SCOTCH HILL SHEEP. 253 



order, but at that season every other thing is green and abund- 

 ant, and it is not wanted. On the other hand, shoukl, at the 

 desire of the proprietor, too little be burnt, the evils to himself and 

 land are considerably greater, though more insidious. Heather, 

 when very old and large, loses vital power, grows slower, and in 

 some cases may even die or be killed by severe frost. When 

 burnt at last, it is found to be growing from a few roots. The 

 plants are long in forming fresh shoots, and when they do come, 

 there being but a small extent of them, the sheep or cattle on the 

 grazing continue to pick up every green shoot that appears, 

 because of a want of a sufficient supply of this kind of food, 

 until the roots die, and grasses of different sorts permanently 

 take the place of heather. There is no doubt that many of our 

 hard green hills were at one time, and that quite recently, clad 

 with luxuriant crops of heather, and were then far more valu- 

 able, both as shootings and as sheep walks, than now. If the 

 sheep stocks were removed for a number of years, no doubt 

 many of these would grow heather once more. So also, we have 

 good reason to believe, certain districts would, under similar 

 treatment, soon become forest. As such treatment is out of the 

 question, all we can do is to preserve what is yet left, by a more 

 rational system of management. In addition to the future evil 

 consequences, very rough heathery land is not for the present 

 best for grouse or black game, except that it is '' more easily 

 shot." The birds do not want the shelter at breeding tirae, as 

 nests are found in detached bunches, not in dense masses of long 

 heather. 



No doubt it is instinct which leads qame to see that youns 

 ones in wet seasons vvould get thoroughly soaked and chilled to 

 death, if among a rank growth of any sort. This is exactly what 

 happens if a large proportion of the ground is too rough ; the little 

 ones, after they are hatched, wander into it, and never come out 

 again. Tlien again, old heather is no use as food, as it is only the 

 younger and most tender shoots that grouse care for. The 

 consequence is that the birds, although they like shelter at times, 

 migrate to places where they get the most agreeable food, and are 

 lik(dy to remain there most of their time, as well as die there. A 

 very remarkable instance of this peoi)ling a hill with grouse, by 

 burning of old and useless heather, came under our notice some 

 years ago in the ca.se of a holding, Glenlee Mains, in Galloway, 

 which was once farmed by us. 



Heather should be burnt in regular rotations, f. or ^^^ of the 

 whole every year ; the amount being determined by the nature 

 of the ground. As I mentioned before, heather grows on nearly 

 every (lescription of hill and moorland, but much more slowly on 

 Lard, dry land, than on " living moss." Less is consctpiently 

 required to be burnt on this land, though regular attention to it 



