TO HIS GARDENER 65 



and Middle Enclosure must be made good and the earth put 

 to the roots of the young hedge ; the Wool if any upon it must 

 be taken off* and the quicks a little topped with Sheers where 

 their teeth ^ or Wool have touched. Pains this year in saving 

 may prevent a great deal in new planting; besides so many 

 large and small trees and other plants and at least a year's 

 growth of all. I don't doubt your having fully horses enough 

 come in espicially at first, as there will be little grass in the 

 Country yet. I wish the planting may be got so up as to hold 

 them till some other gets up. This will be our difficulty, for 

 if any warm weather comes, and you have this wet a week or 

 ten days will bring grass on . . . and other dunged grass and 

 at last upon Stone Park and long Meadow and by . . . the 

 Middle and east Enclosures will get up. As I hope they . . . 

 and some warm Showers if any come will advance them. I 

 wish it can be managed so that the small Enclosures keep them 

 after the planting so as to saue the Pidgeon field till it gets a 

 good bottom and a little up, for if it is let up so as to give 

 good mouthfuls it will hold them till some others are ready. 

 But upon the spot things can be best j udged of. There is a great 

 deal in management and forecast to make things answer to best 

 advantage. Bad management will run us out of grass, which 

 will serve well if right managed. Forethought and good 

 management will make a great difference in all business as well 

 as in making the same fields of grass serve more or fewer 

 Cattle. 



Are most of the Pidgeons you have let fly white or sandy 

 coloured ? I reckon all sowing is over, so it will be a hard 

 time upon the young till the seed of grass or corn ripen which 

 makes me think you should let none fly till middle of July till 

 you think they can have meat when they do fly. Let me know 

 how many you have let fly in all this spring. The cold certainly 

 makes few breed by what might have done if seasonable. They 

 begin soon to breed when appearance of food as the weather will 

 then be warm, but if you let any fly for some time after this 

 they '1 starve before they can have food. They whose young 

 you kill now will soon lay again, and I hope you shall have a 



^ Of the sheep. The ' quicks ' are the quick-sets of * the young hedge.' 



