PARLIAMENT OF FOWLS

By now, in most districts, “all is safely gathered in” and farm managers are short of something useful to do, so firing up the hedge cutter comes to mind. “Let’s get them done now while the ground is hard and dry” is the call. Well, no is my answer; a crop of fruit and nuts will help to sustain birds and other wildlife through the winter. Hedges need to be cut to maintain their value, but most fruit forms on last year’s growth, so trimming half of your hedges each year is a great conservation policy.