be used to illustrate his lecture. He 

 is lecturer in the Department of Biology 

 at Massachusetts Institute of Technol- 

 ogy- 



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