RELATION TO HEATHER 105 



earlier or later within the open season is 

 not without importance. There are 

 strong advocates of either view. In the 

 Highlands of Scotland especially, where 

 there is always a copious rainfall, and not 

 infrequently coatings of snow till a later 

 date, it is in some years, and these seem 

 to recur more often now than formerly, 

 impossible to get an adequate extent of 

 heather burning done in the spring of the 

 year. There is a strong inducement 

 therefore, when a spell of dry weather and 

 frost occurs in November or December, to 

 get some burning done then on the higher 

 ground at least. This is a course against 

 which not much can be said, although as 

 to autumn burning generally it has to 

 be said that sproutings of young heather 

 following thereon are liable to be nipped 

 by spring frosts. Early versus late burn- 

 ing is a point which must be decided under 

 the conditions of individual cases, but, on 

 the whole, opinion leans to the period from 

 about 10th March to 11th April as the best 

 for muir burn when this is practicable. 



