57 Pheasants. 



field side of them, or else they may te made to slope 

 gently if they happen to be dry. If provision of this 

 kind be not made, many young birds will be lost. 



Of course, once ground has been used for the purposes 

 of a rearing-field, it is far more advantageous that it 

 should not be employed again for this purpose, if there has 

 been the slightest sign of disease other than that normal 

 to pheasant chickenhood, until at least three years have 

 elapsed. If it were possible, this should be made the 

 rule in all cases. 



As before stated, practically any soil, if well drained, 

 dry, and healthy, may be considered if not suitable, 

 anyhow adaptable to the purposes of the rearing- fields ; 

 but if it be possible specially to prepare such, and suit it 

 to the exact requirements of the purpose, then a well- 

 broken and rolled fallow, or a field or two, according to 

 size, of specially -sown seeds, in which the long and rye- 

 grasses and suitable clovers predominate, grown upon a 

 sandy loam or other poor soil of similar character, but in 

 no case a peaty one, should be provided. 



I may here mention in passing that rich loams under 

 old pasture are those most likely to favour the produc- 

 tion of gapes ; they also act similarly as regards enteritis 

 when heavy dews prevail, and are provocative of one 

 of the forms of cramp during a cold spring. Clay 

 soils are worse in every one of these respects, and are 

 equally likely to produce the other and worse form of 

 cramp. With these facts before him, the preserver has 

 every reason for exercising the greatest prudence in the 

 choice of the sites for his rearing-ground. 



The minimum satisfactory allowance of ground to each 

 brood is five square rods, but it is greatly to be desired that 

 nearer eight square rods should be allotted. This latter 

 allowance would permit of twenty broods to the acre, 



