THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 183 



And should one mode of hanging them not seem to coincide with 

 the fancy of his fastidious neighbor, we will lay down rules which 

 will aid him in hanging his gates to his mind. If Mr. A. wants 

 his gates to swing open as soon as unlatched, exposing his crops, 

 or offering an opportunity to cattle to leave their enclosure and 

 run away, or to enter on forbidden ground, will he allow me the 

 prerogative to hang my gates so that they will close of themselves, 

 rather than swing open when unlatched. Gates are often left 

 open by children ; and indolent interlopers, wandering about the 

 fields, are frequently too lazy to shut a gate. Therefore, if a 

 gate should, by any means, get unlatched, if it is hung so as to 

 shut itself, it may be the means of saving much damage to a crop, 

 or the running away of animals. Vicious cattle and horses are 

 often rubbing and hooking about gates, and if they happen to un 

 latch them and they immediately swing open, they are more in 

 clined to try their skill again in opening them. But if a gate is 

 hung on an even balance, or so as to shut itself, they are obliged 

 to learn, not only to unlatch a gate, but to push it open, 

 before they can pass through. Now, if one unruly animal has 

 succeeded in getting through the gate, if the gate closes after 

 him, the others must necessarily learn the tricks of their leader 

 before they can follow him. 



243. It is important that the farmer should understand the 

 principle of hanging gates so as to make them swing any way he 

 may desire, or have them remain at rest, which is nothing more 

 nor less than adjusting the centre of gravity in the gate. The 

 centre of the turning points of the hinges, i. e., the centre of the 

 hooks and the centre of the eyes, are the two centres of motion. 

 The whole gate, in swinging, is supported by and revolves around 

 these two points. If, now, the higher point of the centre of mo 

 tion is perpendicularly above the lower centre of motion, a gate 

 will be hung on an even balance, and will remain in any part of 

 the circle which it describes, in opening and closing. It is no 

 difficult job for a skillful workman to set the posts for a gate by 

 the square rule, and attach the hinges, doing everything by meas 

 uring, so as to have a gate -swing as he may desire. But the 

 8* 



