Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-07
vENIsoN AS FOOD.
A Consular Report ON Deer Breeding
In Germany.

Consular Report ON Deer Breeding
In Germany.
Cheaper venison for American cities
L. the subject Of an interesting report to
the State Department by Mr.. Charles de
Kay, United States consul general at Ber-
lin. ''The abundance and excellence Of
venison," he says, 'cannot fail to strike
the attention Of those who live in German
cities. 1t Is common dish practically all
the year round; Its price is so moderate
that only the poorest classes fail to taste
1t now and then. The reason for this is
the high cultivation of forestry and the
care with which deer are bred, fed and
protected from poachers. Considering the
excellence Of venison as food and the small
cost OF rearing herds Of deer under proper
protection, 1t is in America especially that
steps to form practical deer parks might be
easy and of profit. In the neighborhood of
great cities the supply of water has to be
regulated by the preservation of large dis
tricts of more or less mountainous, more or
less woody country. In New York, for
example, the Adirondacks and the water
shed OF the Croton river are, or are to be,
reserved for reasons affecting the water
supply of New York city and of a large
part of the state-directly or indirectly
anecttng 1t. 1t Is in such districts that a
scientific breeding Of deer might be car
r1ed on with small cost, relatively speak
ing: The annual killing and sale of ami
mails Of the proper sort would furnish an
income Tar beyond the aggregate ofe sal
aries LOT overseers, foresters and guards.
Consider ing the Problem.
OF late the problem of improvement on
the Indigenous red deer of Europe has oc-
crpied various gentlemen in North Ger
many. among whom Of special note is
Herr Winter in Berlin. He has been ex-
perimenting for the last decade on the
canus) as cross on the small native red
deer Cervus elephas), In order to obtain
a larger. heavier, more meaty animal, and
thus Increase the value of Prussias deer
herds. Mr.. Winter has been successful in
every way. By removing the does of wac
pitt and supplying the red does with young
wapiti stays only, he obtained the desired
cross Between 1887 and 1890 he gained
forty half-breed from such unions, and he
now has efghty-six. They are regularly of
very much greater size than the red deer.
Related Through Their Ancestry.
He has also proved that wspiti and red
deer are related through their ancestry,
because the half-breeds are not sterile, are
not mules, but breed readily to red deer
or to wapiti again. Wapid were first
brought to Europe in 1885, but did not do
well in England or on the continent. But
some Of them left half-breed descendants
in Silesia, and in 1876 the late Emperor
Wllllam snot stag OF twenty-five points,
weighing 500 German pounds. Now, how
ever, the certainty OF the practical benefits
Of the cross has been demonstrated, and
more wapid are to be imported from Amer
lea to still further enlarge the structure
and strengthen the breed of the deer in
North Germany. In the United States
forests wild animals have been cut OF
with recklessness which Is bringing its
own punishment or has already brought
evils. 1t seems well to call the attention
OF Individuals clubs, corporations and
states to the folly of neglecting any longer
the formation of parks and Furthermore
to point out the way to a supply of food
bly, cheap. Large tracts of hill range and
woodland, now absolutely necessary to the
water systems of Cities must be carefully
watched and guarded in any case. They
deer, and the herds then regularly decimat-
ed to supply the markets with wholesome
food"