204 OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 



flagging in vegetative energy through unsuitable 

 environment as to soil or situation, or have been 

 subjected to injuries of any sort, as during hail- 

 storms or the like. These dangers can to a 

 great extent be lessened by the judicious formation 

 of mixed crops, yet they always exist in a greater 

 or less degree. They must just be looked on 

 as the unavoidable risks inherent to investments 

 offering a good return from a poor class of land. 

 In addition to judicious mixture of trees in 

 forming woodland crops, the very best means of 

 immunity from insects lies in the protection of 

 insectivorous wild birds, as advocated by the 

 Marquess of Granby on pages viii to x of the 

 ' General Preface ' to this Series, at the beginning 

 of Sir Edward Grey's volume on Fly-Fishing. 

 The forester's best friend in this respect is the 

 starling, and everything possible should be done, 

 by hanging up nesting-boxes and giving protection 

 in other ways, to encourage this the most service- 

 able of birds to the farmer, the market gardener, 

 and the forester. The cuckoo is another ex- 

 tremely useful bird, while rooks, kestrels, buz- 

 zards, jays, and magpies do more good than 

 harm. Even polecats, stoats, weasels, and foxes 



