DURABILITY. 1 43 



that, to his dismay the posts had all to be renewed iu 

 about six years. 



The draining had rendered the peat soil or flow 

 moss the most destructive of any, and the more it is 

 rendered dry, the worse it is. On renewing some of 

 the fences, it was recommended to cart clay soil suffi- 

 cient to pack a small quantity round each alternate 

 post. This was done, and to all appearance will prove 

 of very great advantage in preserving the posts from 

 rot at the surface of the around. 



o 



Posts put into light, dry, sandy or peaty soils will 

 decay in less than one-third the time the same quality 

 of wood will last in stiff clay or wet mossy soils. This, 

 it must appear evident, renders the difficulty of testing 

 the durability of wood all the greater. 



ISiO. 6. About 1 83 8 a march fence was erected 

 between two hill-farms in Eoxburghshire belonging 

 to His Grace the Duke of Buc clench. The district 

 where the fence was erected was on the Cheviot Hill 

 range, about 600 to 1000 feet altitude. The line of 

 fence was several miles in length, and therefore passed 

 through various kinds of soil ; some dry, others wet, 

 some stiff, and others light. On examining the fence 

 after having stood twenty years, it was found that the 

 preservation or decay in a very great measure depended 

 upon the soil in which the posts stood. In sandy loam 

 they stood the shortest time, and in wet peaty soil 

 the longest. The posts were all put in with the 

 bark on, and received neither charring nor tarring at 

 any time. 



