87 



excavating the land side in the middle, if made from a 

 solid stick. 



A plough and scraper might be combined, but the same 

 strength in two teams will be more desirable. When 

 land is dear, the objection might arise that too much is 

 wasted. This, however, will have no weight in the West, 

 where land is plenty. Indeed, some in Europe have 

 urged the benefit of sloping embankments, as they increase 

 the surface for grazing ; which is an admitted fact, the 

 sides of a hill being greater than its base. An excava- 

 tion is made on both sides of the embankment. The ditch 

 is eighteen inches only, and the embankment eighteen 

 inches above the common surface, making an elevation 

 from the bottom of the ditch, perpendicularly, of three 

 feet, and giving a slope at ten degrees, of about four feet. 

 The slope, in some soils, must not exceed thirty degrees, 

 which will depend upon the soil. Less than this would 

 expose the bank to crumble by the frost, and more would 

 make the acclivity so small as to permit cattle to ascend 

 it. Nor is the improvement in making the embankment 

 alone worthy of special notice. The posts are bored with 

 dispatch by one or more augers, propelled by hand or 

 horse-power. The augers are two and a half inches, 

 and these, by two apertures, make a mortise of five by 

 two and a half; but the second hole is bored so as to cut 

 the circumference of the first, to lessen the chip between 

 the two, which is easily removed by a chisel or hatchet. 

 The rails are sharpened by a circular saw, by cutting 

 one side so that when two rails are brought together, they 

 just fit the mortise. The lap of the rails is about six 

 inches, and makes a neat appearance ; additional strength 

 is given by pinning the upper rail. If rails are cut twelve 

 'feet three inches, four hundred and forty panels will make 

 a mile of fence. This will determine the number of posts 



