129 



Any covert that is not naturally sheltered from the 

 wuid should have trees planted on every side except 

 the south, and the best for the purpose are Austrian 

 pines. 



Some years ago " stick " coverts were popular and 

 their only recommendation was that one made in the 

 spring would hold a fox the following winter. Thorns 

 cut from fences or anywhere they could be procured 

 were stuck firmly into the ground and the natural 

 grasses allowed to grow up between. K it was a grass 

 field the herbage growing there was given free rein, 

 but if arable the field would be harrowed and sown 

 with the coarse grasses mixed with oats before putting 

 in the thorns. With a whole summer to run riot, no 

 stock to eat it down and the thorns to support the bents, 

 a field was in a few months transformed into a covert. 

 There are coverts existent now that owe their origin 

 to a " stick " beguuiing, but in most instances it will 

 be found they were more or less bare for a period after 

 the first two years. Dead wood seems to have a choking 

 effect on the growth of the living, and until the sticks 

 had well rotted away there would be no satisfactory 

 covert. 



Hounds must be continuously getting punctured by 

 thorns, but the living bush is usually kind enough to 

 withdraw its prick. The dead thorn, however, punctures 

 and then breaks off, causing a nasty and painful wound 

 that usually festers. Asking hounds to draw a stick 

 covert is sheer cruelty. 



Although I have neither tried it myself nor seen it 

 tried, it has always seemed to me that when a covert 

 is wanted to hold the first season, much might be done 

 by plantmg a portion with artichokes (Jerusalem) 

 and if not set too close together they would not stop 



