NEW ENGLAND FENCES 223 



what? Where stone walls are, they may continue 

 to be, and where there are stones enough there may 

 be more stone walls, but all New England is not so 

 bountifully supplied in this respect as parts of it 

 that I have heard of, where if one buys an acre 

 of land, he must buy another to pile the stones of 

 the first acre on. In some of our alluvial lands it is 

 hard to find stones enough for the corner supports 

 of rail fences. The hedge, except for ornamenta- 

 tion in a small way, does not, somehow, seem to 

 take kindly to us, or we to it; at least, I have never 

 seen one of any great length, nor one flourishing 

 much, that was intended to be a barrier against 

 stock. If ever so thrifty for a while, is it not likely 

 that the pestiferous field-mice, which are becoming 

 plentier every year, as their enemies, the foxes, 

 skunks, hawks, owls, and crows grow fewer, would 

 destroy them in the first winter of deep snow? 

 Great hopes were entertained of the wire fence at 

 one time, but it has proved to be a delusion and 

 indeed a snare. Some are temporizing with fate, 

 or barely surrendering, by taking away the fences 

 where grain fields or meadows border the highway. 

 To me it is not pleasant to have the ancient boun- 

 daries of the road removed, over which kindly- 

 spared trees have so long stood guard, and along 

 whose sides black-raspberry bushes have sprung 

 up and looped their inverted festoons of wine- 

 colored stems and green leaves with silver linings. 



