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From our own experience and observation of the different kinds of fence 

 built of sods, we prefer, to all others, what we call here, " single ditch 

 fence." Our method of building this fence, is to lay off, on one side 

 of the "fence line," a strip four feet wide for the ditch, cut the sod upon 

 this strip lengthwise, into four equal courses, three of which are to be 

 laid up, the grass side out, to form the face side of the fence. The face 

 side of the fence should be set in, from the edge of the ditch, about six 

 inches, leaving a corner or surface to prevent the crumbling and falling 

 of the earth from under the bank by the freezing and working of the 

 sides of the ditch. At the distances of four or five feet from the 

 front of the face side, set the remaining course, grass out, to form 

 the back side of the bank and to hold the earth in its place. The sod 

 in both instances, should incline towards the centre of the embankment, 

 so that the dirt, when thrown in, will not press out the turf. 



The ditch may then be excavated to the depth of three and a half feet, 

 the sides sloping so that Avhen completed, it shall be one foot upon the 

 bottom. The earth should be thrown between the two lines of sod, be- 

 fore mentioned, sloping back from the top of the face side to the top of 

 the back side, forming an angle of about forty-five degrees. 



Here is a fence made of earth, that nothing will attempt to get over, 

 not even hogs ; it being six and a half feet from bottom of ditch to top 

 of embankment. To make the fence still more perfect, we have set a 

 row of locust trees along the lower edge of the embankment, about one 

 foot apart, which prevents cattle from injuring it from the inside. We 

 have some ourselves and have seen a great length of the double ditch 

 fence built in this neighborhood, which costs about the same price as the 

 single ditch ; but as the ditches are much shallower it is mere sport for 

 cattle to play over it unless it is "staked and railed" or boarded along 

 the top, either of which adds materially to the expense. 



We have of the "single ditch" kind, about two hundred rods which 

 has been built more than four years, most of it being exposed to the 

 "herds of the prairie" at large ; and the repairs on the fence for the 

 whole time have not cost us to exceed two dollars. It is good yet. The 

 most, however, that can ever be claimed for a sod fence is, that it answei-s 

 a temporary purpose. 



The sward of our prairies, has been temporarily, a very good substi- 

 tute for timber ; and without it, it would have been impossible, in many 

 instances for our farmers to have secured their crops. 



