356 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



such places to run into old stick heather. Many keepers are 

 so frightened of touching these winter feeding-places that on 

 many moors the heather in these places has become rank, and 

 is rapidly losing its value as winter food. Burning on steep 

 banks should be carefully done so as never to reduce the total 

 yield below the minimum which is necessary for food in time 

 of snow. 



In the interest of both sheep and Grouse wet " flow " 1 

 ground should be burned in big stretches outside the ordinary 

 rotation if possible once in every six years. Flow ground 

 usually overlies deep, damp peat, and is therefore protected 

 from the full effects of the fire ; the grass and the stunted 

 heather in consequence come away quickly from the root. 

 It is often difficult to burn flow ground owing to the heather 

 being broken up into tussocks, and the driest weather should 

 be chosen for the task. 



Knolls and hillocks are the favourite haunts of the Grouse, 

 and however small they are, never more than one-third should 

 be burned at one time ; the keeper's aim should be to provide 

 in this way both food and cover for the birds frequenting them. 



The keeper should invariably get at the northern slopes 

 of his ground as soon as the opportunity occurs. On high moors 

 late snows make this possible only once in half a dozen years. 



Grey heather killed by snow or frost should be burned 

 wherever it appears ; it is absolutely useless for food, and serves 

 no purpose beyond cumbering the ground. Probably also 

 heather which has been damaged by beetle should always 

 be burned, as it is very doubtful whether it ever recovers from 

 the attack of this pest. 



1 liy "How" ground is meant the flat stretches of peaty land where, owing to 

 the retentive nature, of the soil, the surface water lies in pools and channels between 

 tufts or tussocks of heather ; it is to be distinguished from marshy or boggy land 

 where the water lies in suspension below the surface. Flow ground cannot as a rule 

 be drained owing to the alienee of a natural " full," and even when drains are cut the 

 nature of tin 1 soil is not sufficiently porous to make them ell'cctive. Flow ground grows 

 a poor (jiiality of stunted heather usually mixed with sour-look ing grass, yet Grouse are 

 lent it during the day time, especially when it lies on a high plateau 

 or immediately under I lie civst of a rid-e. 



