The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-08-06

| mllOfuS supply, VI HD'f
the nests on neighboring demssnes'
Last spring rode TO StoororiuRe WIN
Cir Oa,ev =. Our mission was TO secure
fifty dozen pbeasants eggs whicn we ac-
compllshed. II,
Probably one-half Of them" he said,
came from my grounds The other nan
arc doubtless from several adjoining prop
critics But he added dryly. the poach-
inc keeps the breed well crossed
| PM the pheasant hen Is not good
| nnAtber Foster mothers must be provided.
Domestic sitting hens are therefore
bought up from the peasantry roundabout
in scores at from eighteen pence to Two
sb;lHnrs each. The hatchery, always ex-
cellently walled and protected from yermin
/ often still more extensively than the aVi-
| aries where the nesting'is going ON, con-
| sists Of a long series Of arched compart-
rneuts. with sliding doors which descend
and close the hen in tightly, leaving sew
eral apertures for light and air. The hen
Is removed from the nest daily, fed and
watered. often given run in the wet
grass or her breast feathers otherwise
dampened, 70 insure greater heat TO the
eggs. and carefully put back on her own
nest great care being taken that 1t Is DOL
fouled or the eggs misplaced, and tha' az
the yerrnin be eradioated. AT the END OF
three weeks the pheasant chicks have
Matched. The ben is now placed In con
zeal. handmade rush or willow coop, WIN
free ingress and egress for the brood, when
&c closed in at night and let out at O'Clock
every morning. They are fed hard boiled
chopped eggs mixed with oat and corn
meal. a sort OF food the chief material OF
which is boiled and dried horsetesh and
ground biscuit and oyster shells Several
men are now required for their care, and
for three months the entire collection OF
coops is changed daily like camp TO new
ground, and each day a trihe nearer the
coverts or forest. The food is gradually
changed to oats and cracked raw corn; the
moment the young birds show signs OF
skulking they are removed from the 90
nestle hen mothers and coops to the ayi-
aries. and in July they are set at liberty
within the grounds and forest OF che de-
mesne.
However great may be the care in the
breeding Of pheasants not over one-hau OF
the chicks come safely TO maturity Then
the preserves are ready for depletion by
poaching in its various forms. Not only
DO the birds suffer in diminution from the
professional poacher, but milord's pleas
ants prove an irresistible temptation 70
every tenant and cotter living roundabout
the demesnes
On great estates from twenty to fifty
men are regularly employed. There are
the "agent" and his clerks. The balm,
who looks after the home, farm and cattle,
has his helpers There are the head for
ester and perhaps a dozen under foresfers'
all Of whose bird and wood craft are quite
equal TO those Of the gamekeeper and his
several under keepers. There are master
sawyer and three or four men engaged IN
cutting timber and posts from forest trees
and repairing gates, walls aud fences The
head gardener has several assistants.
There are painters, GLACIERS carpenters,
ETC.. all of whom are familiar with the
castle and the surrounding grounds. And
on some demesnes you will find hall
dozen lodRekeepers and their families. All
of these poorly paid folk love pheasant
after it has come from the oven, pot or
grill as well rs do the aristocracy, and they
all know how TO get them without bother
ing the village marketman.
Professional poacbing is far less dan
gerous pursuit than IL is usually consid-
cred During the shooting season all sorts
of village hangers on are pressed into
service as heaters and to carry and fill
the gamebags IL is an easy thing during
the excitement to hide generous portion
of the game at convenient points, from
which il is taken under cover OF night.
ClamOr and fright also break up the rucks
or coveys into detached files Of pheasants,
which retreat as high as possible among
the branches of larch and FIR, whence the
poachers can easily take them from their
roosts at night by hand. Other methods
are smudging or smoking them into half
insensibility and knocking them from
their perches with clubs. Corn Kernels,
into which short bristles are inserted, are
greedily devoured, and the birds run chok-
ing TO the hedges to be easily taken by
hand, while an ingenious and successful
device is TO fit gamecoek with artificial
spurs and stealthily place him alongside
covert, when the pugnaciOus pheasant
cock instantly responds TO the gamecock's
Growing challenge, when three or four
brace OF the valuable birds are easily taken.
Pheasant shooting usually begins the
latter part Of October and closes with the
final Christmas 'battue."
Notwithstanding high walls, gentleness
of keepers and all possible preventives,
many pheasants leave the demesnes, seek
ing the outer hedges and bog grasses,
where they fall prey TO the snares of ten
ants and the guns Of the poachers. There
fore a few days before the pheasant shoot
ing begins all the outside help at the castle
starts in circle miles from the demesne
and, concentrating toward the same, shout
and beat" with terrific hullabuloo, thus
driving many back within the preserves.
Then Milford and his friends dressed as for
snipe shooting on the moors and provided
each with two double barreled, breeoh load
ing, center firing fowling pieces of No IL
bore, man for reloading and another for
carrying cartridges, begin the slaughter.
The sportsmen are stationed in advance at
the edges Of open places. The gamekeeper,
who is a sort Of master Of ceremonies,
brings his assistants or heaters" into line
behind. Then they move forward, perhaps
ten yards apart, the keeper who knows
every bush, hedge, copse or tree, directing
the "beaters" in every movement. Ia an
instant the preserve is perfect bedlam Of
yells and explosions The men yell, eli
yi-i-ip' as they beat" the bushes, calling,
as the startled birds fash from copse to
copse Cock to the rightp Cock abovep
10 the left, cockr' "Hi-yi-i-i-cock, cock,
cockl' Right ahead, cock p'-while the