CHAPTER XXX, 



THE HARE; Introduction and Maintenance of a Stock. 

 Hare-Warrens. Preservation and Protection. Diseases. 



ANY manor where hares are regularly met with, in either 

 small or large numbers, may be considered suitable for 

 their preservation. It is mainly a matter of soil and food- 

 supply, because, as pointed out in the previous chapter, 

 they are quite unlike rabbits in their manner of living, and 

 unless the main supplies of their favourite food are ample 

 and permanent, they will linger along, decline, and die. 

 The nature of the soil has also much to do with it, and to 

 attempt to preserve hares to any extent in a country where 

 they are not naturally plentiful, is to court disaster. A 

 very few hares spread over a large area does not neces- 

 sarily indicate that the land is unfavourable as a whole, 

 because, if not overdone by rabbits, any stiff or loamy soils, 

 as well as sandy ones, will support them. The fact of 

 there only being a few in evidence usually means that 

 those few are frequenting their favourite ground, and that 

 an increase of more or less extent would be perfectly 

 feasible. It is when an expanse of land is wholly destitute 

 of hares that doubt may exist, and very reasonable doubt, 

 that the district, manor, or farm in question will not sup- 

 port them. It is mainly a matter of the soil, and neither 

 trouble nor expense will put a head of hares upon land 

 which is by its nature unsuitable. Roughly speaking, the 



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