A mild open autumn and a green winter also mean much to the farmers and
to the gamekeepers; a blessing on many accounts, a curse on others. The
farmer groans because his land is so wet and heavy that he cannot sow
his winter seeds; the keeper sees the ruination of many a promising
day's sport. The keeper gains when there are no frost and snow by
having the pleasure of showing bills for corn reduced to a minimum--in
a mild winter he will not need half the amount of corn that must be
distributed to his birds in hard weather, when they are actually in
need of food. What little he gives them in open weather is to keep them
together, as natural food is abundant. But a low bill for corn hardly
compensates the keeper for rain-spoiled sport, or for day after day of
outdoor work in the wet. The work cannot be done in a way to satisfy
the keeper--or possibly others. And the rain means that he falls behind
with that everlasting tax on his time entailed by keeping rabbits
within bounds. After a mild, open winter, by the time the game-shooting
season is ended, and coverts are available for rabbit-killing, young
rabbits have already made their appearance. The keeper welcomes a short
spell of really hard weather in February, so that he may the more
easily catch up all the pheasants he needs for penning. Otherwise the
kind of winter that best suits him is a dry one--without hard frost.
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