The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-04-10
SPORTSMEN'S
GREAT GAME FARM
viii Breed Ducks, Quail and
Grouse on Cape Cod.
TO DISTRIBUTE FAR AND WIDE

Plan to Get an Experienced Game
Keeper From Scotland to Put tho
Scheme Into operation-Five Thou
sand Aores Acquired.
The American Game Protective and
Propagation association announces
that 1t has acquired large game farm
| and that wild duck, quail, ruffed
grouse and pheasants will be raised
for free distribution among members.
With the announcement the prophecy
Is made that there will be started in
this country a line Of gamekeepers
that will play an important part in
solving the game problems of the fu
ture.
! Between 5000 and 6,000 acres have
been acquired in Carver and Plymouth
| Townships, Mass, and there the work
will be done The land Is situated on
! Cape Cod, near the town of fremont,
and Is about forty miles from Boston.
The description tells Of thirty ponds
and good growth of pine and scrub
oak in the stretch, which is about five
miles long by three miles wide. For
three or four years it has been used
as a game preserve, so that already
there are many quail and rufred
grouse in the covers The winters
there are never severe enough to kill
such hardy birds.
AT one time" the associations an
nouncement says, "the ponds afforded
some of the best duck and grouse
shooting In New England. They lie
directly in the line of flight of these
immigrants. which, since restrictions
have been placed on shooting them,
have been alighting there in increRs-
! ing numbers on their northward and
southwark journeys. Many wild fowl
breed there, and the association plans
to increase the number by affordiug
them unusual advantages in the way
OF food.
Breeding of Wild Ducks.
'The breeding Of wild ducks Will be
the initial work in propagation A sup
ply of black. mallard and wood ducks
will be purchased Immediately. Corn
will be distributed in the shallow wa
ter around the edges Of the ponds so
that the focks brought down by the
propagated ducks will be encouraged
to nest there. The eggs laid by the
tame flock will be hatched under hens
This method of propagation has been
successfully carried on many times,
and as black ducks and mallards are
great layers it is estimated that thou
sands can be raised this year"
Especially tender care Is to be ac-
corded the wood duck, for the associa-
tion thinks 1t sad commentary on
American thoughtlessness that this
bird, once a common object through
out the country, is now on the verge of
extinction.
"The reasons for so many failures in
attempting to propagate our native
birds have been various. but It is not
at all strange that we should fail in
this country at the beginning. People
point to the fact that in England, Scot
land and on the continent thousands Of
native wild birds are raised annually
but they do not stop to consider that
they are raised by gamekeepers, father
and son having been engaged in this
occupation for generations. They have
learned the secrets Of the trade, while
in this country we have given little
thought to the matter.
Expert to Be In Charge.
"It is quite likely that the associa-
ton will procure an expert gamekeep-
er from Scotland to take charge OF
rearing upland birds. The foreign
gamekeepers in this country have been
very generally successful. Undoubt-
edly they will teach their profession
to Americans and will thus start line
OF gamekeepers in this country"
In announcing that the birds will be
distributed for stocking purposes, the
association urges the establishment of
game refugees all over the country, with
the prediction that these will improve
the shooting in the surrounding coun-
try.
''If the birds have a place where they
can raise their young in security and
where the coveys will not be reduced
to one or two each fall, they will in
crease so rapidly that they are bound
to overflow into the surrounding terri
tory.
"The Massachusetts, farm has been
taken on a ten years lease. with an
option to buy for the original price Of
$4,000 any time during that period.
The land, which is worth many times
this amount, was purchased by disin-
terested sportsmen. each putting in
about $1,000"
nIMnN Aldo Enn VAR