From: Oz <Oz@upthorpe.demon.co.uk>
Newsgroups: sci.agriculture
Subject: Re: define REAL farmer
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 06:35:14 +0000

In article <19970127.002944.61@southfrm.demon.co.uk>, Tim Powys-Lybbe
<tim@southfrm.demon.co.uk> writes
>
>I'm in the process of selling some small plots to the National Trust.  I am
>reasonably confident they will tend towards ecological sanctuaries.  Should
>I require them to control the resulting weeds and vermin from contaminating
>my land?

The main problem is rabbits. It is perfectly possible for rabbits from a
few acres to denude 600mm in all directions during the winter in winter
cropped land. This cases serious financial loss, and makes your
neighbours think you can't sow. A proper rabbit fence maintained at
their cost, and with you retaining rights to repair and bill them might
be wise.

On grassland for silage beware moles. With the increase in organic
matter produced by high yielding well managed crops the earthworm and
other soil arthropod levels have increased. Moles follow on behind and
they are very difficult to deal with and can cause truly vast amounts of
silage to be seriously damaged due to soil contamination.

Moorhens cause much less problem ...  :-)

-- 
'Oz     "Is it better to seem ignorant and learn,
         - or seem wise and stay ignorant?"