June 1, 1904.] THE TKUPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
849 
ditions in all the Hill Reserves above 4,000 
ft. was unanimously adopted to the satis- 
faction of all parties. After this some one, 
who chooses to be nameless, suggested that 
this resolution should be upset and the 
dispute re-opened by suggesting to the A. 
G.A. that a portion of the Hill Reserves 
should be kept for the elk packs only, Mr. 
Farr calls this a vex-y proper suggestion. Now 
considering it meant digging up the hatchet 
again and restarting a dispute that had 
been, according to Mr. Parr himself, satis- 
factorily settled, I think everyone will agree 
with me in thinking it was a most improper 
suggestion. This is all that Mr. Farr can 
eay in defence of the monopoly. Mr. Ken- 
nedy brings forward the following reasons :— 
1. That his son's pack has cost a lot of money 
and consists mostly ot drafts from the Pytcliiey. 
2. That stalking would endans:er the lives of 
fishermen. 
3. That I and my brother stalkers, hiding 
behind bushes, might shoot stags as they come 
down to drink or when dead beat and staggering 
along wiih the hounds after them, 
4. That they have as many as seventeen people 
out, sometimes, including ladies, 
5. That the country is not adapted for stalking. 
Nos. (1), (2) and (3) are too abfurd to dwell on. 
As for No. (4), 1 remember a registered pack 
bein^ hunted for some time in JNuwara Eliya, off 
and on, during the illness of the master, by two 
gentlemen who were not only not me.ubers of the 
Game Protection Society but had nob even taken 
out game licenses. lam afraid that several who 
enjoy a run with liounds, are equally lax. No. 5 
is of course an a»"gument in my favour. 
Both Messrs. Farr and Kennedy say 
that this Naboth's vineyard (I didn't know 
before that Naboth had a monopoly of vine 
yards from Ahab) is nob fib for stalking* 
Then why alter the resolution that had given 
such general satisfaction ? I myself am perfectly 
ready to promise never to fire a rifle on the Plains, 
bub there are others who may wish to do so and I 
contend they ought to have the right to do so 
under certain conditions. I have hunted and 
stalked on the Plains years before Mr Farr ever 
put foot on them and I know, and so does he, that 
the original concession was an empty one as the 
sum total of the bag of all stalkeis in one year 
could be counted on one hand. He also knows that 
running hounds through a country destioys it for 
stalking, but stalking does no harm ''unting. 
I know nothing of the Horton Plain ' ib my 
figures for the packs I mentioned, ^ .tained 
from the Masters. The porcentnge eni), of 
hinds, fawns and immature stngj, ab from 
different days' totals and I faiic close to 
the mark. This season stalk \r, have 
killed 2 stags and 2 pigs upin tj ■ I doii'b 
think Messrs Farr and Kennedy ^ ■ ie oub a 
case,— Yours, &c., 
NORTH C DAVIDSON. 
III. 
April 22. 
Dear Sik,— In his last letter Mr. Davidson 
uses the word "monopoly" very frequently. 
If hunting to the knife being allowed and 
shooting being disallowed over a few acres 
of land in Oeylon can be called a monopoly, 
Mr. Davidson is justified in his use of the 
word. Government for some time past has 
reserved to itself the right to withhold shoot- 
ing licenses in certain forests and patanasi 
but they have never rniide this reservation 
with regard to 
LEGITIMATE HUNTING. 
IV. 
Fairlawn, Norwood, April 23. 
Sir, — I must ask for a libtle space to show your 
readers what a poor show Mr North Davidson 
makes in his reply on the above subject. He says 
we have not made oub a case. Really we cannot 
allow him bo acb firsb as prosecutor, and afterwards 
as both judge and jury; so I pub the case before 
your readers: — 
(1) I showed that the (1) Mr North Davidson 
cost of buying and keep- merely says my contention 
ing up a pack of hounds is absurd : he gives no 
was considerable, and that reasons, 
an owner of hounds who 
tried to provide sport for 
a large number of persons 
deserved some considera- 
tion. 
(2) I contended that (2) Mr North Davidson 
promiscuous shooting in a merely says this is absurd; 
narrow valley was dan- no reasons are given, 
gerous to honnds, hunters, 
and fishermen, and would 
be to the detriment of 
hunting to a knife. 
(3) I contended that (3) Mr North Davidson 
fair stalking was praoti- again says absurd, bat. 
cally useless in saoh a later on in his letter he cou- 
country, and that a form fesses that the concession 
of waterhole shooting was (of stalking) is a valueless 
the only alternative, a very one in the Hortons. 
low form of sport ag re- 
gards sambbar, 
(4) I claimaJ that (4) Mr North David- 
hunlmg to a knife pro- son's only reply is a query 
vided sport for a large as to whether all these 
number of people, more people hold licenses, I 
than could possibly prafit believe lookers-on not 
by stalking, especially carrying; a knife don't 
in a country quite unfit require licenses. 
for stalking. 
(5) I pointed out that (5) Mr North Davidson 
Tso J of Oeylon was open makes no answer at all to 
to stalkers who could ob- the first part, but says the 
tain a license, and that latter part is an argument 
this reservation of yjj, in his favour ! I am 
was no injury to them, as afraid he never learnt 
it was useless for stalking, logic. 
bat was the choicest 
country for a knife. 
(C I claimed that the (G) Mr North Davidson 
Hortonai {were properly says he knows nothing 
and fairly hunted and about the Horton Plains 
that Mr North Davidson's bag ; hardly a sportsman- 
accusations of unfair like way of apologising for 
slaughter were utterly an unfounded aocuaatlon. 
without foundation as 
regards the Horton Plains 
Pack. 
(7) I pointed oat that (7) Mr North Davidson 
as the only matterin qnes- makes no reply, fle main- 
tion was the reservation tains his figures a^* to 
of the portion of the Hor- "other pack^," but gives 
tons, what was .douo in a no names, dates, or places 
totally differout part of tho 
Island did not affect tho 
issue, any more than if 
done in the moon. 
