320 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
planting, and provides a nice seed-bed for broom and whin, which 
may be sown on the “backing” of the mound. The cost of this 
method varies with the situation, but on the average it would be 
about 9d. per running yard. Owing to the liability of the ditches 
to get cut up by floods, these fences should only be employed on 
tolerably flat ground, or along the base or top of plantations, if 
such is practicable. This kind of fencing is so valuable as a 
shelter, that it would pay to cut catch drains at short intervals 
to run off the water. 
Next to the turf fencing in usefulness is a stone-faced dyke, 
built on the same principle as the turf fence, stones being used 
for the face throughout, with the exception of the cope, which 
should be of turf. This fence has also an earth “ backing” with 
a scarcement and ditch, and the cost would be from 7d. to 10d. 
per lineal yard, according to circumstances. 
The third, and most economical method in the end, is that of 
wire-fencing of various kinds, the most durable being throughout 
made of galvanised iron. A good fence is made with T iron 
standards, with two | droppers between each pair of T standards. 
The standards should be self-fixing, or fixed in a base of Portland 
cement. For fixing with cement, small pits should be dug at the 
proper distances apart and filled up with clean broken stones, in 
which the standards are placed in position. When this is done, 
very little cement will be required for concreting the mass into a 
solid block. The fence should consist of five wires, the top one 
being a barbed wire. The cost of this fence would vary according 
to the kind of posts or standards employed. On wood posts it 
would cost about 10d. per yard, and with T iron standards and 
droppers, all galvanised, about ls. 3d. 
It is impossible to say exactly what system of fencing should be 
adopted in any particular case, for much depends on the position 
of the proposed plantation. 
Draining.—YVhe draining of waste lands previous to planting 
is a very simple operation, and comparatively inexpensive when 
properly carried out. The best system, in the absence of brooks 
or runlets, is to run a large “leader” along the lowest parts of the 
ground to be drained, and into this run small lateral drains, at an 
angle of about 75°, being careful not to have too rapid a run to cause 
“ cutting” in floods, What are known as “ well eyes” (¢.¢., where 
the perennial discharge of water takes place on hill-sides) should 
always be ‘‘tapped” by a drain, and thus avoid the cost of draining 
