jMarch 30, 1912 
FOREST AND STREAM 
403 
The Pheasant Supply. 
Albany, N. Y., March 21. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: The popularity of the pheasant as a 
game bird and as a valuable assistant to the 
farmer in keeping down insect pests, is mani¬ 
fest in the statewide demand for eggs and birds 
which the Conservation Department is sending 
out from the State game farm. Despite the fact 
that the department will more than double the 
number of pheasants and eggs distributed last 
year, the supply for the present season will not 
be sufficient to meet the demands. Sportsmen 
have found the pheasant to be hardy, prolific and 
game. Farmers testify that they like to see the 
beautiful birds in their fields, for pheasants 
are the active and tireless foe of all kinds of in¬ 
sects and worms that prey on crops. 
The applications so far received will exceed 
the supply fully four times over, but the depart¬ 
ment will do the best it can in distributing pheas¬ 
ants and eggs this spring and summer. The 
situation shows the ■ importance of establishing 
more game farms in various parts of the State 
where not only a sufficient number of pheasants 
but of other game birds to restock depleted covers 
and keep up the supply of feathered game, may 
be propagated. 
The applications' show that applicants were 
often cafeless in filling out blanks, failing to 
meet the requirements in answering the depart¬ 
ment’s questions. So far the department has re¬ 
ceived 4,204 applications, asking for 125 472 eggs 
and 28,022 birds. Of this number only 2,580 ap¬ 
plications fulfilled the requirements of the ap¬ 
plication blanks, calling for 74,380 eggs and 20332 
birds. The one farm now possessed by the State 
expects to be able to furnish 30,000 pheasant eggs 
and 5,000 birds. 
The fisheries bureau of the department *has re¬ 
duced the transportation of live fish to a science, 
as illustrated in the exhibition at the Sportsmen’s 
Show, New York, recently. The bureau collected 
from the various hatcheries and several lakes a 
fine lot of fish, including three mascalonge, 
twenty chain pickerel, twelve banded pickerel, 
nine yellow perch, two white perch, six black 
bass, three short-nosed sturgeon, fifty yearling 
brook trout, ' eight large rainbow trout, twelve 
large lake trout', ten large brown trout. These 
fish were carried to and from the show and 
were on exhibition nine days, and the loss was 
confined to four or five fish transported from 
distant stations. The big mascalonge, over forty- 
three Inches in length, stood the trip well. 
CoNSF.RV.-VTION COMMISSION. 
Bush Clover for Quail. 
New York City, March 23.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: The cover picture of Forest and 
Stream for March 16, entitled “In the Quail 
Country,” and showing what appears to be an 
abundance of bush clover {Lespedeza capitata), 
reminds me of a point that I have often wished 
to suggest, namely, that bush clover should be 
sown freely for winter food for quail and other 
birds. 
1 his plant will grow freely on the poorest 
sandy and gravelly soil. Seeds remain in the in¬ 
volucres during the entire winter, standing two 
or three feet above the ground, so that birds can 
get them, even in deep snow. 
This clover is not often found in dense stands, 
probably because the seeds are eaten so greedily 
by field mice whenever they are shaken out by 
the wind and fall to the ground. 
In order to insure a good stand it would be 
best to collect the seeds in quantities in the 
autumn by whipping the tops over a pan, and 
these seeds can then be kept in storage until 
time for sowing in the spring. If they are soaked 
for a few hours in warm water before sowing, it 
hastens germination and lessens the time during 
which they might be devoured by field mice. 
The only objection to raising this bush clover 
in a close stand is the fact that it would soon 
be displaced by other plants, as it is one of the 
nitrogen collectors, and makes poor ground rich. 
If one wishes, to maintain a large area seeded 
to bush clover,, it should be scattered rather 
thinly. Robert T. Morris. 
New York Legislature. 
Albany, N. Y., March 25.— Editor Forest ar.d 
Stream: Assemblyman Evans,.of Sullivan county, 
has introduced a bill providing that set lines mriy 
.be used for eels and bullheads only in Pleasui'e 
Lake, Sullivan county, between sunset and sunrise. 
• Assemblyman Sullivan has introduced a bill ap¬ 
propriating $25,000 for a fish hatchery in Chau¬ 
tauqua county. 
Senator Cobb has introduced a bill in relation 
to the possession and taking of certain game 
animals and fish. 
Assemblyman Bullion has introduced a bill pro¬ 
viding that the gill nets with which frostfish, 
whitefish and Otsego bass may be taken in the 
open season in Otsego Lake must have meshes of 
not less than one and one-quarter inch bar in¬ 
stead of one and three-quarter inch bar. 
Assemblyman 'Wheeler has introduced a bill 
relating to burning waste in certain coimties. 
The Assembly has passed Assemblyman Mc¬ 
Daniel’s bill, in relation to ferrets in. Schuyler 
and Tompkins counties. 
The Senate has passed Senator Rose’s bill ap¬ 
propriating $20,000 for the establishment of a 
fish hatchery in Sullivan county. 
Assemblyman Sweet, of . Oswego, introduced 
in the. Legislature a bill providing that wild deer 
or venison may be possessed from Oct. i to 
Nov. 20, both inclusive, instead of from Sept. 
16 to Nov. 15; possession from Nov. 21 to Jan. 
I, both inclusive, provided he has obtained a 
license. If possession of a deer is obtained for 
transportation after Oct. i and before midnight 
of Nov. 6, it niay, when accompanied by the 
owner, remain in possession of a common car¬ 
rier for the additional time necessary to deliver 
it to its destination. 
The Senate has passed Senator Roosevelt’s 
bill amending the conservation law in relation 
to lands, forests and public parks. 
Senator Roosevelt has introduced a bill in re¬ 
lation to the prevention of forest fires. It has 
been advanced to third reading by the Senate. 
The Senate has passed these bills: Assem¬ 
blyman Seaker's, appropriating $20000 for the 
establishment of a fish hatchery in St. Law¬ 
rence county. Senator Emerson’s, appropriating 
$20,000 for the establishment of a fish hatchery 
in Warrensburgh. Senator Hamilton, appropriat¬ 
ing $25,000 for the establishment of a fish hatch¬ 
ery in Chautauqua county. 
Senator Thomas, of kladison, has introduced 
a bill relating to suckers, bullheads, eels and 
dogfish in Otsego county. 
A Successful Bait for Wolves. 
The destruction of wolves and coyotes is a 
matter of great importance to stockmen and 
farmers in certain sections of the Lfnited States. 
A circular on this subject was issued in igo8 by 
the Biological Survey of the Department of Agri¬ 
culture. Although the fetid scent described in 
that circular has proved very useful in trapping 
coyotes and wolves, a much more effective scent, 
used by some of the most successful wolf trap¬ 
pers in the West, and which has been tested with 
-good results by field naturalists of the Survey, is 
prepared as follows; 
Put into a bottle the urine from a wolf, the 
gall and anal glands, which are situated under 
the skin on either side of the vent, and resem¬ 
ble small pieces of bluish fat; or, if these can¬ 
not be readily found, the whole' anal parts may 
be used. 
In preparing four ounces of the mixture, use 
one-quarter the amount of glycerine to give it 
body and prevent too rapid evaporation, and one 
grain of corrosive sublimate to keep it from 
spoiling. 
Let the mixture stand several days, then shake 
well and scatter a few drops on weeds or ground 
six or eight inches back of the place selected 
for the trap. Carefully conceal the trap, if pos¬ 
sible, near a trail which the wolves follow, so 
they will catch the scent as they pass. The fur¬ 
ther from the trail the trap is set, the greater 
will be the quantity of scent needed. A little 
of the scent should be rubbed on the trapper's 
gloves and shoe soles to conceal the human odor. 
This bait attracts wolves only, but a similar 
bait, made from the secretions of coyotes, is 
equally effective to attract these animals. It is 
highly probable also that wildcats, lynx and 
mountain lions will be attracted by bait pre¬ 
pared in a similar manner from their secretions. 
Self-Hunting Dogs. 
Somerville, Mass., March 14.— Editor Forest 
and Stream: The question of tying up the dogs 
during the summer months like many other game 
questions seems to be many-sided. It is worthy 
of no little consideration and thought and must 
to some extent appeal to all considerate sports¬ 
men. Such a law properly enforced would no 
doubt be quite a help along the lines of pro¬ 
tection, though it would mean a sacrifice to some 
sportsmen. The greatest sufferers would be. that 
class of dogs which really do the least damage. 
That the dog of almost any breed owned by 
the farmer or rural resident, taught to drive 
domestic animal, killers of vermin about the 
places, many times set upon small harmless creat¬ 
ures just in fun, should acquire, a Self-hunting 
habit, I am in no way surprised. Such a dog 
should be restrained. 
But the well-bred and properly handled kennel 
dog trained to hunt game animals, belonging to 
the class of dogs known as hounds bred to require 
and endure a great amount .of exercise, must 
positively suffer from such a law. Owing to 
the fact that I kept my own dogs out of the 
woods from the last of February until October 
last year, I did not have a dog last fall that 
could stand over a half day’s work, and did not 
succeed in getting them into good trim up to 
the time the season closed 
Living in the city and keeping my dogs con¬ 
fined, they have not acquired the knack of guard- 
