PREPAKING THE PLANTING AREA 101 



below the ground, to prevent rabbits from burrowing 

 beneath. 



A trench 3 inches deep is taken out and the wire-netting 

 inserted, the bottom 3 inches being doubled outwards, 

 from the fence and the soil or turf replaced. 



Where hares are numerous, the height of the netting 

 should be 3 feet 6 inches above ground, but 3 feet is usually 

 enough to prevent rabbits entering a plantation if the 

 ground is fairly level. 



The gauge of the wire should be No. 18, or even No. 17 

 if likely to be required for a long period, as when protecting 

 hardwoods. The mesh must not be larger than 1 J inches. 

 Small rabbits have even been known to get through this. 



When there is no fence upon which to erect the netting, 

 straining posts about 6 inches in diameter should be put 

 in as for ordinary stob and wire fencing, but the stobs for 

 netting alone need only be placed every 4 or 5 yards. 

 Neither are such strong stobs necessary, 2| inches by 

 2| inches being sufficient. 



A wire is stretched between the straining posts at 

 2 inches from the top to hold up the netting, which is 

 fixed to it by string wire. Another w^ire should be stretched 

 about 1 foot from the ground, to which the netting is also 

 secured. This prevents the wire sagging and giving 

 rabbits a landing-place from which to climb the fence. 

 If the stobs 'j-re driven in a slanting direction, leaning 

 outwards, the fence is made more difficult to climb. 



With the same object in view, the top of the netting 

 may be bent outwards by means of brackets attached to 

 the top of the stobs. Light iron standards are also used 



