216 



FALLOW DEER 



through the game preserve. The damage inflicted by red-deer on 

 forest and other crops having been already referred to, it is only 

 necessary in this place to treat of preventatives for restricting 

 their ravages. 



Red-deer, and all deer, must be kept within the forest, park, 

 or other portion of land set apart for their conservation. For- 

 merly this was, and still is, effected by walls and oak palings, 

 in the case of old establishments : perhaps quite as much to insure 



FIG. 123. BOULTON & PAUL'S CONTINUOUS FENCING FOR DEER. 



privacy as to restrict the deer. But in recent years wire has sup- 

 planted stone and brick walls, oak and other timber barricades, 

 for even where these still exist deer are confined to less extensive 

 areas, giving place to cattle and sheep, and as many (at one time 

 exclusive to the public) enclosures are open at certain times 

 through the condescension of the owners, every well-conducted 

 person is given opportunity of beholding deer without climbing 

 park-walls and opaque fencing, and encountering man-traps and 

 spring-guns, inasmuch as the deer are kept in a compound by 

 iron fencing. This, Fig. 123, unclimbable wrought -iron hurdle 

 or continuous bar-fencing, 6 ft high, 8 bars, proves effective 

 against all large game. Strained wire fencing of 6 ft. height 

 also answers for retaining or excluding deer, and barbed wire 

 makes a fence if not less than 4^ ft. high, that not only protects 

 farms, nurseries and gardens against deer, but practically pre- 

 cludes deer- and fox-hunting, and even pedestrian prowlers. 



FALLOW-DEER. More dainty and restless than red-deer, fallow- 

 deer do more damage in woods and nurseries by nibbling young 

 growth and trampling it under foot. In deer-parks, where young 

 trees may from time to time be introduced, it is necessary to pro- 

 tect them, whether in clumps or as single specimens, by wrought- 

 iron fencing, or guards, 6 ft. in height, and at that distance from 

 the stems so as to safeguard the leading growths from injury, 

 and this protection be continued until the trees are so advanced 

 in height and strength as not to be in danger of damage by the 

 deer. Deciduous trees, with clear stems of 8 ft. from the ground 

 to the branches, will be sufficiently protected by ordinary flat or 

 round bar wrought -iron tree-guards, " barbed " being most effec- 

 tive, though in some respects objectionable that of possible 

 damage to the deer coming into contact with the " barbs." 



