Food-plants ^45 



III. Food Plants. Grouse, Black-game, Ptarmigan. 



With regard to game, tlie heather or hng (CalUina vulgaris) 

 is by far the most important food-plant in Scotland. This, together 

 with Erica cinerea, and some other species of heath, forms the staple 

 diet of the Red-Grouse all the year round. It is eaten in some 

 quantity by the Ptarmigan, and is entirely neglected by the Black- 

 game, especially in the summer time. Thus, of the three Scotch 

 Grouse, the Red Grouse depends for its existence on a plentiful 

 sup^ply of heather, while the other two benefit by its presence, but 

 can find a living in its absence. 



Heather is also the main food of the black-faced highland sheep, 

 affords grazing for cattle, and is a vital adjunct of " forested " 

 ground, more especialh' in the snow of winter, when it may be the 

 only food the red-deer has between himself and starvation. 



I don't think that here in the South we quite realise the import- 

 ance of heather. If it were possible, by some miraculous process to 

 destroy suddenly the whole of the heather in Scotland, the two 

 most essential rural industries — sheep-iajming and o^roMse-farming — 

 would automaticalh' come to an end, at any rate in the Highlands. 

 The abundance of heather on the moor, the health and proper 

 cultivation of the plant, are matters of first-class importance to the 

 farmer and to the game-keeper. Both are actuated in the main b\' 

 the same object, but, unfortunate!}', they do not always see eye to 

 eye in minor details in the execution of the purpose they have in 

 view. That purpose is to keep a constant growth of \'oung heather 

 coming on year b}- year, in order to supply a sufficiency of food for 

 their respective charges. They achieve their end by systematically 

 burning regulated strips or patches of heather each spring, so that, 

 on a well-managed farm, every part of the moor should come round 

 for burning about once in ten years. The burnt ground of the year 

 is valueless as regards food ; that of the second and third \ears 

 yields a fine crop of }oung, juic}- heather shoots ; of the fourth and 

 fifth \'ears coarser food and fair cover ; while the " big " heather 

 of seven or ten years is of service as a refuge from birds-of-pre\' and 

 very stormy weather. In winter, when the snow lies deep upon the 

 ground, this big, rank growth may be the only heather that bird or 

 beast can get access to until the snow disappears. 



Now, there is at the present time a considerable amount of 

 heather in Scotland, at any rate on the w'estern side, which is 

 diseased. I do not know of a single moor in the neighbourhood 

 of Barcaldine which does not suffer more or less, and I imagine that 

 the disease is common all over Scotland, and, further, it is tending to 

 increase. This diseased heather is often spoken of by sportsmen 

 and keepers as frosted heather ; in outward appearance there is 

 some justification for the name. A w^ell-defined patch of previously 



K 



