HE A THER-B URNING. 299 



Experience has taught that the yield of heather 

 is by no means alike on different soils ; and 

 this fact is one that must always be taken 

 into account. If heath of ten years' growth be 

 allowed on land, harm must ensue. The birds 

 will probably die of liver-disease. 



The evidence of specialists as to the economy 

 of heather-burning all leads to the same con- 

 clusion. In Rhidorrock Forest, in Ross-shire, 

 before the era of clearing by fire, very few 

 birds could be seen on the hills, and most of 

 these were old cocks. But the year next after 

 burning " hundreds and hundreds " came from 

 all the neighbourhood around ; and afterwards 

 increased amazingly. In another case, where 

 at first it was complained that the heather 

 had been over-burned, nearly twice as many 

 birds were shot on the ground as had ever been 

 shot before. As the season advanced, the birds 

 came down in large packs to feed upon young 

 shoots of heather springing on the burnt 

 ground. 



The wisdom of heather-burning is just as 

 evident in the case of sheep and deer. Periodi- 

 cal burning supplies plants with the elements 

 of nutrition upon which the rootlets immediately 



