1921.] 



Moorland Grazing. 



929 



useful in the absence of a better. The " fog " has been and is 

 the object of experiment.* Owing to its matted condition it pre- 

 vents most artificial manures from reaching the soil beneath, 

 and it would seem that the manures are carried away by surface 

 drainage. The same character results in water being turned to 

 a remarkable degree, and even though the " fog " absorbs a 

 considerable quantity, making the surface very wet in rainy 

 weather, the soil below not infrequently is found to be quite dry. 

 Those plants, therefore, which are intolerant of the acid " fog,"^ 

 are denied proper nourishment from the soil itself. 



These properties attributed to ' ' fog ' ' have been confirmed 

 by the experiments in North Wales.! Basic slag in Northumber- 

 land, and lime in both Northumberland and Cumberland, have 

 effected improvements, though but slowly, and roughly in pro- 

 portion to the depth, and consequent resistance, of the " fog." 

 Lime in other parts cf the country and in Scotland has produced 

 good results, but the post-war cost, including carriage and labour ^ 

 appears to make its use prohibitive. 



Where the " fog " is thin, manures will frequently give good 

 results, provided that there is a suitable herbage to develop. If 

 the resisting blanket of matted turf is reduced or broken up, 

 improvement can be effected, but on account of the difficulty of 

 the operations involved this is not usually a practical proposition. 

 Records of ploughing out such land exist, and there is evidence 

 that considerable portions were once in cultivation, for example, 

 in the country of the North Tyne. On the whole, breaking up 

 seems to be out of the question. The " fog," however, may 

 be overcome by heavy stocking, and- though this method is 

 limited in the amount of land which can be captured from the 

 rough moor, the importance of such additions to the better 

 pasture of the hill farm can scarcely be over-estimated. 



The interest of Alderman W. Dobson, C.C., of Howgate, 

 Brampton, Cumberland, in the subject, makes possible the fol- 

 lowing account of improvement by heavy stocking. x\lderman 

 Dobson, until May last, was tenant of Tarn House Farm, 

 situated a few miles from Brampton Junction. Cattle appear 

 to have grazed Tarn House Bigg — an area of 300 to 400 acres ^ 

 at between 800 and 900 ft. above sea-level — down to about 1840, 

 being put on in the spring and mostly disposed of at 

 autumn fairs. At that time much of the Bigg was under heather 



* Capt, Anthony Thompson, M.Sc, " The Improvement of Moorland 

 Grazing," Jour, of the Nevxastle Farmers' Club, 1920. 



t Reports on Experiments, 1917 to 1919 ; University College of North 

 W.'iies . 



