48 HANDY-BOOK OP HUSBANDRY. 



to " sag," and of hinge hooks to work loose, seems to defy the 

 wisest mechanical skill and to overturn all our preconceived ideas 

 of the strength of material. 



There are gates which are always in order, which close of them- 

 selves, and which latch when closed, but they are generally either 

 very new or very expensive. A good, cheap, farm-gate, which 

 will always be in order, is very much needed, and the need has 

 given rise to no end of inventions. 



These, however, seem generally to seek to overcome the diffi- 

 culty by a complication of parts, or by some device which sooner 

 or later fails in practice. 



So far as our present experience extends, the simplest gate is 

 the best. Probably as good a form as any is that shown in Fig. 3. 

 Its most important parts are the heel post^ A, the arm^ B, and the 

 struts C. 



On these we must chiefly depend to prevent sagging. They 

 form together a right-angled triangle, and if made of hard wood, 

 accurately fitted together and well pinned or bolted, will maintain 

 their position as well as any other form. The other parts of the 

 gate should be made as light as possible, and all, except the latch 

 post, D, are as well made of pine as of heavier wood. 



The arrangement of the slats and tie-pieces is not very essen- 

 tial. The strap of the upper hinge should run out at least two 

 feet on each side of the arm, and be securely bolted. The hook 

 of the top hinge should pass entirely through the post and be 

 fastened by a nut, the thread being cut far 

 enough down on the hook to enable us to 

 draw it up, little by little, as the front end 

 of the gate settles. 



The lower hinge of the gate is better, 

 in all cases, to be made as represented in 

 Fig. 4. This is so arranged that the gate, 

 unless fastened open, will close of itself. It is much better to be 

 obliged to fasten a gate open, in case of need, than to run the 

 risk of its being carelessly left open. The post on which the 

 gate hangs is a very important part of the arrangement. Unless 



