172 ON TWO NEW MODES OF FENCING. 



wire ought always to be put on the outside, for the same reason. 

 I found this fence impregnable to horses, cattle, or sheep, and if it 

 be introduced as a divisional fence when the fields come under a 

 course of cropping, by the time of pasturing it would be perfectly 

 established. Trees suitable for this purpose can often be spared 

 out of young hardwood plantations, and selected according to the 

 nature of the soil. The alder, poplars, or willows are best for damp 

 loamy soil, and the others enumerated for gravelly or richer soils. 

 If carefully and economically done, this fence would supersede, in 

 my opinion, any kind of fencing yet introduced, combining strength, 

 durability, ornament, invisibility, as well as shelter. When planta- 

 tions are being formed plants should be put in with a view to its 

 subsequent adoption, and should larch stobs be used in the first 

 erection, in most cases the pollard system can be adopted when the 

 stobs are decayed. 



2. The Willow Hedge was formed thus : I had a low 3-wire 

 fence running along the edge of a leading drain outside the planta- 

 tion, which was of itself a fence for cattle, but not for sheep. 

 Having to make it so, I cut a trench 8 inches deep along the whole 

 line below the wires, extending to nearly f of a mile. I then pre- 

 pared cuttings of common willow, 18 to 24 inches in length, and 

 put them in 12 inches apart, with an angle of 30 degrees, and an- 

 other cutting in the interspaces with an opposite angle, those 

 forming two diagonals, thus : 



3 



wwvwv 



This was done in September and October, and cost about ljd. per 

 lineal yard. I disbudded all the lower end of the cuttings, and put 

 the dampest and warmest of the soil next them, which I firmly 

 tramped. Next season they were growing rapidly. When I left 

 the place I intended to twist the young shoots round the highest 

 wire, which I trust has been done. I tried for experiment 12 

 pieces of the same, 4 feet long and 4 inches at the small end ; 

 these also grew well next season. By the time the stobs decay I 

 believe they will not be longer wanted, as I crossed the willows 

 upon the two lower wires, and if the shoots have also been 

 twisted, they will keep the fence firm and strong enough. From 

 the yearly crop of basket willows this fence, in the neighbourhood 

 of large towns, and especially in England, would be profitable to 

 the proprietor. 



