Encyclopedia Britannica 1963 [10].pdf

(142880 KB) Pobierz
T H E UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
The Encyclopadid Britannica
is
publirhed with the editorial advice
of
the faculties
of
The Unz'uer~ity Chicago and
of
a
of
committee
of
membellr
of
t h e
faculties
of
Oxford, Cambridge
and London universities and
of
a committee
at The Universig
of
Toronto
"
L
E
T
K
N
O
W
LED
G
E
G
R
O
W
FR
O
M M
O
RE
T
O
M
O
RE
AND
T H U S
BE
HUMAN LIFE
E
N
RI
C
HED
."
A
New
Sa~vey
f
Univeysdl
Knowledge
o
Volume
10
G
AME
B
IRDS
T
O
G
UITTONE
ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, INC.
W I L L I A M
BENTON,
P U B L I S H E R
CHICAGO
LONDON. TORONTO
GENEVA
SYDNEY
PRINTED IN THE
U.
S.
A.
F
O
UN
DED
A.D.
1768
ENCYCLOPEDIA
BRICTANNIGA
Volume
10
G
AME
BIRDS.
I n North America the term game birds numbers of birds and conservation measures are aimed a t enabling
includes the so-called upland game birds (native gal- each hunting licence holder to take a fair share (say, four to ten
linaceous or chickenlike birds) such as quail, pheasant, birds) in a day. I n Great Britain game birds are the property
grouse and partridge; aquatic game birds such as of the olirner of the land on which they exist and as such they
ducks, geese and swans; and the shore birds-wood- form. part of the crop. Since game-bearing land carries an extra
cock, snipe and plover. I n Great Britain the term applies only to revenue assessment which the landlord must pay, it follows that
grouse. pheasant and partridge.
he must make this crop as large as possible. The British climate
Thiq article deals with game bird farming, or the production of militates against this to a greater extent than the American climate
game birds under artificial conditions for restocking areas for does. since in Brkain the nesting and hatching period of the year
shooting purposes and for the sale of game birds for food For is likely to be afflicted by storms x~hich.if the whole process of
description, classification, food habits, breeding. etc., of the various game reproduction were left to nature. might decimate the stock
species of game birds see the separate articles
Q
U
A
I
L
;
P
HEASANT
, in any particular year. Therefore. vhile America relies on care-
fully fostered natural reproduction for all purposes, except to sup-
etc.
ply the food trade, Britain relies to a great extent on artificial
The propagation of these birds involves two distinct phases. The
first, raising game birds in captivity, began with the desire to assist rearing in order to make the game crop pay its way.
Game farming was a 20th-century introduction both in North
in the restoration of game in depleted areas to produce birds for
hunting. Some still believe that this method of stocking game is America and Great Britain, though in Britain its roots went farther
necessary to insure good hunting Although research has indicated back. probably to the mid-19th century when the substitution of
that in North America it is far too costly, and thus impractical, the breech-loading for the muzzle-loading shotgun and the im-
it is still an important undertaking in areas in nhich hunters are provement of the cartridge made it possible to kill large numbers
willing to pay the cost Specialists in game production and man- of birds and thus supply a poultry market. Probably the first game
agement agree that suitable cover and food in the wild is of first farmers w r e keepers (n-ardensi who set up on their own account
importance in supporting a natural abundance of game birds; and to supply fertile eggs, chicks and grown young birds to estates in
with intelligent supervision and frugal cropping. this situation the vicinity. Changes in farming practice in the early years of the
should maintain a reasonable supply. This mas the concept of 20th century induced them to specialize in game farming as op-
game management in the second half of the 20th century (See posed to gamekeeping. and
2 2
established game farms in Great
in
also W
ILDLIFE
C
ONSERVATION
)
The second phase, a later develop- Britain TT-ere business on a very considerable scale a t the end of
ment that rapidly gained in magnitude, was the raising of game the 1g5os.
The farming change which had the greatest effect was the intro-
birds for meat I t was thought that eventually pen-rdised game
birds nould become as common in the diet of ordinary citizens as duction of fall plowing on arable land. The effect of this was
to bury the stubbles on which game birds used to feed throughout
turkey and duck
In both Korth America and Great Britain game farming is a long the winter months and to replace it with equivalent areas of plowed
established practice, but there is a difference in the purpose of it. land which contained no grain or seed for the birds to live on.
I n S o r t h America, where it is illegal to sell nild birds the major Thus there lvas a marked change in the game-carrying capacity of
purpose is to supply the food market nith artificially reared birds. a good area of land before and after plowing.
A
heavy stock had
I n Great Britain the object is to restock ground where shooting to be heavily shot to save it from starvation and then artificially
takes place. The reasons for this difference are both social and replenished the following summer when food again became avail-
able.
climatic.
Species Raised.-Quail and pheasant are raised in every sec-
I n North America the right to hunt is in theory, and largely in
practice, free to all. Hunters do not expect to kill particularly large tion of the United States and in parts of Canada. The bobwhite

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika:

Zgłoś jeśli naruszono regulamin