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' AOBICOLTDBE, --+-

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AOBICOLTDBE, --+- Hares and Rabbits: the Injury tixev inflict upon the Land, i We extract the following from The Farmer: — "The bill to amend the laws aa to the killing of bares and rabbits, which haa been introduced by Sir William Stirling. Maxwdi, M.P., appears on the whole well adapted to remove a great aad justifiable source of complaint on the part of tenant farmers. Batfcua-ehooting, a Freaoh-fiald mode of slaughter- ing game, without an atom of sportsman-like spirit to recommend it, has been the soiree of much of that over. preservation that has been so bitterly complained of by farmers. There can be no £ aa, no sport whatever, in battue ehDoting; it is simply a i.azy system of wholesale slaughter; and, to supply material for carrying it on, it is nee assary that game and vermin shall be multiplied to the utmost extent, without reference to the manner in which the animals are fed. If it liJe considered essential that a supply of game- at ioaat four-footed game—for battos-ghooting be maintained, let this be done in some well-enclosed place let the hares and rabbits be fed just as sheep are fad, and thss. if gentlemen choose to act the noble part of amateur poulterers, let them do so by til means; but let thani not dignify such pro- ceedings with the name of sport. Boar-hunting is sport of the most exciting kind, hit sticking pigs in a farm-yard is slow work, aad, at the beat, merely (slaughter; and there is just as much difference between real sport, as found ia trudging aftergame on the moors or over the stubbles, and 'sport,' as repre- sented by battue-shooting, as ckare ia between tiger hunting in India and slaughtering pigs in Yorkshire, At the meeting of the Chamber of Agriculture on the 17ill May, 1865, to whioh wø have alluded, Mr. Shepherd, who opposed the discussion, stated that partridge, and even phoaaanta, though by far the worst of the two, do not work a tithe of the misohief which hares and rabbits occasion. Indeed,' said he, 'there is ro doubt that crows and wood pigeons givo more trouble, and cause more losa, than pheasanta and partridges,' Mr. M'Combid waa willing to assist his landlord! in preserving on their estates a moderate number of hares, grouse, and partridges,' Mr. Bethune, of Bleb 3, considered 'that tha preservation of hares and rabbits was the great source of the evil;' while the chairman, Mr. Hope Fentonbarn?, wound up the dis- cussion by stating his belief that if the hares and rabbits were dropped out of tha game list, it would tend very much to diminish the sufferings uf farmers. He considered partridges harmless birds, and as to pheasants,' he said, 4 they rarely stray from the vicinity of the preserves ia which tney are reared like poultry, and farmers kiow what they may expeot when they take farms in such situations.' It is different, however, with harea. They increase with- out trouble and expense, it simply left alone. They travel miles for their food, and no man is safe from their depredations, wherever hia farm, may be situated.' As for rabbits, Mr. Hope eat them down at once as unmitigated vermin;' and he added that it might be quite satisfactory to them., as farmers, to have only hare3 and rabbits removed from the game list.' While such are the views hsid by the representa- tive body of the tenant-farmer- of Scotland, we find numerous instances in which proprietors have freely accorded permission to their taaanta to kill hares and rabbits on their farms, the result being that more hares are to be found on such farms, whenever the landlord wishes a day's sport for himself or his frienc a, than could be obtained even un far the strictest system of preservation by keepers. There can be little doubt, therefore, that Sir a William Stirling-Maxwell's bill mast ba well received, unless by those holding extreme views on both sides of the question. OFer-preservora of game, who preserve not for ";he purpose of sport, but as a source of double prcfit, wiU doubtless look upon tha bill as an infringe- ment on their privileges, while taera may be some who will net consider it sufficient to meet their views. Extremes, it is said, do somstiinea meet, but it would be hopelass to expeot that such would happen in this case; and if men of moderate views, whether proprie- tors or tenants, are satis ded with it, there is every reason to expect that the passing of this bill will eradicate the bitterness which has existed in connec- tion with the preservation of ganio, and which has done much to foster antagonistic faeiings between the parties concerned in it. There is, however, one point which ought not to be overlooked in considering the gama question, with re- lation to its operation ia thi cj,'e of farmers, and any steps that may be taken to ra~ .A3 them from griev- ances arising out of it. Taia is th'3 agreement which is frequently voluntarily entered into by tenants, not only to protect game, including raboits, but also renouncing all olaims on the proprietor for damage to crops from in that cause, 'notwithstanding a.ny Law being passed to the contrary.' Now, any agreement of this kind is a special contract, which a man enters into with his eyes open. It may be a hard bar bat that is his concern, just as in any other matter ot_ business. Like buying an unsound horse with at! hia faults, and without a power to return, he takes the farm with all its burdens, and must etiok to hia bargam. Ba: having voluntarily put himself beyond the protection of the law, he has no right to come forward and complain of his posi- tion, or ask for a manifestation of public sympathy on his behalf. Nor have trading agitators any right to make capital out of such a man's case. He has, perhaps, mada a foolish agreement, but if so, he must boar the consequences. Foolish agree- ments arc made every day in other trades and pro- fessions, but we do not End those transactions brought to light and aired' for tha purpose of exciting sym- pathy for those who have sulfated in consequence of their own indiscretion, People ganerally wish to keep each things as quiet as possible, whereas the man who voluntarily 'contrMti!' -a.s Mr. Carror defined the matter at tho meeting of thi Chamber of Agriculture —' to feed and preserve hia neighbour's poultry or wild fowl' wild beasts or varmiB, without any com- pensation for the same, ssama :o take pleasure in telling the world what a fool he has been."

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