Forest Work for the Month. 423 



sheep are IVeqiieiitly turned out to eat down the young grass before 

 winter, and the destruction wrought in a single night by a score or 

 two of hungry sheep, amongst young plantations in particular, is too 

 well known to need any comment by way of urging every forester to 

 make sure that it will not happen. 



This is the proper month to inspect and repair all game-proof fences, 

 for when hares and rabbits once find their way into forbidden ground 

 it is an almost hopeless task to try to keep them out. Just to show how 

 careful we ought to be in this respect, I may mention that last winter 

 my garden gate was left open one night l;)y mistake, and three hares 

 found their way in, and very considerately eat over a bed of fine 

 carnations. On turning in some men the following morning to drive 

 them out, we saw the whole three with a very slight effort skip over 

 the upright paling nearly four feet high ; some of them were frequently 

 seen in the garden after that, and the only means of getting out and 

 in was over the top of the said fence. Perhaps this was an excep- 

 tion, but there is no doubt that it is a good thing to keep such fences in 

 thorough repair, and thereby lessen the risk of an invasion from what 

 are acknowledged to be on all hands our deadliest foes. 



A notice appeared in the newspapers some time ago of an effectual 

 method of preventing rabbits scraping under wire netting. The 

 plan recommended was to dig a trench sloping outwards from the 

 fence, in which to bury the edge of the netting. 



The gentleman who tried the experiment said that it completely 

 baffled the vermin in their attempts to scrape through, their instinct 

 not leading them to begin far enough back so as to get under tie 

 wire. 



A sharp look-out must be kept also on those trees that are rot 

 fenced in, and which are liable to be attacked by rabbits. 



It frequently happens that a most unsightly gash is made in the 

 bark, and then the tar mixture is applied after the mischief is done. 

 It is much the best and safest plan to go beforehand and apply some 

 of the mixture in a well-diluted state, and thereby save the trees from 

 being attacked at all by the nefarious vermin. 



Owing to the backwardness of the season, the felling of heavy 

 timber should be delayed until next month, by that time the leaves of 

 the trees will be shed, and the wood properly matured. 



Meanwhile, the brushwood surrounding those trees can be cut and 

 cleared from the ground, which will very much facilitate the subse- 

 quent operations of felling and snedding the trees. 



It is to be hoped that advantage has been taken of the long spell 

 of wet weather experienced lately to get all the workmens' tools ground 

 up and put into the best order, ready for action'; also that every man 

 has a double set of both axes and knives at his disposal, so as not to 



