1 8 THE NEW FORESTRY. 



COMMON BRAMBLE. One of the very best covert and 

 food-producing subjects. May be propagated by sowing the 

 berries on the surface of the soil ; endures shade well, but 

 bears the most abundant crops of fruit in open spaces and at 

 the margins of drives and woods. Fruit ripens in October 

 and November, and is much sought after by pheasants and 

 other birds ; should be abundantly sown on the margins of 

 woods. The common and parsley-leaved varieties are the 

 best, and bear enormous crops. 



WILD RASPBERRY. This ranks next to the bramble as a 

 berry-bearer and covert-plant. It grows in nearly all soils, 

 propagating itself by seed and suckers, but prefers a moist soil 

 and climate. Bears fruit in abundance, which is perhaps 

 more sought after by birds than any other wild fruit. 



ROSA RUGOSA. A Japanese rose of recent introduction. 

 A strong, rampant grower, not eaten by rabbits, owing to its 

 branches being densely set with bristles. Grows about six 

 feet high in a dense bush, and produces heavy crops of large 

 crimson hips annually, of which both the skin and the seeds 

 are eaten by pheasants and birds as soon as they are ripe. 

 Thoroughly hardy everywhere on the sea shore or inland. 



BIRD CHERRY. Hagberry in Scotland. A shrub or low 

 tree with spreading branches drooping to the ground. Bears 

 a profusion of small black fruit that birds are fond of. 



HAZEL NUT. As food for pheasants, only the common 

 hazel nut need be grown, the nuts being small and easily 

 swallowed. In the crops of pheasants that have been 

 examined, large quantities of nuts have been found along with 

 grasses and insects. Where crops of nuts are expected, how- 

 ever, the hazel must not be cut down as underwood too often 

 a portion should at least be left here and there. 



SLOE. In cool moist climates and rather cold soils the 

 sloe fruits freely as a low shrub, and pheasants devour the fruit. 

 The sloe is, however, a precarious fruiter on dry soils. On 

 estates in Dumfriesshire, where such large numbers of wild 

 pheasants are raised, sloes, nuts, wild raspberries and brambles 

 are very abundant. The common damson plum succeeds 

 well also in coverts along with the sloe. 



PRIVET. The common variety of this plant makes the 

 best and most tangled covert, and bears fruit very freely, the 

 fruit hanging on the plant all the winter and affording an abun- 

 dant supply of bird food easily within the reach of pheasants. 



