90 PROTECTION OF WOODLANDS. 



may consume a larger quantity of mast than is desirable, before 

 they begin to wallow and break up the soil to any extent. Too 

 early a commencement of herding, before the acorns and beech- 

 nuts have begun to fall, and too large herds proportionately to 

 the area at disposal for feeding over, increase the likelihood of 

 damage being done to the roots of seedling growth already on the 

 ground. 



like the grazing of sheep and cattle, the driving in of swine 

 for pannage in the woods, formerly of considerable importance, 

 has lost much of its earlier consequence. It is in many parts 

 practically in abeyance, partly on account of the more extensive 

 cultivation of the nutritious potato, and partly also as the result 

 of the shrinkage in the area now under Oak and Beech wood- 

 lands ; and with this shrinkage the danger of damage to the woods 

 from this particular form of minor utilisation has of course pro- 

 portionately decreased. 



b. THE ANIMALS OF THE CHASE. 



48. Damage done ly Game. 



The animals of the chase that inflict injuries on our woodlands 

 comprise red, fallow, and roe deer (wild-boar in Germany), hares 

 and rabbits ; but the nature and extent of the damage done varies 

 essentially, according to the kind of game doing it. 



(a) The damage done to woods by Red-deer (Cervus elapkus) 

 consists partly in biting off the buds and young shoots of most 

 species of trees, thereby causing the immediate death of young 

 plants, and when often repeated, crippling and stunting older 

 plants, and interfering completely with their normal development ; 

 under any circumstances, plants are always more or less injuriously 

 affected. Deer also eagerly devour acorns and beech-nuts, as 

 well as their cotyledons after germination of the seedlings, and 

 are endowed with considerable skill in finding out the seed in 

 areas undergoing reproduction, and in turning it up out of the 

 ground. When rubbing the velvet from their antlers in early 

 summer, or when striking during the rutting season, the saplings 

 or poles, on which both operations are carried out, are more or 

 less denuded of their bark, and sometimes injured to a fatal extent. 



Ked-deer can also do a considerable amount of damage by 

 treading down and injuring young seedling growth, especial 



