262 THE NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FOOD OF 



theu suddenly dies,, leaving the soil much richer than before, 

 and perfectly clean. The roots seem to bring up valuable plant 

 food from deep down in the soil, and this, with the remains of 

 the great vegetable growth on the top, raises the standard of 

 fertility for years. 



The leaves and young shoots of the blaeberry or bilberry 

 plant, Vaccinium myrtillus, are in some districts much eaten by 

 both Cheviot and black faced sheep during winter and spring. 

 The plant is evergreen, and stands up so that sheep can get at it 

 by scraping with their feet, even when there is a cover of snow. 

 It is unfortunate, however, that it is usually found growing on 

 or near the tops of high hills, where it is too stormy for sheep to 

 remain at the very time it would be of most service ; also I am 

 assured on good authority, that in Wester Eoss, where it is very 

 abundant, sheep rarely if ever touch it, and that in Perthshire 

 this is also the case. On the Dumfriesshire hills, on the other 

 hand, where it is frequently found, it is kept close nibbled down, 

 lb may be, although I have not yet verified the fact, that the 

 plant, as in some cases we have already alluded to, is so much 

 altered by being grown under different conditions that sheep 

 do not care for it. 



The crowberry is another Vaccinium, which grows in high 

 places, like its connection the blaeberry, but gets even less atten- 

 tion from sheep. There is no doubt, however, that sheep do eat 

 it in part when hard up for food. Ptarmigan pick the young 

 buds of this in the same way as grouse eat common heather. 



It would be impossible and unnecessary to even name, in an 

 article of this sort, all the plants found on hill pasture that sheep 

 will eat. One or two more common or useful ones, and we have 

 done : white clover, which grows most abundantly on dry land 

 that has been limed : old-fashioned red clover, Trifolium medium, 

 which we believe to be the true cow grass, but this is found only 

 in certain districts : rib grass, which no doubt is of real value on 

 hills, but has been over-rated in low pastures and is now often 

 struck out of mixtures of seeds for good land : the bog asphodel, 

 Narthccium ossifragum, which grows on very wet mossy land, 

 and comes late in summer, is much sought after and eaten : eye 

 bright, which has rather a peculiar though pleasant taste, and is 

 no doubt taken more by way of a change or relish than as food : 

 yarrow, with its astringent properties, may be put in the same 

 class. 



We have now mentioned or described all that we consider 

 necessary of the plants usually found in hill pasture. It must 

 not be supposed that all the different varieties are got on one 

 farm, or even if found, that they exist in quantity sufficient to 

 be of service to sheep. It is on account of the presence or 

 absence of certain of these that a place gains the character of 



