102 FORESTRY WORK 



for wire-netting, and althongh they cost more than the 

 •wooden ones may be used again elsewhere after the netting 

 is done. 



Maintenance of Fences. 



Fences of all kinds should have constant supervision, 

 as rails or wires get broken, and if not repaired at once 

 stock may get through into yomig plantations and do 

 incalculable damage by eating the young top shoots of 

 small trees or nibbling the bark of older ones. 



In summer, when wires get slack, men supphed with 

 screw wrenches should visit all the wire fences and tighten 

 the wires, or in winter slacken those that seem too tight. 



When wires are broken in the centre of a long stretch. 

 Page's wire-strainer is most useful. Repairs should always 

 be made midway between standards, otherwise the knots, 

 being unable to pass the standard, may, when the wire 

 is strained in summer, puU the standard out of place. 

 Wire-netting should be attended to weekly. If there are 

 holes imder the wire, these should be blocked with stones 

 and covered. If the netting is holed it must be patched, 

 or if too bad either taken down altogether or replaced with 

 new. 



If there are many rabbits in a thick young plantation 

 it is better to have no netting at all than to shut them 

 in, as rabbits will do less damage if they run in and out 

 than when they are prevented from doing so. 



A rabbit-catcher, who should be attached to the 

 woods staff, should be constantly employed clearing the 

 plantations. 



