84 PROTECTION OF WOODLANDS. 



browsing on woody fibrous plants, and consequently do a consider- 

 able amount of damage when they are frequently grazed over the 

 same place, especially in regard to the breaking up of loose soil 

 with a thin growth of grass or binding weeds. 



But on the other hand cattle, which from the remotest times 

 were driven in the largest numbers into the woods, differ from 

 the two already named kinds of animals, in their decided pre- 

 ference for soil-grazing, and only attack woody fibrous growth 

 when there is a dearth of that ; still they browse on it also, so 

 long as the leaves and shoots are young and succulent, bending 

 down strong saplings under their chests in order to get at the 

 crowns, and being fond of rubbing themselves against poles and 

 sturdy transplants put out on grazing lands. From the heavy 

 pressure of their feet they loosen and easily dislodge the soil on 

 slopes, damage young growth by treading on them, and often 

 tear out the plant along with the earth held by its roots ; where 

 they are often herded in woodlands, they stamp down the earth 

 wherever they may be penned. 



Young animals of each of the above-named kinds do more 

 damage to the woods than old beasts; for even when there is 

 plenty of grass, they nibble and gnaw the woody fibrous growth, 

 partly out of pure mischief and excess of spirits, and partly to 

 assist the operation of teething, when changing their teeth. When 

 cattle in poor condition are driven into woods for grazing after 

 having had poor supplies of fodder throughout the winter, 

 do all the more damage to the young seedling growth and planl 

 tions, as they partake, without much choice, of all the nourisl 

 ment coming within their reach. 



Endeavours have been made to classify grazing animals wit 

 respect to their injuriousness, but this is to a certain extei 

 difficult, for the sum-total of the damage done depends on a whol 

 chain of other circumstances as well as merely the kind of anil 

 grazed ; hence in some cases one sort, and in other cases anoth< 

 kind, may do the greater amount of injury. But on the whol 

 the most correct approximate sequence of injuriousness is, 

 Horse, Sheep, and lastly Cattle. 



45. Factors determining tlu Extent of the Damage done. 



As has already been remarked above, the occurrence of extei 

 sive damage at all, and the extent to which it may be committ 



