CHAPTER XIII 



FENCING AND DRAINING 



IT is usually necessary to enclose all woods and plantations 

 with an efficient fence of some kind to keep out cattle. For 

 this purpose a hedge, wire fence, or stone wall is required. 



HEDGES. 



A hedge forms a very effective fence so long as it is kept 

 in good condition, and in addition to keeping out cattle, it 

 also gives some shelter to young plantations. It has the 

 disadvantage of not forming a fence for some years after it 

 has been planted, and during these years it has to be itself 

 protected by a temporary fence of some kind. Hedges are 

 therefore expensive to form, but once made they will, if well 

 cared for, last a century and more. In the great majority of 

 cases the best plant to use is whitethorn, or quick, as it 

 flourishes in a great variety of soils and situations. It is, 

 however, an unsatisfactory hedge at very high elevations, and 

 the young plants in such places are difficult to establish. 

 Whitethorn lives for- a long period, and if kept well trimmed, 

 animals will seldom be able to force their way through it. 

 It is a light- demanding species, and therefore plantations 

 should be formed at such a distance away from the hedge 

 that it is not likely to be overshadowed when the woods 

 grow up. This is a disadvantage, as it necessitates the loss 

 of a good deal of area. The branches of trees which over- 

 hang a hedge should be pruned off, and around woods no 

 trees should be grown in the hedge. 



Formation of a new hedge. Hedges may be formed on 



