The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-28
A REMARKABLE
VIRGINIA SEASON
Out Door Work Has Continued Until
HUN TIN c In AME / IA.
Fine Deer Killed. Way in Which the
Legislature Gould Protect the
Game Now Terribly
Slaughtered.

b OLGA, VA. Jan. 2I-Special.-The fall
been one of exceptionally fine and euuable
temperature, even for the mild and uni
form climate of Virginia In consequence
farmers have been enabled to gather in.
their crops early, to do much out-of-door
work, to fatten their pork at minimum
expense, to butcher and cure 1t at the
incest temperature for delicate favor,
and latterly it has been just right for
harvesting an ice crop on every place
where this luxury is stored for summer
USE
The cold spell Of the holidays initiated
somewhat with the arrangements of the.
young folks about their frolics, but I
believe it is the concensus that they had
a good time nevertheless. Some weddings
were expected. but for reasons best known
to the parties, have not come of.
FINE DEER
have recently enjoyed some fresh
venison from two hice deer killed near
this place by Messrs. c. A. Holman and
Willie Burke, respectively. Two other.
gentlemen. viz, Mr.. fireman Hastings
and ]. NJ. Burke, claimed a finger in the
pie of killing, as they also had Shots a t
the same deer a short time before they
We're brought down, and it being an un-
contrOverted fact that this animal often
runs a great ways after receiving a
mortal wound, a door is thereby opened
for claims and contests of this sort. But
there is really SO much of honor and
glory in every achievement Of bringing
down this truly magnificent game, that
the lucky one is nearly always as mag
unanimous as Admiral Schley, who said
after the Santiago affair, ..there is glory
enough in this thing for everybody
GAME LAWS.
One hears often the hope expressed that
our wise legislators will address their
attention to the improvement of our
game laws. to the end of its greater pro-
lection and better propagation. In the
opinion of judicious observers this can
be promoted, as in no other equally effec-
tive way. by the decrease of dogs and
foxes.
A proper tax upon dogs would weed
out the valueless, which are the most
destructive ones, and a bounty upon foxes
would reimburse the owner of valuable
dogs for his tax and at the same time
be a stimulus to the destruction of the
fox, by far the most wanton and de-
structive Of vernin.
FEARFUL OBSTRUCTION.
Talking some time ago with a gentle
man on the subject, he told me that on
one occasion he was tracking a fox in the
snow and came upon two hareS and seven
quail which this one fox had caught and
hid away in the snow in one night, eating
a portion of one of the rabbits only. The
fox, he said. hunted for sport as well as
in response to the cravings of hunger,
and his keen sense Of smell enabled him
to point and pounce upon rabbits in their
forms or quail in covey or singly after
being squandered. Grant this to have
been an unusually successful nights hunt
for the fox, yet it remains that he works
on this line 365 days in the year-some-
times with more, at other times with less
luck.
A CRITICAL SEASON.
Besides, it is to be remembered that
there are the seasons in spring and
summer of egg-laying, incubating and
starved dogs are equally active and far
more destructive, when it is impossible
to get at all near to the mischief done.
It is at this time that the mother bird
is caught on the nest, or in an endeavor
to protect her helpless brood, and at this
time that the nests are broken up and
whole flccks of unfledged young wiped
out at one act. AS to the extent of de-
struction during these periods to rabbits.
quail, turkeys and pheasants one can only
conjecture. 1t must be enormous. Who
has not been attracted by the man
oeuvres Of his setter or pointer in wheat
harvest or hay moving? Looked into it
reveals a brood of seven or eight little
hares, not so large as grown mice, or
twelve or fifteen little quail not so large
as 4 guinea egg, about to be killed If not
eaten.
And so it goes all the way through the
year. with foxes and dogs. until one is
surprised that there is left ytfins at
all.
ARMY. OF DOGS.
Mr.. r. G. Southall, our member for the