SCOTCH HILL SHEEP. 259' 



constantly eaten by sheep before it runs to flower : it then 

 becomes hard and wiry, and consequently unpalatable and 

 unsuitable. Wire-grass land is much improved by being burnt 

 in spring, and the earlier the better, to prevent singeing of the 

 tops. This also carries out Professor Williams' idea of destroy- 

 ing the organisms which produce such diseases as louping-ill. 



Deer hair, Scirpus cccs'pitosus, comes a little latter than wire- 

 grass ; varying much with the season, from the beginning of 

 April till even into May at times, in the ■' Highlands." It grows 

 best on mossy and damp soils. Where there is no draw-moss 

 deer hair is eagerly looked for by the shepherds, as on such 

 black-topped land sheep are never independent until it is fully 

 come. Where tliere is a considerable amount of hard land 

 growing nard, this takes its place. By June, or even before, if 

 plenty of grass is come, sheep leave off eating it. It becomes 

 hard, and the tops turn brown, or a terminal flower, w^hich begins 

 to form very soon after the plant appears, hardens, and this the- 

 sheep don't like. Cattle will eat it later than sheep, and do well 

 on it. If it were not for this tendency of running early to seed, 

 and that other food come into season, sheep would no doubt 

 continue to eat it longer than they do. It is thought to be 

 better for producing flesh than milk. Burning such land is the 

 best way of keeping it in good order, and this should be done 

 early, for the same reason as in the case of nard. 



Sweet vernal grass, Autlwxanthum odoratum, is the next 

 grass to come in spring after mat-grass, sending up its broad 

 light-coloured green leaves through the old withered tufts, over 

 nearly every description of hill land, about the end of April in 

 an ordinary year. This is the grass which gives the sweet scent 

 to natural hay. As its flowers and seeds are not eaten by sheep 

 or cattle they may be seen all the summer through in natural 

 pastures, mountain as well as lowland. The leaves are valued 

 as food for both sheep and cattle, not so much on account of 

 their intrinsic worth, as because they come early. 



Blow-grass (a corruption of the Scotch Blae-grass) or purple 

 Molinia, Molinia cceridea, springs a little later than the vernal 

 grass, and is easily mistaken for it. It is not nearly so wide- 

 spread, being more limited to a particular kind of black-topped 

 or mossy soil — not too dry, if it is to grow in luxuriance. In 

 spiing it pushes up erect little green shoots, two leaves rolled 

 together, which, on l)eing palled, break ofVea.sily, low down, close 

 to the root, and draw up, the lower part quite white, like draw-- 

 moss. When young, the leaves, which come up like a " braird" 

 of oats, especially after burning, are much eaten by .'^heop and 

 cattle. Both fatten and do well on them, living in some places 

 on little else for a month or more, and continuing all the summer 

 to eat a i)art. Ou such laud the animals are usually small-boned. 



