THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



133 



Rails are much stronger, both laterally and vertically, when placed 

 in this position, than when they are placed with one side up. And 

 besides this, the surface of conjunction between the pickets and 

 rails is so small, that there is little or no liability to decay, as is 

 the case when pickets are nailed to the flat side of rails. Every 



FIG. 49. 



m= 



LJ 



-..-' 



A LAWN PICKET FENCE. 



one who has had any experience in picket fence, knows that when 

 pickets are nailed to the flat side of rails, water will often get 

 between them and cause them to decay in that place in a few 

 years. The bottom rail may be halved and let into gains in the 

 posts, or attached by mortises and tenons ; and the strongest mode 

 of putting up the top rail (unless by mortises and tenons) is, in 

 sawing off the tops of the posts, to saw from each side of the 

 posts, with cut slanting downwards, so that the top rail will fit 

 the cut neatly, as shown at a in the figure. The top rails may then 

 be nailed, as shown at the top of the posts. "Where the rails and 

 posts touch each other, they should be painted to preserve them 

 from decay. 



172. The pickets may be sawed out of inch boards with a 

 power circular saw, as it is difficult to saw pickets of so small a 

 size from logs at the saw-mill. After they are dressed out, the 

 tops may be sawed off in a mitre-box with a hand saw, or with 

 a small circular saw. Tn nailing them on the rails, let a chalk* 

 line be stretched as high above the rails as the tops of the pickets 



