56 
REPORT OF BOARD OF FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONERS. 
greatly reduced. Fortunately our superintendent was able to recover 
about three fourths of the pheasants, but the valley quail to the extent 
of 30 dozen were a total loss as far as the Game Farm was concerned. 
This outrage was followed within a few days by another more serious, 
when poisoned wheat was scattered in some of the pens that had not 
been opened, which killed a great many birds of all kinds. We esti¬ 
mated our total loss through escapes and poison at approximately 300 
pheasants, 600 valley quail, and a few Hungarian partridges. A sub¬ 
stantial reward was offered for information that would lead to the 
detection of the guilty party or parties. The matter was also placed 
in the hands of a well known detective agency, but sufficient evidence 
was not produced to justify taking the matter into the courts. 
We retained from the previous year’s hatch about 100 young birds 
for the season of 1910, and reared about 2,500 young birds until they 
were about six weeks old, at which time we met with another serious 
loss through a plague of rats that seemed to concentrate their efforts 
on the Game Farm, and cost us many young birds. 
The improvements at the Game Farm are all of a substantial char¬ 
acter, and were built with a view of meeting with requirements for a 
period of ten years. The total cost, including the original cost of birds, 
barn, residence, pumping plant, boring of a well, brooders and pens, is 
approximately $10,000. The working force has never exceeded three 
men, part of the time but two. We have through the sale of eggs and 
domestic poultry received returns in the shape of Game Farm earnings 
up to June 30, 1910, of $938.32, which is more than double the amount 
of the annual rental of the premises. 
Our farm was recently visited by Dr. T. S. Palmer of Washington, 
D. C., in charge of game preservation in the United States. He pro¬ 
nounces it one of the best game farms that has come under his observa¬ 
tion and one which he believes has a great future. The propagation in 
captivity of both game birds and animals is strongly encouraged by the 
Federal Department having charge of game preservation. It is believed 
to be the surest way to preserve and increase the wild game, and will 
furnish to those who do not hunt an opportunity to satisfy their tastes 
for wild game by purchasing it, either in the open markets or having it 
served to them at hotels and restaurants. Where pheasants have been 
furnished to private individuals from the Game Farm it has been with 
an agreement that a percentage of the increase in excess of the original 
stock should be returned to the State, either directly to the farm, or 
delivered to others, by order, who would take up seriously the propaga¬ 
tion of pheasants in captivity. In the Appendix will be found a chap¬ 
ter on pheasant raising, which contains in condensed form sufficient 
directions to insure success, provided the instructions are carefully 
followed. 
