277 



The Hare. 



natural food they require is obtainable upon the land 

 over which they are to be preserved. If not already there 

 in sufficient quantities, it must be grown to meet the require- 

 ments. Given generally favourable conditions, as prevail- 

 ing upon a preserve, one hare to every ten acres may be set 

 down as a light but sufficient stock. Any material increase 

 upon this proportion of hares to acreage commences to 

 constitute a heavy stock. Upon the bases of production 

 and stock which I have named it will be seen how quickly 

 a manor may be brought up to the description of " fairly 

 stocked with hares." 



Although it is quite impossible to maintain a very heavy 

 stock of hares by enclosing and feeding them artificially, 

 it is perfectly feasible to maintain a hare-warren for a 

 season or two with quite satisfactory, and sometimes note- 

 worthy, results. But land will very soon become soured 

 by hares, and incapable of sustaining them : to ensure 

 anything like success in this direction adequate space and 

 annual or biennial moving of the enclosure to fresh ground 

 are absolutely necessary. 



A warren or a breeding-meuse for hares should consist of 

 several acres of enclosed ground, which should comprise 

 partly pasture of the necessary nature, together with an 

 extent of not too closely set coppice or plantation of 

 resinous and deciduous saplings. The fencing should 

 consist of half small mesh and half large mesh wire netting, 

 6ft. out of the ground, the former lin. mesh, reaching to at 

 least 2ft. in height, and the latter 2^in. mesh. The 

 enclosure should then be divided into sections of about half 

 an acre by 2in. mesh netting, 4ft. out of the ground. 

 Each section should be provided with a small meuse, not 

 less than one-fourth to one-eighth of its own area. 



Into each small meuse turn a buck and three doe hares 

 as soon as mild weather supervenes upon Jan. 15, and 



