1 66 THE KEEPERS BOOK 



9. Careful and Reasonable Control of the Niimber 

 of Sheep. A separate chapter is devoted to the re- 

 lationships between keepers and farm tenants. It is 

 only necessary here to emphasise three facts ( i ) The 

 one already referred to, that in no case must the heather- 

 burning be left to the discretion of the sheep farmer ; 

 (2) that shepherds' dogs must be kept under control in 

 the breeding season ; and (3) that the keeper should, 

 if necessary, indicate to his master the palpable fact 

 that the stock of sheep is too large and interferes with 

 the feeding material of the grouse. Most moors are 

 habitually over-stocked by the farmer, which condition 

 is the chief factor in the high death-rate among sheep, 

 as well as being highly detrimental, not only to proper 

 shooting (especially when this is practised over dogs), 

 but also to the food supply of the stock of game on 

 the moor. When letting a farm a limit should be put 

 upon the sheep stock. A clause should be inserted in 

 the lease exacting a penalty of a rent of one pound per 

 sheep for every one in excess of the stipulated number. 

 A count of the sheep should be taken every few years 

 at a gathering for dipping, in order to see that this 

 clause is observed. When the adjoining land is well 

 stocked with sheep, it is altogether desirable that the 

 moor should be fenced off. Some of the best managed 

 moors suffer not inconsiderably from the depredations 

 of sheep from neighbouring lands. The feeding capa- 

 cities of the moors under consideration may be, and 

 in the event of there being only a small stock of sheep, 



