1921.] 



Moorland Grazing. 



931 



checked by the cattle tramphng on the Tussock or feeding on 

 the young shoots. There are, indeed, few places where no 

 clover is to be found, and patches consisting almost exclusively 

 of this plant, covering several square yards, are not uncommon. 

 Of grasses. Sheep's and Hard Fescue, Fiorin and Yorkshire 

 Fog are the most abundant, while the Tufted and Wavy Hair- 

 grasses are also present in some quantity here as on the 

 untreated ground. Crested Dog's Tail is not very prominent. 

 There is little Wire Bent, and the Flying Bent, so common on 

 the surrounding Kigg, is here entirely absent (see Col. 2). Heath 

 Eush (Stool Bent) is also absent, and while there is a fair 

 amount of the common rush, this plant is practically confined 

 to a somewhat wet corner of the plot. Bracken is creeping in 

 from the surrounding Eigg at the eastern end of the enclosure. 

 Creeping Buttercup and Creeping Thistle are somewhat con- 

 spicuous weeds over a large part of the area, and to a less extent 

 the Stinging Nettle. Only one specimen of Dandelion was 

 observed, while Cuckoo Flower and Self-heal were not 

 numerous. It is worthy of notice that among the plants estab- 

 lished on the enclosure there are several weeds which are not 

 recorded as being found on the Eigg. These appear to stand 

 no chance of growing where the Flying Bent is present. 



No seeds were sown on the improved area, and the plants 

 found on this land either survived the process of improvement, 

 or their seeds were carried by natural agents. Some years ago. 

 Alderman Dobson fenced off thirteen acres of the Eigg. A portion 

 of this was tile-drained owing to its wetness, and the open 

 ' ' sheep drains ' ' were filled in to allow the use of the mowing 

 machine. Many stones were removed. Live stock was barred 

 out in May, and in August or September as much as possible 

 of the enclosure (of " Bent " grasses) was mown. The two 

 latter months constitute the usual time of year for winning 

 " Bent " hay. The ha^^ was stacked on the plot. 



During the next winter some twenty two-year-old Galloway 

 cattle were kept in the field, in which there is a small spring. 

 Earthenware troughs were set down some distance from each 

 other, and cotton cake was fed to the animals in the morning, 

 and "Bent" hay morning and evening. The ground was 

 heavily trampled around the troughs and in places where the 

 hay had been scattered. The winter rains helped the treading 

 of the cattle by destroying the surface covering of coarse plants 

 and matted roots. From time to time the cake troughs were 

 moved to fresh positions, and by March or April considerable 



