70 THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



lay that side up, and then, as it seasons, the bark will usually 

 become loose, but if the bark be left on the top of blocks it will 

 always hasten their decay. Sometimes a couple of good pieces of 

 broken rails will make a very good fence block. Flat stones, a foot 

 square, or more, laid on the top of a little mound of earth, or 

 on the top of two or three sods, will make capital fence blocks. 

 When one has a plenty of small stone, it is good policy to make 

 a ridge of stone, a foot or so high, and lay the fence on the top 

 of it. This will answer both for a straight fence and for a zig 

 zag fence. Where no stone can be found, and wooden blocks 

 are scarce, make a fence block with square sods, and lay on a 

 piece of board, or slab, or two or three short pieces of old rails. 

 Let the fence be kept well up from the ground, at all events. When 

 a foundation corner is made of earth, or sods, the sides should be 

 covered with sods, to prevent them from washing away in heavy 

 showers. 



MAKING A ZIGZAG, OR WORM FENCE. 



76. In making a zigzag fence of rails, there are two modes of 

 laying the bottom rail, by stakes, which I shall lay down, in order 

 to have the fence straight. And when a fence is to remain for 

 a number of years, or is to be a permanent fence, it ought always 

 to be straight ; but in making a temporary fence, if a man is me 

 chanic enough to give the fence the necessary worm, he may lay 

 the bottom rail by guess. But the beginner had better have 

 some stakes to guide him ; because, if he does not, he will be sure 

 to give some parts of it much more worm or crook than is 

 necessary, and give other parts so little worm that it will barely 

 stand alone. When a fence has too much worm, or crook, it is 

 a good fault ; it will stand more firmly, but it requires more rails. 

 But when it has but little worm, it requires less rails ; and the 

 first driving storm may throw it from its foundation, and prostrate 

 it. 



77. The first step, then, will be, to set a number of small, thin 

 stakes, six or seven feet high, in a line, where the middle of the 



