MANAGEMENT OF MOORS 63 



stage of growth. The rapid invasion of 

 the common bracken all over the country, 

 and especially the destructive encroach- 

 ments being made by it on the heather of 

 hundreds of grouse moors, is attracting 

 much attention at the present time. No 

 effective or practicable method of arresting 

 or eradicating this worthless and injurious 

 plant has yet been discovered, and the 

 problem is creating not a little alarm 

 both among agriculturists and sportsmen. 

 Further references to this will be made in 

 the succeeding chapter on Heather. 



The comparative merits of moors hold- 

 ing sheep and of those where there are no 

 sheep can hardly be said to be yet decided. 

 On the one hand, unrestricted control and 

 perfect quietness, the advantage of which 

 from the grouse point of view cannot be 

 gainsaid, which are obtained by divesting 

 the moor of sheep or other agricultural 

 stock, largely conduce not only to fruitful 

 bags, but to the comfort of shooting. It 

 can hardly be disputed that recent experi- 

 ence establishes this, complete control of 



