FARM FENCING. 



41 



ditch, for they are too far from the fence, and if they come close 

 enough to get their front feet on the bank, the hind feet will be 

 in the ditch. Even if the bottom board of the fence is only 



raised twelve inches, if the ditch 

 is six inches lower than the level 

 of the field it makes a fence very 

 hard to jump. The fill under 

 the fence should be made broad, 

 and both it and the 

 ditch heavily seeded 

 with grass. The dis- 

 tance apart of the 

 posts may be increased, and much time cutting and fitting the 

 boards to the posts saved by nailing the boards to both sides 

 of the posts. 



The illustration gives a good idea of how this is done. The 

 posts should be set about six inches closer together than the 

 length of the boards, so 

 that you will not need to 

 nail close to the end of the 

 board, there is then less 

 danger of splitting out and 



A THREE-BOARD FENCE WITH FILL. 



BOARDS NAILED TO BOTH SIDES OF POSTS. 



the boards hold to the post 

 better. With a twelve-foot board, a cheap stake of lasting tim- 

 ber, or even a three-inch strip of oak board in the center of the 

 panel to stay it, makes a very good fence. 



It is a good plan to have a movable panel in every line 

 of board fence, even in those between neighbors, as it is often 



very convenient to be able to 

 get through with the wagon, 

 plow, or mowing machine. 

 How these movable panels 

 can be made is shown in the 



illustration. You will notice 

 that the top board of this 

 panel projects a few inches and drops into the slot made by saw- 

 ing into the top of the posts. The slot is shown in the post 



\3 



A MOVABLE PANEL. 



