The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-09-16 00:00:00

THE GAME QUESTION.

It' this macirdelisted sable, t, Nir Iledd, writing from
Tiptree-lia, the eth isnitant, haw *out the followingta The
7imes for publiestimf
Permit nit to address you on the game question.
Assuming that landowners will have game, and that
tenants will take game farms, I venture to make some
suggestions to incet the difficulty tis it now exist,. I
exempt from consideration the extreme man on either
side the tenth titan. WI you just]) call hint, for theta
it was still ever will be a pereelltlee of unreasonable
and uninahageable people Loth as landowners and

'I here can be no doubt that we should hear much
IC IMis 41110611 A Oilleft garlic if the tenants tecei, et I
finnan; them in flue proporasi that portion of it
which is now sent to market by the landowner.
But, putting that aside, let us consider how game
can be fed with less damage to the growing crops.
I do not think that much harm is done by winged
game, provided pheasants are properly fed in the
woods, and that seed is deposited deeply in well culti-
vated lamb But the ca-se hi different with ground
game. For them it is hit only necessary to provide
ample food, but also to prevent their damaging the
young growing crops. As a rule, ground game love
,over, and rabbits especially avoid going far from it.
Mares roam further aliehL My late friend, a great
and well-known Norf.& farmer, had plenty of game
and corn, tin,, on a farm of his own, as well as on one
of his landlord's, who granted him the right of shoot-
ing for a consideration. I assisted in killing 400
pheasants and 100 hares in his wool in one day. I
must premise that he had no little fields and
great hedges and ditches to harbour rabbits awl vermin,
lie took care to provide an ample and regular supply
of carrots and turnips in the covert for the ground
game. Fowls and pheasants are also very fond of
roots. The fields around the w.ols were very highly
farmed, no as to force the rot t abundant acre:dile pro
-
auction. The main point is to prevent their consum-
ing the young plant in its early growth. We do this
with sheep, and we can do the like with rabbits and
bares, by enelosing the crop with vulcanized wire net-
ting giving them iteeeKS to it only when sufficiently
developed piece by piece, whether in pasture, tares, or
italian ryegrass. One acre when so guarded will afford
more food than ten acres consumed in its early growth.
Wire netting is very cheap, and, as it is well known
that game farms are let at low rents, the fanner has a
sufficient margin to cover the cost of netting if duly
assisted by his landlord.

It is lledirable to nurround the woods with highly-
manured pasture or green crops .rather than gram
MIPS. Land Arollll,l woods in generally ill farmed ;Lnd
poorly manured, which is a great mistake. At an old
nportsman watching these matters, I hare seen plenty
of game concurrent with large crops where the manage-
ment has been judicious.

I agree with Lord Derby in believing and hoping
that there will always be alo eof sportin Britain, and
that it will somehow be had by those who eau alord
it ; but it is desirable that this should be obtained on
equitable terms and with the lea,st possible injury to
the food of the people or to the feelings (dale tenantry.
thune is food for man, and, like other live stuck, con-
sumes in proportion
_to its size and weight.

--
Winged game and the feathered tribe ought to be
encouraged, for they convert into human food the in-
it ttribe, the greatest enemies to the people's food.
My best anti thickest crops are grown within a few
yards of the fowl house, 300 fowls having always free
access to all my fields at all times.

In connection with the foregoing subject, "A Far-
mer' has also sent the following to The Times for pub-
lication :-
Mr. Mechi has written you a sensible lett r on the game
question. Having Men is game preserver on a small scale
fertile last Is years I will tell poi with what success. I have
a farm of toy 40111, RIO I also rent one adjoining, together
between six and seven hundred acres. The first season after
I took to it I think we killed seven pheasants. about No
partridges, ills- hare And 01014 Look) rabbits. I I I al-
most all the labourers 011 the estate hallitually set mares for
game, anti on most nights, especially moonlight nights,
several of them were out with guns. Sunday morning was
especially a time for at ting, and the publichouses were
fillet! with these sportsmen for the day. Moreover, stone of
the nien were in the habit of carrying R load of wood home
on their backs filtm the plantath
To put an end to this state of things I engaged a young
Oboe on the farm to act (as I told him at the time) as a sort
If Policeman, to protect the property fr 1111 l injury.
fie very fetttli ft mud he luul rather a difiieult task. some
wanted to fight him, tthem to shoot him, but by firmness
111111 mmleration we 1111i11111tely overcame these dithenlties it
Is true that, for the first three or htur years—perhaps twice
or thrice during each season—stone of the plantations wore
visited in the night by two Sr three fellows with guns, and
this young man on two occasions ~muttered them, but as
they were disguised, anti were to, strong for him to attack
eingle-handed, he did not capture them. But on ealell
oeeadloll I immediately uttered a reward of clu for the Con-
viction of the ttnentier. my object being not to punidi. hut
to prevent. The year before last We hare reas.til to ithieve
that we had not a single poacher on the ottate, lint hot
Se:13011 two men eame twice : they were the sone 10e0. 0101
sly 111011(10101111W Calls Memel( a keeper knew the traek of
one if them. I therefore sent a IllesbaVe ft this num the
poacher to tell him that I had 'promised all toy labourers
that If any of them could hy night or day eattl him ou my
land I would give them £5. Ile IRIS never been since.
I Will 110 W tell y 'in the remit. I have never prosecuted a
01011 for night poaching. and 1•Illy 1,110 for ilay poacikinv.
durlog the elgllteell years, WA. insball of tilting seven phea-
sants, she year before last We kille4llo4Weell :01/01.1100,11101
last year between .105 ult :OW, :dealt 150 hares s-a Is year, and
rabbits innumerable. My labourers are much happier and
better men, and some of theta, instead of shooting:on Sunday
morning, go to church.
_ . .

[alumni say that 1 farm very high, awl not find the
Injury from game whieli some people eompl Lin of. I agree
with Mr. Meehlthat this is the hest preventive lif injury to
crops from game. I may mid that my farm within three
sniks of two consider:olle towns.