38 OSTRICH-FARMING IN SOUTH AFEICA. 



generally take the work at so much the post, irrespec- 

 tive of the number of wires. But for Ostriches, the 

 greater the number of wires above five the greater are 

 the chances of their entangling themselves. 



Post and Wire ivith B2is7i interlaced. — A fair fence 

 costing less than the last is sometimes made by putting 

 the posts fifteen feet apart, with only three wires, and 

 these put up roughly and slack, with bush interlaced. 

 Of course this is nothing like the permanent fence that 

 the last is, but it is the cheapest thing that a man out on 

 the Karoo flats, where bush is scarce, can put up, and is 

 often used by men who, not understanding how to put 

 up a wire fence properly, tliink their birds will come 

 to grief unless they have the interlacing bush. 



Stone Walls. — The great advantage of a stone wall 

 over other dead fences is, that whilst being permanent 

 it serves for small as well as large stock, and at the 

 same time makes a considerable break-wind ; and on a 

 sandstone formation, where stone of a good square 

 shape can be procured near the site of the proposed 

 fence, it is the best. The drawbacks to it are the time 

 it takes to complete any considerable length of fencing ; 

 and consequently those who want an immediate return 

 from their capital cannot afford it, as the money laid 

 out on the fencing, until the enclosure is completed, 

 earns nothing. It is also always liable to fall into gaps, 



