Feb. 3, 1912 
FOREST AND STREAM 
IGl 
The Result of Over a Century’s Experience 
Perfection in powder-making is only achieved by exercising the most 
scrupulous care in the selection and preparation of raw materials, 
employing skilled workmen exclusively, and using only the most 
improved modern mechanical equipment. 
This is the Du Pont method and accounts for the unequaled repu¬ 
tation among sportsmen enjoyed by the Du Pont brands of Smoke¬ 
less Shotgun Powders. One of these brands that retains its popu¬ 
larity year after year is “The Old Reliable” 
Bulk 
High Velocity without sacrifice of regularity of pattern and pressure, and without in¬ 
crease of residue. Burns clean—no “blow back”. Du PONT SMOKELESS SHOT¬ 
GUN Powder positively will not pit the gun barrels. 
UNEQUALED FOR FIELD AND TRAP-SHOOTING 
See that your shells are loaded with DU PONT 
Send today for Du Pont Smokeless Booklet No. 3 . It gives best loads 
for various kinds of game, and other information of value to the shooter. 
E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS POWDER COMPANY 
“Pioneer Potvder MaKers of America 
ESTABLISHED 1802 (gpol) Wilmington, Del. 
reached the thickly settled part of the town. 
The cry of “A fox! a fox!” resounded through 
the echoing woods, and even the most peace¬ 
able citizen felt the ardor of the chase. Every 
tree sustained its man, and the display of 
gleaming rifles boded ill for the arch enemy 
of the poultry yard. The rapid mobilization of 
such a large body of armed men shows what 
the invader may expect should he ever attempt 
to effect a landing on the inviolate shores of 
our historic town. There were no laggards. In 
fact, as in the case of John Gilpin’s famous 
ride: 
“All and each that passed that way 
Did join in the pursuit!” 
But the pampered rogue outwitted his foes. 
Once he had an extremely narrow escape, and 
that was when he incautiously exposed himself 
to Capt. Thaddeus Bassett’s vigilant eye. Cap¬ 
tain Bassett threw it right into reynard who, 
considerably the worse for the encounter, made 
tracks for the shore. He was next seen on 
the ice off Nickerson’s boathouse. Boldly fac¬ 
ing the bay, he jumped from floe to floe until he 
had distanced his pursuers and he finally dis¬ 
appeared in the direction of Wellfleet. 
SHOOTINGS AND THEIR VALUE. 
As the years go on shooting becomes an in¬ 
creasingly expensive sport, and he is a wealthy 
man who can afford to rent a well-stocked 
Scottish grouse moor. Before the middle of 
last century the number of grouse shootings 
let in Scotland was almost negligible and rents 
were small, but as the sport advanced in popu¬ 
larity the demand for them grew, until now it 
has been computed that grouse and general 
shootings in the northern half of the kingdom 
amount to over three thousand, bringing in not 
very far short of one million sterling in rent. 
Shootings that our fathers could have leased 
for very moderate sums have risen in many 
cases tenfold in rentals, and so great is the de¬ 
mand for them that tenants are found without 
the least difficulty. There is a limit to the sup¬ 
ply of grouse shootings, but there seems to be 
hardly any limit to the demand, so great is the 
growth in popularity of autumn shooting and in 
the number of men of means able to enjoy it. 
That demand, of course, is to some extent based 
upon at least a moderately good supply of birds 
upon each shooting. BBut, granting that con¬ 
dition, it is difficult to estimate the dimensions 
the demand may yet reach. Grouse-shooting is 
a sport in which the whole world of sportsmen 
can participate in turn, so long as the price for 
it is paid. British sportsmen are not alone in 
the enjoyment of it even now, and all the in¬ 
dications point to the fact that it appeals with 
greater force every year to foreign gunners. 
Report has it that more American sportsmen 
than ever are shooting grouse this year, and 
the fashion is undoubtedly growing, especially 
with those wealthy visitors from across the At¬ 
lantic who are beginning to regard a stay in 
Britain during the summer and autumn months 
as indispensable. The heather-bearing stretches 
of ground on which our grouse can be shot can¬ 
not be increased in any way, though they may 
be greatly improved as sport-producing factors. 
And if the applicants for them multiply by the 
addition to British sportsmen of a number of 
gunners of other nationalities, it would seem 
that the values of grouse moors are likely to 
mount up still more largely in the near future. 
The value of deer forests has grown at an 
even greater rate, and only the very wealthy 
can afford to rent a tip-top one. Some con¬ 
sider that high rents do not make for the im¬ 
provement of a forest, especially if it is taken 
by a different tenant every year. It is only 
natural that a stalking tenant renting a forest 
only for a six weeks’ season should desire to 
secure as many trophies as is possible by the 
terms of his agreement. In the desire to repre- 
be obtained in the best light 
the limit ’ is apt to be placed high—not higher 
perhaps, than the forest can yield, but higher 
than It can well stand year after year. Stalk¬ 
ing lessees for a season are not to be blamed 
for desiring to get full value for their consider¬ 
able rentals, nor are they compelled by agree¬ 
ment to spare any of the best stags. At the 
same time, the system is certainly to some ex¬ 
tent answerable for the deterioration of anglers, 
of which we annually hear so much. 
The improvement in the values of shootings 
seems likely to continue, as the sport increases 
in popularity with all classes, which it has un¬ 
doubtedly done during the past quarter of a 
century. In England as well as in Scotland 
rentals have been rising, although more gradu¬ 
ally and steadily than across the Border. As the 
number of wealthy men of leisure demanding 
sport with the gun swells, and as the necessity 
of a healthy holiday in the open becomes more 
and more recognized, there is every prospect 
of a further rise in rentals. With care and 
proper preservation, shootings in England and 
Scotland, and especially in Ireland, should show 
an even greater yield of game than they do at 
present, thus enhancing their value to their 
owners and the world of sport to a very ap¬ 
preciable degree.—County Gentleman. 
ENGLISH SPARROWS. 
Owing to damage done to the crops by 
sparrows in Mid-Dorset, the Milborne farmers 
some time ago organized a sparrow club, which 
offered qd. a dozen for old birds, 2d. a dozen 
for young birds, and ij^d. a dozen for eggs. At 
a meeting of the Milborne Farmers’ Club this 
week it was reported that during the season 
2,724 birds had been killed and 4,844 eggs taken. 
The damage to the crops this summer has con¬ 
sequently been much less.—Shooting Times. 
