New-York tribune., 1908-08-31
GROUSE SHOOTING
Signs of Its Decline in Scotland and
Yorkshire.
London. August %.

of the weli-to-do class. 1t has opened with
lower rentals for moors in Yorkshire and Scos-
land and with fewer tenants for country housss
and shooting boxes than are usually known
The Prince of Wales has been on the ground
at Strsthspey to shoot the Tulchan n1oorx
and to fill other engagements further north
and the best marlismen have mustered in fore.
for the smsrtest parties Yet there have bee,
no record bags. there is general complaint &c
lack Of sport and fashionable entertainments
and the society papers frankly ccncede that 4.
Is slow season. with many of the best houses
closed and with an unmistakabie preference for
golf grouse in the sn1srtest set Thers
frosts in the Highlands late in April. and
grouse reported to he scarce and Wild bur
the decline in sport the northern rnnors can
not be attributed to natural causes. What Jenkins
describes as the "dry rot of economy is setting
In. and is destructive than frosts. either
early or late. or than grouse diseases due 70 the
state of the heather. Entertainers have less
money TO spend than formerly Holidays ara
passed on the Continent golf courses
The Scottish season is subjected to the sans
vicissitudes the London season. There Is an
increase of luxurious entertaining among the
very rich. but a material decline OF hospitality
among those who have moderate means There
has been an exceptionally brilliant season in
the capital, with more costly and elegant en-
tertainment in few Of the great houses than
has been known for decade; but there were
many empty residences. and seldom,
has it been more difficult for house agents to
find tenants for West End residences Thou
sands of weil-to-do people who formerly con-
sidered IT indispensable to have houses in Lon
don during the gayest period have either re-
manned in the country contented themselves
with short visits at hotels. In the same way
they have dispensed with their usual outing on
the mobrs. and left the very rich to keep up
social patronage of grouse shooting. II costs
too much for them to entertain their friends
handsomely in the Highlands during August
and September. and consequently they econo-
mize by obtaining cheaper recreation at home
or abroad. The continuous pressure of shilling
income taxes. rising rates and predatory sue
cession duties is felt mere heavily year by
year. People OF moderate means are adapting
themselves to altered conditions The tax
gatherer is changing the order of their pleas
ures. Only the weaIthiest can shoot luxury as
it flies
The owners of shootings in the North have
been complaining of falling rentals for several
seasons. They have been in the habit OF letting
their properties from August to November and
taking their own holidays abroad In order to
attract desirable tenants they have improved
their houses and increased their acreage, and
they have depended upon autumn rentals for
able tenants out of the way the owners re-
turned for a little oid-fashioned sport with their
neighbors and friends. This thrifty method Of
turning estates Of moderate size to good account
has been upset by hard times. ShoOtings ;E
Yorkshire and Scotland have been as difficult to
dispose of as houses in the best residential dis
tricts of London Rentals have been reduced
third or half. and even then have gone
begging For several years rich Americans
came to the rescue of Scottish land owners by
making spendthrift bids for desirable properties.
but this year even this resource has failed Only
a few well seasoned sportsmen from America
are in possession of grouse moors. and are max
ing preparations for partridge drives They arc
here with crack shots their guests. and are
not fnging away money in extravagant rentals
and lavish entertainment for the sake Of telling
their friends at home how much it costs to do
the thing we'll
There IL a natural shrnkage of the most ex-
pensive form of shooting when retrenchment Of
expenses is the social order among people with
moderate fortunes. This is grouse shooting It
is the earliest sport. opening three weeks before
partridge shooting, and the season for it is the
shortest closing on December 10 II requires
the largest acreage of moor. the most scientific
arrangements for driving the birds the guns
and the most expert marksmanship. since their
flight is fast and continuous and there must be
the quickest and surest firing Grouse shooting
on large scale with bags worth Dragging about
needs the most considerable outlay. and there
are substitutes for II which are more economical
If less exciting Pheasant shooting, for example.
is conducted with facility among the copses and
thickets around any country. house In the mid
land or southern counties. The birds easily
raised are subject To few diseases, ars not at
fected by early frosts vet weather. and offer
fair sport for visitors at country houses during
the late autumn and Christmas holidays II is
cheaper than grouse partridge drives IA tho
North. and dispenses with the necessity for
hiring extensive shootings with rslays Of fresh
ground for every day OF the week and for each
successive company OF guests As phsasant
shooting has become a recognised form OF FASH
ionabls entertainment, there has eeSn . tan
dency to deeart the grouse noors and partr1dSe
stubble fields and to put on shooting until coIdR
weather. when It will not be necessary to 60 %
far aneld for IT,
Golf Is a cheaper substitute for grouse
during August ana September The coast 10
lined with golf courses. and summer residsncss
near clubhouses are inexpensive In comparison
with shooting boxes In thu North With No
Asquith. MIR. Balfcur and many othsr pubic
man leading the wsy, goH has become . popular
substitute for shooting. 1t enables not only
professional men. but people In the smart ssEs
- Vol. to have an outing With br1cfng air and
abundance OF exercise Golfers are kept con-
stantly In motion and have duh intervals N
their sport whereas in shooting when the game
10 driven upon tho guns by beaters. there ars
long waits when the spoTtsmen crouchtns
low In concealment and chilled by raw wind or
damp heather. II tho shooters walk over tns