THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



191 



gate, because many workmen are at a loss to know how to put it 

 together in the most advantageous manner. 



WIRE GATES. 



255. Fig. 92 represents a wire gate, with the heel or hinge 

 stile and latch stile of wood, upper and lower arms of wood, with 



FIG. 92. 



A WOOD AND WIBB GATE. 



the wires passing through the stiles, and the two ends twisted 

 together. The hinge stile should be at least four inches wide, 

 although five inches would be better, and the latch stile should 

 be at least three inches wide, and, for ordinary gates, about two 

 and a half thick. Both the upper and lower arms should be 

 tapering, as represented in the illustration, and the deeper, up 

 and down, they are, at the hinge stile, the less liable a gate is to 

 sag. At the other ends of the arms they need not be more than 

 two and a half inches square. Wire as large as number twelve, 

 (see Fig. 40,) well annealed, is sufficiently large for filling be 

 tween the arms. Two wires are put at one place, and strained, 

 by putting a short rod of iron between them at the middle of the 

 gate, and turning it over and over until it is sufficiently tight. 

 Before straining them, however, a stiff rail or pole should be 

 placed parallel with the wires, between the stiles, to prevent the 

 wires, when they are being twisted, from springing the latch stile 

 inward. After all the wires are strained, this rail may be re 

 moved, and the wires will all remain of the same tension. Should 

 any of the wires become a little slack they can be strained a 



