THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



87 



SIDE HILL, OR GUN FENCE. 



Two stakes are required for each rail. 



of stakes only, four, FIG. 24 



five, or six feet in 

 length, pointed and 

 driven in the ground. 

 The rise of the ground 

 where the fence is to 

 be made will deter 

 mine the length of 

 both rails and stakes. 

 Where the ground is 

 so steep that an ani 

 mal horse or ox can 

 scarcely ascend or de 

 scend, the horizontal 

 pieces may be only 

 four feet in length and 

 the stakes four feet. 

 Slabs placed edge ways in the stakes, will lay up much faster 

 with a given number of stakes than pieces of rails or stakes. 



104. The first step in building such a fence on level ground 

 or up an acclivity, is to plow a narrow trench, from eight to 

 twelve inches deep ; and where the ground is too steep to be 

 plowed, a narrow channel may be dug with a pick or spade. 

 Commence at the foot of the hill and lay one end of the slab or 

 piece of rail on a large stone or block of wood, or a short post 

 driven in the ground, and the other end in the trench, and stamp 

 the dirt on each side of it to keep it on its edge. Set a pair of 

 stakes so that they will rest on this slab, as shown in the figure, 

 and then lay another slab in the crotch of the stakes, with one 

 end in the trench, and stamp in the dirt with the foot, as was 

 done with the first one. When this kind of fence is built on 

 level ground, slabs of almost any length may be used. Long 

 ones must be placed more nearly horizontal than the short ones. 

 When slabs are of various lengths, those of one length should 

 be placed together, in order to make the fence of a uniform 

 height. Whatever may be the length of a slab, the end of the 



