Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-03


beautiful aud Tooihsome Birds-yast
Outlay for brief Sport Upon tho
Great English Estates.
Copyright. isea. by Edgar l. wakcman.l
BAgBuRr, England. July 25.--From any
point Of consideration the English pleas
ant "a the most splendid bird that reaches
the English market.
Somebody, perhaps an frishman, has
called Il "thc Sacred Ibis Of Great Britain"
II Is certainly NIL but worshiped. The
idolatry Ia m expensive one, for II surely
costs England, Ireland and Scotland more
thnn eiOO0.Go0 10 rear, TO shoot and 10
finally eat such pheasants rs annually
come TO the gun.
Tho limitations of shooting IN Great
Britain undoubtedly add much, from Oh.
sportsman standpoint, TO the deep Briuah
interest At all times in these splendid blfls.
II Is almost inconcclvnblc TO nn American
how universally the ''sportman" craze pro-
walls In England. ireland and Scotland,
and how every acre of land and rod Of
shore outside Of and distinct from all other
uses TO which II may bc put, issportsman's
property, yielding extraordinary returns In
r,ntals for the shooting" and "iishngn
rights alone. On former occasion | do
and privileges annually cost British sports
men the enormous sum Of eJ.OOOO0O. or
10000 600 In American money.
This vast expenditure Is almost wholly
confined to whatever pleasure may be got
In poklng about moors, other waste though
thoroughly guarded tracts aud tenant
farmers fields for snipc, quail and grouse,
capcrcailzie and deer. pheasants, then,
while they may eventually come 10 tho
tables OF the vulgar tradesmen and literary
folk, are really the game birds OF the Brit
fish nristocraoy. and OF the landed nrisioc-
racy at that. They are found only within
the grounds Of Rentlcmen's seats and
lordly dcmcsnes. save where, as In pheasant
farms, they are exclusively bred 10 Increase
the numbers upon the estates
Every British nohleman'a estate and
every English, Irish or Scottish gentle
mans country seat is In point Of fact 70
greater or less degree pleasantly. and
the increase aud protection Of this one
game bird are paramount 10 all other du-
ties or pleasures From every accessible
means OF information l believe that fully
10000 pheasants are annually slaughter
ed In the United Kingdom. or these over
10000 reach tho London market stalls
alone, and this number represent only
those which have legitimately come from
the 'battues" or "shooisn In October, No
vember aud early December. and do not
take into account the heavy annual drafts
by poachors upon the rich and well stocked
preserves
Necessarily great pains nro annually
taken TO keep up the pheasant supplies.
There are some professional breeders.
Their establishments arc distinctlvcly
known as game farms. From these
pheasants' eggs chicks and adults are
often supplied by the hundreds and thou.
sands To tho more aristoeratic estates.
Tho Prince Of Wales is by no means first
among the breeders, and yet on his estate
Of Sandringham and the adjoining prop.
erty Of Castle Risinghnm, which he has
leased for sporting purposes, ~ many rs
from 1000 10 5000 pheasants are annually
provided by his royal hlghncsa for hi.
sportsmen friends In two or three Of tn,
dukcries, and on other large estates n,
well, immense pains and expense are given
to Insure abundant ipipplles OF the bird o
Colclis. The killing OF from 2,OOO 30 400,
birds at ole "battue" has often bcon 10
corded, and II isweil known that 0,50O wer,
shot during one season at ERedon, In Nor
folk. which hatan urea Of 1900 acres,
On all estates of average area the hea,
gamekoopor will be allowed half dozeI
keepers TO assist him In breeding ant
caring for the game and In protecting I
from inroads of poachurs. Often tn
number Of under keepers will be increase,
by drawing, at certain seasons, upon tn
under forcsters; so that where from 900
to 1000 pheassnts may be required for tn
Gutunnal guns Of milord's sportsme
guests, with the wives aud children OF Il
helpers who may live in cottages With
the demesne walls, score Of persons vii
be employed In the breeding and caring 10
phcasants upon one estate alone.
Usually these birds which have escape
both the poachcr's nets and the sport,
mems guns are allowed TO run wild durin
tho winter, caro- principally being taken I
keep their runs and coyerts clear Of to
grent distractions by snow. to have thci
haunts occasionally provided with Dir
straw or leaves, aud TO keep their drinl
ing wells. or water troughs. open and clcH
of refuse, and that they are well fed wit
oats and corn. On some estates during o.
tober and November "A certain number ~
caught, taken 20 the aviary, or pheasantrl
their wings regularly clipped every two q
three weeks, aud they arc thus kept an
fed during the winter TO provide the n
quired egg supply during the sprin
months, the scarcity OF eggs being one
the most serious drawbacks in pheasal
breeding.
Usually, however, the old birds arc II,
"taken up" until the last OF Februar
Then they arc systematically starved
by nonfeeding fof about week, whe
large "1gure 4" traps are set near the
haunts. Trails OF oats are scattered b
tween. The pheasants readily folio
these TO the traps, which are sprung /
strings in the hands OF the keepers, M
desired number being thus easily 5
cured.
These birds are taken to the aylaric
which tho keepers, among whom | ha
mnny good friends, insist ON calliI
''nreas." These are simply large wood
spaces In the demesne grounds, inclos
by fences Of wire netting, sometimes twel
feet high. Tho wings Of the birds n
constantly clipped or they would escaI
but the breeders lind the labor requir
less costly than n wire netting GOVERN
for such necessarily large tracts. The
aviarles are provided with mock coverts
bark and bough, with nesting places N
watering troughs while some are secur
against vermin by curved iron bases TO {
inelosing netting charged with cloctrlcit
which causes death to all rodents atteml
INK an entrance.
The phensants begin laying by Apr
and they lay very much like tho ordina
hen. Each can be counted on TO furni
from twenty to thirty eggs. These q