Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-08-11

BANBuRY, ENGLAND, Aug. 1.-From any |
point of consideration the English pheasant |
Is the most splendid bird that reaches the
English market.
Somebody, perhaps an Irishman, has
called it THE sacred Ibis of Great Britain
II Is certainly all but worshipped. The
idolatry is an expensive one; for it surely
costs England, Ireland and Scotland more
than million pounds sterling to rear, to
shoot and TO finally eat such pheasants as
annually come to the gun.
If the vast areas of valuable enclosed
land comprised in gentlemen's seats and
parked demesnes of the nobility, which
are almost solely devoted to runs and
coverts for pheasants, should be taken
into account, and anything like q fair
rental for these be added to the actual cur
rent sums expended, the outlay upon this
one bird alone would ANNUALLY reach mil
lions upon millions of dollars, and he
found to exceed ali other forms of outlay
by British sportsmen combined.
Indeed the pheasant is an interesting
bird in all its relations to life upon the
great English estates-n its extraordinary
personal beauty; AS the immemorial
worry of keepers and prey of poachers,
in its occupying greater attention from
titled sportsmen than doallother game birds
of Britain; and, above ali, from its superb
and matches place among the delicacleS
of the table Every one has heard how
Sidney Smith, and lie was no mean epicure,
asserted that lie knew Of no purely earthly
Joy equal to roast pheasant with rich
gravy, Clipped potatoes and bread sauce.
For an Americans understanding. il may
truly be said that the pheasant Is our
turkey, partridge and quail in one ample
and delicious frame
Every British nobeman's estate and
every English, Irish or Scottish gentle.
mans country seat is to greater or less
degree pheasantry, and the increase and
protection of this one game bird are para.
mount to all other duties or pleasures.
From every accessible means Of iutormu-
ton believe that fully one million phcu-
SAINTS are annually slaughtered in the
United Kingdom of these over 100000
reach the London market stalls alone, aud
this number represents only those which
have legitimately come from the "hnttllc,'
or Shoots in October November and
early December; and do not take into ac-
count the heavy annual drafts by pOHChCrs
upon the rich and well stocked preserves.
Necessarily great pains are annually
taken to keep up the pheasant supplies,
There are some professional breeders.
Their establishments are distinctivcy
known as game farms. From these
pheasants eggs, chickS.and adults are often
supplied by the hundreds and thousands
to the more aristOCratic estates; although a
oobleman or gentleman greatly Loses in
caste among aristoCratlc sportsman il he is
known to lack the ability of keeping his
own preserves hotlntitully supplied
through the proficiency and cunning OF
his own gamekeeper.
The Prince Of Wales is by no means first
among the breeders and vet on his estate
of Sandringham and the adjoining prop.
erty of Castle Risingham which he has
leased for sporting purposes ~ many rs
from 1000 TO 5000 Tirastlnts are annually
provided by his royal highness for his
spurtsmen friends In two or three Of tho
dukerigs and on other large cstitcs n
well immense pains and cXpeiisc arr
given to insure abundant supplies If tho
bird of COlchis The killing Of from JUB
To 1000 birds at one ,'battue" has often
been recorded, and il is well known thai
$500 were shot during one season II
Elvedon, in Norfolk, which has an ar,a al
1909 acres. There are other game farm.
as they are called in other parts of Enr
land, and there is ut least one such hur,
pheasantrv iii Scotland on the MARQUIS 8,
Ailsas estate in AYRSHIRE
On ali estates Of average area tho b.a,
gamekeeper will be allowed half dulrl
keepers 10 assist him in breeding In,
caring for the game and in prntprtiu, /
from iurunds Of p,mchcrs Oftru th
number oil under keepers will he Increase,
by drawing. at certain seasons, iIpOn in
hinder forester. d tlnt whore ran, J ulY
To 900 phpusal,ts may he rruuircd f,,r III
autttmunl Guns of MILFORD, snnrt.m",
upsts with thr wiy,, and ,,hilrir,u ~ ii,
6eluers who MAY live in r,,ttna,. vitIi,
the tiennesne WALTZ, Il score of per.ons Mi
be e1nuluyed in tile breeding and tarir
for nhp,Isnuts u,,,,r nur estate alone
Usually these plrls which have e.r,lne
both thn pnuelIer's npts nnd IN. .trrt,
mems Guns nrn allowed il, MN ,yild hir,i,
the winter caro- nrinaipallv DrIug taken I
keen their runs and covert, clear If to
great ohstructious by7st,nw Ia 6,,vc thpi
hunts occasionally provided with Dir
L. - i. T.: