FENCING. 281 



cern about its welfare. No species of hus- 

 bandry can be more erroneous, nor any case 

 of neglect more censurable. The value of 

 good and speedy fences, ought not to be 

 trifled with ; more particularly in the pre- 

 sent point of view, namely, plantation fences. 



If cattle break into a field of growing 

 corn, even though they may revel for a 

 while, the damage is not deadly. They, 

 perhaps, destroy little more than they eat at 

 the time, which is, in so far, saving their 

 pasture on the other side. But the case is 

 widely different when they break the inclo- 

 sure of a plantation, whose trees are not be- 

 yond their power of injury* Here, every 

 bite is felt ; every bruise becomes a blemish ; 

 and every wound an indelible stain ! In fine, 

 not even the tomb of our forefathers should 

 be held more sacred than the field flourishing 

 with healthy and valuable timber ! 



Wherefore, that the hedge may succeed 

 the decay of the railing or dead-fence, in 

 the one case, and the downfall, or necessary 

 removal of the dyke, in the other, let it be 

 cleaned and trained from infancy thus : 



Give it two, three, or four cleanings with 



