Evening star., 1899-03-17
CONSIGNMENTS COMING
Many Quails for Breeding on the Way From
the West.
Mr. MOreland Makes some Valuable
Suggestions About Their Care and
How to Liberate Them.

Notifications are being receieed by Mr.
Walter M. Moreiand from his agents in
Kansas that numerous eonsignments of
live quails are about to 'be made to him.
and the next two weeks will probably see
all the orders filed. He expects to secure
about 800 dozen quails in pairs, and has
already taken orders from sportsmen in
this city and Maryland and Virginia for
about 200 dozen. Mr. Randolph Rapley,
who was the first to order birds, and who
received his ten dozen last Saturday liber-
ating them next day on his fathers country
place, "Avenel," in Montgomery county,
said today that the birds were as fine lot
as he ever saw, lively, active and plump,
and he expected fine results.
Mr.. Moreland is receiving inquiries from
persons living as far north as New Jersey
asking If he can secure quails for them for
breeding purposes. Joseph Huff, deputy
surrogate of Burlington county, N. j.,
wrote that the quail family was almost ex-
terminated in that neighborhood and that
several farmers wanted birds. d. H. Null
lin of the Dannemara steel works. Phila-
delphia, also wrote to get birds.
How to Care for the Birds.
.Ill endeavor to fill all such orders" said
Mr.. Moreland this morning, but not until
after l have supplied the wants of all our
home folks and those near home. The Star
seems to be read everywhere because every
letter I get speaks of The Stars articles.
l wish you would make a suggestion to
those who are going to get birds. Tell
them, please, to prepare some kind of ii
place with earth floor about II or IA feet
long and surrounded by a screen or other
guard in which to place the birds when re
Ceived. The width of the enclosure makes
no difference, as the birds like to run. A
quail runs like and Usage Indian, and l
don't know anything to beat one of these
fellows. A bundle of wheat or rye straw
should be put in the inclosure, SO as to give
the birds chance to brush up against it
and polish their plumage and clean it.
They should be given plenty of water and
fed with screenings and grain.
Best Plan for Liberating.
THE best plan to follow in Hberating the
quails,'' continued Mr.. Moreiand, "is to put
a pair of male and female, If they are to
be released in couples, in a pasteboard box
"a shoe box is gOod-and cut an opening
in the end, which can be closed with the
flap and easily torn off After dark take
the box out to the cover selected to release
the birds in, and set it down, tearing off the
flap at the end. Scatter some grain around
the box, and if possible put Il pile of rye
wheat straw nearby. In the morning the
birds will peep out and seeing no one near
will venture forth. They will find the grain
and go to feeding and enter the straw and
go to rubbing in it. They'll soon be at
home. Keep away from the place for two
or three days, only going at night to scat
ter more grain, and you'll find your birds
will stay right there. The boxes should be
put out not less than 100 yards apart, and
a longer distance would be better. Putting
the birds in water before releasing them,
as some people do, is simply brutal and does
no good"