14 On Hedging and Ditching, 



You perceive, sir, by this, that the stone constitutes 

 more than one third the whole expense, those who 

 have stone in their way, or on their own ground, can 

 have that part at little or no expense : one good cart 

 load will face 15 feet, but where stone is difficult to be 

 obtained, rather than do without, I prefer laying one 

 row of stone under the plant and two above : this mode 

 keeps them close about the neck, and hinders the earth 

 from mouldering away ; it likewise keeps weeds from 

 growing so close up to the plant as they otherwise 

 would do ; then, by giving it a good high top of earth, 

 and running one good broad rail along the top, it will 

 turn cattle till your thorn gets so up as to make a good 

 fence ; which they will do in four or five years with 

 all kinds of thorn fence. Calculate so as to have them 

 round those fields you intend to have in with grain, or 

 grass, for two or three years ; or the longer the better. 

 By turning in your cattle in the fall, they will brouze 

 on them,, especially calves and sheep ; but they will do 

 little or no harm, as you will of course clip them in 

 the fall or spring. I have made about 450 pannel of 

 that kind of fence ; the oldest is five years old, and has 

 stood four winters, without losing a stone by frost, or 

 mouldering down ; nor do I expect they will. I lost 

 about three yards by the floods last summer ; but that 

 was my own fault, in not having a passage for the 

 water, in a place where one was required. The stones 

 and bank were swept oft', but the thorns kept their 

 places. Several of my neighbours tried them, and 

 my opinion is that they will stand on any kind of 

 ground, excepting swampy ground. Mr. William 

 Siters, of Radnor, planted one thousand in swampy 



