AND FENCES. 53 



for the shameful freedom given to animals in many town and village 

 streets, such fences might be made so much lower and more open 

 than now, as materially to lessen their cost. If the reader will turn 

 to the vignette at the head of this chapter, he will see a form of 

 iron posts and rods well adapted to a suburban place. 



We would suggest that all fences, not of a massive character, 

 should have an open space under them, so that a scythe may pass 

 clear through. No person should consider his grounds well kept 

 unless the sidewalk in front or around his premises, is as neatly 

 kept as the part within the enclosure. An open space under the 

 fence, through which the blade of a scythe may glide, greatly facili- 

 tates the mowing of the lawn on both sides of the line. 



For large suburban places, we would suggest that a sod fence, 

 with light posts, and one or two horizontal bars above it, may be 



made both elegant and sufficient as a 

 '°" street protection; Fig. lo represents a 



section of the fence proposed, the dotted 



line a a being the natural surface. The 



I sod should be laid with a slight inclina- 



''''^' tion downwards towards the centre of 

 i the fence, so that rains striking the sides 



will have a tendency to soak into, in- 

 stead of being shed from them. If the sods are of a soil retentive 

 of moisture (and most soils which grow a good sod are), the sides 

 of the fence, if kept well mowed, will make a beautiful low green 

 hedge. In very dry weather, of course, such fences would suffer 

 and turn brown, though even then they will not be unsightly if their 

 form is good. If water and watering facilities are at hand, they 

 may be kept bright at all seasons. The little hollows at either side 

 must also be kept shaved close, and will add to the beauty of the 

 yard by giving a slight roll in the surface all around the outside 

 boundary. The bottom and sides of the hollows should be made 

 so that a hand mowing-machine can run upon them easily. The 

 right side of the section was intended to represent a single slope, 

 and the left side a hollow with a level bottom, and the slope carried 

 farther off. The latter is the better manner. On Fig. ii, several 

 bottom-lines are shown to suit different requirements in making 



