THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 75 



although if they were the fence would be stronger. Sometimes 

 the riders in this kind of fence may be long poles, extending the 

 distance of several panels. Long poles are much better than rails 

 for riders. 



85. Another mode for locking a fence is shown by Fig. 17. 

 The fence is first made as high as it is to be made, and then the 

 locks, which may be of good rails, or stakes, or pieces of rails, are 



FIG. 17. 



A LOCK RAIL FENCE. 



stuck in the ground, as shown by the dots, or circles, and leaned 

 on the corners, as shown by the dotted lines. In locking in this 

 manner the builder must exercise a little skill, if he has any, in 

 regard to setting the locks so as to bind well. If they are not 

 placed on the correct side of each other, they will not lock the 

 fence, by wedging, any more than their own gravity will lock it. 

 It is not very convenient to show on paper which lock should be 

 on the outside, and which on the inside. If the builder has any 

 skill, he can alter the position of a pair of locks until they seem 

 to wedge, or bind, more than they will in any other position, and 

 then let the position of those locks be carefully observed, and let 

 him endeavor to set the rest as nearly like them as is practicable. 

 They should not be set too perpendicularly, nor too slanting, 

 because if set too slanting they will not resist as great force as if 

 they stand more perpendicularly ; and if they be set too perpen 

 dicularly, the lock is not as binding ; and if the locks extend sev 

 eral feet above the fence, the wind is very liable to blow them 

 over. If the locks be small stakes, or small rails, the foot of them 

 must be placed almost close to the side of the panel which it 

 locks ; but if they be large, they must be placed farther away 



