Dr. Rudolf Bennitt...page 5 
 
 
Deer 
 
 
       Due to lack of winter feeding znd proper protection during the 
   war years (1914 - 1918) the deer population had severely suffered 
   from: 1.) starvation; 2.) illegal shooting (poaching); 3.) uncontrolled

   increase in numbers which unbalanced the sex ratio, and which, 
   accelerated by  indiscriminate shooting of desirable reproduction 
   stock, resulted in a marked degree of degeneration. 
       Propagation measures included; 1.) controlled (selective) shooting

   of undesirable bucks and does; 2.) rational feeding (acorns, chestnuts,

   deer bread, clay-preparated salt licks etc. and by providing topinambur

   cultures (HELIkNTHUS TUBEROSUS); 5.) by enforcing a rigid protection 
   from all disturbances. 
       Yardstick for our method of selective shooting (local conditions 
   always being a determining factor) was our own record covering almost

   three quarters of a century and which merely affirmed the long 
   established fact that antler growth is a visible indicator of virility.

   Inasmuch as antler growth seems to be hereditary, it follows that 
   virility is likewise. Recognition of this, together with maintaining 
   a desirable sex ratio suggested a logical basis for a program to 
   follow. 
K  J   According to scientists, the antler formation as well as the 
   hair of deer contain similar substances found in the ALBUMIN. Its 
   transformation from the digestive tract into the blood serum requires

   SODIUM CHLORIDE. Particularoly when we fed topinambut (which contains

   very little SODIUM) did our deer frequent the salt licks. This should

   illustrate that if   salt is not   naturally available, and in this 
   instance not arti-ficially provided, the substances (in the ALBUMIN) 
   will be drawn from the body within, consequently lowering the vitality

   and frequently causing death from exposure. While the merits of 
   the various forms of salt licks have    long been subject of controversial

   discussions, I had the opportunity to observe during the hard winter 
   of 1925 that our losses on deer (due to exposure) were nominal as 
   compared with those of a neighboring estate where nature was permitted

   to take its course. 
        Our topinambur cultures (the plant being originally introduced to

   Germany from North Amar~ca where it is also known as Jerusalem Artichoke)

   yielded between 120 - 150 sacks (about 100 bs. each) of ,,roots",
which 
   are shaped not unlike a sweet potato, per acre. The stalks provided 
   exellent fodder. 
 
 
   Pheasant 
 
 
       Because we were required to provide for heavy shooting over dogs,

    it was necessary to resort to limited artificial propagation. Several

    hundred birds, released in desirable locations after a "lean"
season, 
    provided for sufficient increJse. The shorter-legged mongolian pheasant

    was better adapted for areas with a preponderance of heavy cover where

    it would "take to wing" better than its longer-legged cousin
of the 
    ring-necked variety. 
 
 
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