244 MR. FORSYTH ON GAME PRESERVES AND FENCES. 



or two, although making strong wood. These trees, through 

 pressure of business, were " laid by the heels," and neglected for 

 the next summer, barely covered with soil ; and at the return of 

 spring I was gratified to find that the Kerry, although it had not 

 grown to half the usual length, had nevertheless perfected that 

 wood, and that for the first time the young wood had endured the 

 winter to the very extremities. This taught me a lesson I could 

 not readily forget. The tree was in the succeeding winter re- 

 moved to a platform of about fifteen inches in depth, composed 

 entirely of sound loamy soil, and it is to this day equally flourish- 

 ing, having always produced first-rate fruit of its kind. 



As this, as well as other evils, has been brought on in a con- 

 siderable degree by over-excitement of the root, the only thing 

 that can be done in tlie way of a preventive is, I conceive, to re- 

 trace our steps, by using fresh yet sound soils without manure, 

 and by adopting such plans through tlie platform mode, or other- 

 wise, as shall preclude, as far as possible, all late and immature 

 growths. The mechanical texture of soils is a matter of consider- 

 able import, independent of the question of manuring ; and the 

 gardening world may rest assured, that much remains to be ac- 

 complished in these matters. 



XXXV. — Game Preserves and Fences. Part the Second. By 

 Mr. Alexander Forsyth, C.M.H S., Gardener to the Earl of 

 Shrewsbury, F.H.S., at Alton Towers. 



(Communicated August, 184G.) 



If there be any one feature more common than another to the 

 face of all England, that feature assuredly is a grass-field with a 

 hedge around it, and a lane or roadstead along one or more of 

 its sides. Although the field of natural grass does not belong to 

 the subject in hand as yielding much food or shelter for game, 

 yet as it does yield a little, I must, for a very important reason, 

 state its cliaracter, and hazard a hope for its amendment. This 

 native herb-land is not in reality a grass-field, since it is seldom 

 composed of plants belonging to the natural order of Grasses more 

 than to any other order containing British plants. On the con- 

 trary, from actual observation in various counties, the grass-field 

 is generally composed of a medley of herbs more or less harmless 

 to animals, yet containing many plants that are decidedly poison- 

 ous, and very many that are injurious to live stock, and that give 

 an unpleasant flavour to milk and butter. Should any one doubt 

 the veracity of the above statement, let him consult the English 

 Floras or some good botanist, and he will find that whole fields 

 are gay with flowers, and look rich with one sheet of yellow 



