MODERN FARRIER. 443 



which form soil and encourage the growth of grass. - 

 The prickly leaves of the pine may also hurt the 

 fleeces. These considerations are of less importance 

 than the safety of sheep ; at the same time they 

 may, in some measure, be obviated by planting firs 

 only on the outside, and filling up the clump with 

 birch, a tree which grows quickly and thrives in 

 very thin soil. 



As it is necessary in some situations to confine 

 ewes with their lambs during night in order to de- 

 fend the latter from foxes and dogs, it becomes re- 

 quisite to construct cots and folds. The former 

 should be airy, at the same time sufficiently close to 

 prevent bad effects from rain or snow, and the latter 

 should be spacious. Cots may be very easily and 

 cheaply constructed after the manner of Highland 

 cottages, where birch trees, or others having a natu- 

 ral bend, or branches of large trees, can be got. The 

 frame work is constructed as follows : Two trees, 

 or large branches, are laid together, so that the dis- 

 tance between the thick ends may be twelve or 

 fourteen feet. The small ends are then morticed 

 together and fastened with a wooden peg. About • 

 four feet below this a piece of wood is laid across, 

 morticed and fastened ; the ends projecting about a 

 foot on both sides. Small projecting pieces are also 

 fixed at the height where the roof is to begin. 

 These parts are now called couples, and when a suf- 

 ficient number have been prepared, they are set up 

 at the distance of ten feet from each other. They 

 are now joined together at top by straight trees 

 being laid along into the forks made by the crossing 

 of the ends of the couples. Similar pieces are laid 

 along the sides resting on the projections, and the 

 whole are fastened by means of pegs, similar to what 

 ship carpenters call tree-nails. To form the roof, 

 small straight trees, usually birch or Scotch firs, are 

 laid across the rails, the thick ends being nailed to 

 the lowermost rail. A rail is also fastened along 



