AGRICULTURAL WOOD. 6] 5 



[Hurdles and crate-wood. Much split ash, oak, pollard 

 willow shoots and other coppice-wood is required in Britain for 

 hurdles, and for crates used in packing machinery, crockery, 

 etc. Crate-wood is in great demand for the Potteries. Tr.] 



Tree-props, which are used to prop up the boughs of 

 orchard trees when heavily laden with fruit, are usually of 

 the same dimensions as small or middling-sized hop-poles, 

 and are made from poles of conifers, also of beech, 

 oaks and other trees, several stumps of branches being 

 left at their tops to serve as forks and support the laden 

 branches. Props for drying clothes are similar. 



Vine-stakes, which are placed in the ground close to vines, 

 and to which the latter are tied, consist usually of split oak or 

 coniferous wood, 6 to 8 feet long, and 1J to 3 inches square. 

 In Alsace, vine-stakes are split from s \veet chestnut and 

 robinia stool-shoots 10 to 12 feet long; they are far more 

 durable than oak-stakes. In France, vine-stakes are made 

 even of aspen and w T illows. Impregnated spruce poles are 

 replacing broadleaved wood, especially from Switzerland. 



Wherever, as in parts of the Palatinate, the vines are grown 

 very low, and spread more horizontally than vertically, the 

 stakes are left in the ground over winter, and only oak, sweet 

 chestnut and robinia- wood are found serviceable. In this 

 case, horizontal pieces or bars of wood are nailed across from 

 one stake to another, the latter being placed into the ground 

 vertically. The stakes are thick split pieces 4 to 6 feet long, 

 and the bars split laths 10 to 14 feet long, which are split off 

 straight- grained stems by means of a wedge or divider. 

 Sometimes they are replaced by steel-wire. 



Wooden Park Palings. These are employed round gardens 

 and parks, and especially in Alpine pastures, and are made 

 by splitting round logs 4 to 6 feet long. Inferior kinds of 

 wood are used sawn and generally creosoted. They may be 

 driven directly into the ground side by side. [In Britain, they 

 are generally nailed to strong post-and-rail supports, and kept 

 entirely above ground, the lower part of the fence being formed 

 by a plank placed horizontally from post to post. Deer- 

 parks require the strongest fencing, and split oak and sweet 

 chestnut, or sawn larch or Scots pinewood are used chiefly. 



