Connecticut western news., 1911-01-26
FARM TO PROPAGATE
 NATIVE WILD GAME BIRDS
Interesting Experiment That Should Have the Encouragement of all
 Connecticut Sportsmen.

Connecticut Sportsmen.
 F The State Ornithologist. Herbert K. Job. of West Haven. has made arrange ments with George D. Tilley, of Darien. owner of the well-known aviary and game and Wildfowl hatchery, one of the best equipped and most expensive private plants of its kind in this country.
 Here will be tried out all sorts of ex- periments relative to the value of wild birds to mankind. Among these will be researches As to the value of birds to agriculture, fruit, and foliage. methods of the increase of useful birds, and the methods of the artificial propagation of games birds and wildfowl as new in- dustry and asset to the State, including a systematic effort to start landowners Tn propagating their own game aud on Q large scale restocking the depleted covers of the State. This would be done both through personal supervision, where de- sired lectures and publications.
 In Europe the propagation of game birds and wiIdfowl is both a profitable industry and a successful mode of stock ing the country with wild game. In this country is beginning great awaken. ing on this subject. In the West and elsewhere wild ducks are being raised to stock preserves. Pheasant raising is very profitable, and there is demand for them, undressed, at s per pair. Var ious native game birds are being experi- mented with, and there IS special de- mand for quail. Prof. O. F. Hodge first practically solved the problem of rearing them in captivity, and recently various people have begun to do 1t with moder- ate but encouraging sucoess,-enough to show that it can be done on larger scale. A large number of people in Connecticut are eager to go into game 'ropagation, and are writing to the State Ornithologist. Various sports mems associations in the State are talk .ug action to have these methods tried ut. Private game preserves. some of
 
 chem of from one to two thousand acres, ,re bslng established in various parts of ne State, where game is to be both pre- -erved and propagated, The volume of .ud demand for this movement is some hing astonishing.
 The Game Commission have an an nual income from she hunters licenses of over S15.000, which, according to law, muss be used only for the increase of came. Most of this amount has hitherto been spent for the purchase and libera- ion of Hungarian partridges, and it is reasonable that some should be used now for the propagation of our native game. The following organizations have al- ready passed resolutions demanding this: The Bridgeport Fish and Game Protec- tive Association The Conn. Fish and Game Protective Association, The Nor folk Rod and Gun Club. Even little aid and authorization from the Comm S. sion at once would be of special value, for, unless the breeding stock can be secured very soon, the coming season will be lost, and the many eager inquir- CTS must be put of for another year.
 An article is promised for next week by the State Ornithologist. giving in de- tail the proposed plans for experimenta- tion, supervision, and instruction of the public in the propagation of game birds and wildfowl.