National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-05-06
A GAME PRESERVE.
The Finest oftbe Kind in AmcrIcn-LoriI.
Inrd,a Wondered stock Farn

Anc ktnCat OF Nne AAhuN IN AtthcfAcm-lfOfhA-
Inrd's Wondered stock Farm.
Jobstown is in Burlington County, New Jersey,
few miles outside of the pretty town Of Mount
Holly and in the Congressional District repre-.
sentcd by Hon. J. Hart Brewer. A reporter Of the
Philadelphia Times paid a visit. to Pierre Loril-
lard's stock farm at Jobstown some time ago and
thus writes: The tobacco king owns about LOCO
acres Of land which in few years will DO the
finest gamo preserve In America. The land is as
level as barn floor, tho fields are forty acres In
oxtent and some Of them are covered with brush
and dense undergrowth, while there are a few
ponds In which will be bred some choice and deli
eate hsh. The duck pond Is large sheet OF water
ana number OF line mallnrd ducks were sporting
on the silvery surface of the little lake. When
theso Wild ducks were first brought TO Rancocns
they we've allowed their natural freedom, but az
they Few 30 far away from homo whenever they
got chance, their wings were shorn OF tho long
est feathers and they were thus rendered unable
TO iy.
As MALLARps MULTIPLY RAPIDLY
and soon get accustomed to one place twill not be
necessary to clip the wings Of the rising genera
lions. The res SOILS for letting the underbrush
grow nre O. furnish cover for and protection to the
partridges and hMe, The latter have not yet
been brought over from England, but the former
arc on the ground, sturdy and thriying; The fields
in which the hafes are expected to breed have
been fenced in with wire net- work, sufficiently
high TO prevent them from going beyond their
boundaries This, of course, will not give any
opportunity 20 sport.men, for the present, to run
the harcs with beagle hounds, but Ana-by when
the little rabbits have the run OF the whole farm
sSTT WI be ample sport M p any naa
onced English game keeper and Will introduce all
the finest English game into his preserve
QUAIL HAS BEEN PLACED iron
Rancocas firm and as they have never been shot
ut since they were taken they arc not very WILD.
They inhabit the grassy shores Of the ponds aud
are found IN 0ucks of from thirty TO forty In num-
ber Wcasels, hawks, minks, and cats prey upon
these birds and weasels and minks have increased
on the farm almost as rapidly MS the game, butthe
Keepers arc trapping them every day and thinning
them ont Plover are found In such numbers that
any respectable hunter Is allowed to shoot and
carry away ali he can. These birds bring aboutN
apiece in the metropolitan markets. The mostin'
tereSlmg spot on the farm
Is THE PHEASANT PEN
To stock tho farm there were imported two years
ago twelve pairs OF English pheasunts, and to.d0y
there are twelve times that number on the place.
When they were first brought here they were al
lowed TO ny at will over the farm. They fire.
quently flew over the bounds and were shot by the
se ~ New Jerey WHICH pSoy ID . .bat Ivy b @
Ing Of any imported game bird, imported for
breeding purposes. shall be a misdemeanor." In
order to prevent the extinction of the stock large
ayiary was made of galvanized wire and cord net.
ting. The netting was placed about six inches
below the wire netting, so that the birds when
flying did not hurt themselves against the hard
wires. Within this Enclosure are kept the best
breeding pheasants, and when the case, or "pcn,"
as 1t is called, gets too full
SOME OF THE BIRDS
enclosure Is fountain which is supplied with
water from the same source rs the ponds and
buildings on the place. II is pumped from artesian
wells and from small creek that runs through the
property.
The pheasants are not allowed TO hatch their
own eggs, because they are too careless, and the
male bird has an unpleasant habit of eating the
eggs before they are Matched. Each hen lays from
twenty to thirty eggs When wild it is said they
only lay fifteen eggs When hen is e. laid out "
the eggs are taken aud placed under half.game
hem This part OF the Matching requires especial
attention on the part of the keepers.
THE HEN IS TAKEN FROM THE NEST
one hour each day, when the keepers turn the
eggs over and sprinkle them with cold water The
little birds are Invariably Wild and wire netting
Is placed around the coop until they learn to
ognize and obey the call of their stepmolher, the
hen. Such yoracious little creatures are they that
they will kill themselves with over-eatiug IL food
were given them in sufficient quantiliesor placed
where they could get 1t whenever they wanted It.
There are many curious little greenhouses scat
tered over. the. farm. In these the quails are
housed and fed during the winter months. This
season Mr.. Lorillard will add partridge, grouse
woodcock, and pigeons to his stock, and he claims
that within five years Rancocas Farm will be the
finest game preserve in this country