I9i I-] 



Heather Burning. 



577 



of kindling. This affords a good clear seed-bed on which the 

 wind-borne heather-seeds rapidly establish themselves. 



In the interest of both sheep and grouse, wet "flow"* 

 ground should be burned in big stretches outside the ordinary 

 rotation — if possible, once in every six years. Flow ground 

 usually overlies deep, damp peat, and is therefore protected 

 from the full effects of the fire; the grass and the stunted 

 heather in consequence come away quickly from the root. It 

 is often difficult to burn flow ground owing to the heather 

 being broken up into tussocks, and the driest weather should 

 be chosen for the task. 



Period of Burning. — Heather can be burned at all times of 

 the year in England. In Scotland, by statute, heather- 

 burning is confined to the period from November ist to April 

 ioth. On high, wet moors an extension of the period to 

 April 25th can be obtained. In Wales, by custom, burning 

 is usually carried on during the spring months. 



Autumn Burning Recommended. — -As soon as it was estab- 

 lished that the health of the grouse depended not only on the 

 distribution of edible heather, but also on the total extent of 

 the supply, it became a matter of primary interest to the Com- 

 mittee to decide whether in their opinion the burning season 

 should be extended, and how the results of autumn and spring 

 burning were to be compared. 



The inquiries made led the Committee to the conclusions 

 that in the interests both of sheep and grouse autumn burning 

 is advisable on all moors, that it is necessary on large moors, 

 and that it is the only possible method of getting high ground 

 with a northern exposure into a proper rotation of heather 

 crop. 



In the North of England the evidence goes to show that, 

 whether springing from the root or from the seed, the growth 



* By "flow " ground is meant the black stretches of peaty land where, owing to 

 the retentive nature of the soil, the surface water lies in pools and channels between 

 tufts or tussocks of heather ; it is to be distinguished from marshy or boggy land 

 where the water lies in suspension below the surface, Flow ground cannot as a rule 

 be drained owing to the absence of a natural " fall," and even when drains are cut 

 the nature of the soil is not sufficiently porous to make them effective. Flow ground 

 grows a poor quality of stunted heather usually mixed with sour-looking grass, yet 

 grouse are often found to frequent it during the daytime, especially when it lies on a 

 high plateau or immediately under the crest of a ridge. 



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