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plan to leave a portion — about fifteen yards by ten — 

 unplanted and sow thereon a mixture of these rough 

 grasses. Although the fox is a nocturnal animal and 

 soon gets distressed when forced to exert himself under 

 a strong sun, he is very fond of a sun bath if it can 

 be indulged in safely. When there is a spot of this kind 

 in a covert it will invariably attract foxes on a sunny 

 day provided the place is well sheltered from the wind. 



I am rather hazy as to the number of times a fox 

 moves from his kennel after returning from his night 

 hunt and before starting out again the next evening, 

 but imagine it is usually once or twice. A noon-day 

 drink with a few minutes an hour or two later to stretch 

 the muscles, is probably the ordinary routine of a wild 

 fox. The outlier, and often outcast, content to lie up 

 in an open field, can enjoy none of these little luxuries 

 and must remain in the same position from daylight to 

 dark. 



A covert of we will say twenty acres could afford 

 several of these open spaces, but it is all important that 

 those of half that acreage or less should be a dense mass 

 and almost impervious to human beings. 



Blackthorn should be cut at least every seven years, 

 cut within three inches of the ground and never laid. 

 All dead wood to be removed and carted away. With a 

 covert of ten acres the same principle as recommended 

 for gorse can be carried out, that is one quarter may be 

 cut down every second year. Someone responsible 

 should be in charge of the men working and make it a 

 rule that no dogs will be allowed. 



In these days most heavy soils have been pipe-drained, 

 but it should be remembered that a field thus treated, 

 if planted with thorns or trees, will soon have the pipes 

 choked up by roots, and will be in a worse state as far 



