629 



pasture plants in northern Australia. Horses prefer hay made from 

 tin-so Brasses to any other. They should be preserved wherever 

 found growing, and increased as much as possible. 



FENCES. 



Where it is possible the runs should be fenced in, if only with 

 a ring fence The more the run is divided into paddocks the more 

 advantageously it can be worked. By dividing into paddocks parts 

 of the run may be given a spell, and this is a great help towards 

 preserving the best pasture. Where rabbits are plentiful there is 

 but one fence that is of any use, and that is rabbit-proof wire- 

 netting ij-inch mesh, sunk 6 inches in the ground. It is usual to 

 employ U-inch mesh, but if the netting is not very well made 

 young rabbits that can do for themselves will get through. I have 

 known this occur on many occasions. Longwools are notorious 

 breakers of bounds, indeed it is doubtful if a wire fenc^ can be con- 

 structed that will keep them in. The best of wire fences is one in 

 which the posts are set wide apart and between which two or three 

 laths or gauges, made of light battens or iron, are stapled to the 

 wires. This keeps the wires in place, and the gauges, being free of 

 the ground, permit the fence to give a little when a sheep comes 

 against it. Where the guages are used, the posts may be set 

 double the ordinary distance apart. Iron gauges are made for use 

 in such a fence, which are much valued. They are light of 

 carriage and hold the wires in position more securely than wooden 

 laths. 



One of the best fences for enclosing longwool sheep that I 

 have seen was on the Yandilla estate, Queensland. It consisted of 

 a 2 ft. broad wire netting, i6-gauge wire and 4-in. mesh. The posts 

 were set 12 ft. apart and a wire was run along the top and another 

 along the bottom of the netting, which was set at 5 in. from the 

 ground on the lower edge. A plain wire above and a barbed wire 

 over all made it a perfectly safe cattle fence. This netting costs 

 about 7 per mile. Where top rails are preferred, and timber of a 

 sufficient size is somew r hat scarce, the plan patented by a Victorian 

 resident is worthy of adoption-. To save weakening a light post, 

 the tops of the posts on each side are smoothed with an adze and 

 the rails are htted one on one side and one on the other. 

 Holes are bored through all three and they are firmly bound 

 together diagonally with a stout wire, which is tightened with a 

 twitch. Light posts will answer for this purpose, and if the wire is 

 well tightened it is stronger than a mortice, as the wire acts as a 

 binder on the post and prevents it from splitting. In putting up 

 the rails they are fastened to the outside of one post and the inside 

 of the next. 



Where it is deemed advisable to run a barbed wire along the 

 top of a line of posts, it is a good plan to fasten it in the following 

 manner. A small hole is bored with a brace and bit two or three 



