500 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [34] 



and a piece of wood, shaped like a two-pronged fork, for putting on the 

 bands. The necessary quantity of sticks should, of course, be on hand, 

 and 18 bands per fascine. Of these bands an extra supply should, 

 however, be kept on hand, as many of them will tear; and if the work 

 is to progress rapidly, a large quantity of bauds should be on hand 

 when the work commences. With the exception of those made of wild 

 grape-vines and willows, they should all be heated before the fire and 

 twisted a little, so as to make them tough. At their thin end they should 

 have a loop. In order to make the fascines of equal thickness, i. e., in 

 the shape of cylinders, a bundle of sticks, with all the thick ends to- 

 gether towards the outside, is placed on the fascine bench ; and thus 

 one continues to lay bundles of sticks along the entire length of the 

 bench in such a manner that the thick ends of one bundle are always 

 over the thin ends of the next. Sticks are piled on until, by measuring 

 the circumference with the above-mentioned pliable switch (for which 

 purpose the fascine pinchers should also be used), one finds that the 

 necessary diameter has been reached. In tying the fascines, two men 

 press the sticks outside of the first cross together (with tlie fascine 

 pinchers) in such a manner that the ends of the measuring switch, ap- 

 l^lied close to the jilace where the pegs are tied, lap over a little ; a 

 third man thereupon catches the bundles with the band in the same 

 place, and in such a manner that lie can draw its thick end downward 

 through the loop, places the fork-shaped piece of wood on the loop, 

 presses it with one foot, draws the band downward (when drawn up- 

 ward it generally tears), twists it, thereby forms a sort of screw, and 

 finally sticks the thick end of the band among the branches of the fas- 

 cine. The fascine pinchers should be drawn ofi" gently, because otherwise 

 the baud might easily be broken by the rebounding of the sticks of the 

 fascine. In this manner all the 18 bands are put on, at intervals of 30 

 centimeters, all the screw-like portions (see above) being in a straight 

 line, so that when the fascines are fastened to the earth-work of the dike 

 they all may be on the inside. The next thing to do is to cut the fas- 

 cine vertically 15 centimeters from the first band; from this point one 

 measures 540 centimeters and cuts the fascine again, the fascine pinch- 

 ers being put on the fascine outside of the saw with which the cutting 

 is done, and finally the fascine is trimmed and cleaned of all protruding 

 branches. If the bauds are good, a laboring squad can easily finish a 

 fascine 540 centimeters long in one hour. For transporting such fascines 

 two men will be needed for short and three for long distances. If the 

 roads are in good condition, a two-horse wagon can carry eight such 

 fascines. 



For the purpose of covering the earth-work of a dike with fascines, 

 there will be needed for pinning them down thick pegs measuring 60 

 to 90 centimeters in length, and 7 to 10 centimeters in thickness. Six 

 men can easily make 1,000 such pegs iu one hour. There are also needed 

 j)egs with hooks, measuring 1 meter in length and 5 to 7 meters in 



