302 MY FARM. 



boughs, otherwise worthless, or to pine-pickets of 

 simple cost in the paling of a yard, or the tracery 

 of a gate, as shall catch the eye by its grace of out 

 line, and suggest imitation by its easy construction, 

 and entire feasibility, there is some hope of leading 

 country tastes in that direction ; but if work shows 

 great nicety of construction, puzzling and complicated 

 detail, immense absorption of labor and material, it 

 might as well have been so far as intended to en 

 courage farm ruralities built of Carrara marble. 



Again a stone wall, or dyke, is not generally 

 counted an object of much beauty, except it be laid up 

 in hammered work ; this, of course, is out of the ques 

 tion for a farmer who studies economy : but suppose 

 that to a substantial stone fence of ordinary construc 

 tion, I am careful, by a choice of topping-stones, to 

 give unbroken continuity to its upper line ; and sup 

 pose that the abutments, instead of wearing the usual 

 form, are carried up a foot or more above this line in a 

 rude square column, gradually tapering or * battering 

 toward the top ; suppose upon this top I place a flat 

 stone nearly covering it, and upon this a smaller stone 

 some four inches in thickness, and again, upon the 

 last, the largest and roundest boulder I can find. At 

 once there is created a graceful architectural effect, 

 which gives a new air to the whole line of wall. Yet 

 the additional labor involved is hardly to be reckoned. 



