26 FENCES. [jAX. 



It is clone in the following manner : the men first 

 clear the old hedge of all the dead wood, brambles, 

 and other irregular growing rubbish, leaving along 

 the top of the bank the straightest and best-grow- 

 ing stems' of thorns, hazel, elm, oak, ash, sallow, 

 beach, &c. about five or six in a yard ; but, if 

 there are any gaps or places thin of live wood, on 

 each side of such places they leave the more. 

 When this work is done, they repair the ditch, 

 which I should never advise to be less than 

 three feet by two and a half, and six inches wide 

 at bottom, in the driest soils ; but in all wet 

 or moist ones, never less than four by three, and 

 one at bottom. All- the earth that arises from the 

 ditch is to be thrown on the bank. The men, if 

 no bargain is made. with them before-hand, will lay 

 some of it on the brow of the ditch ; but this 

 must not be allowed, unless the ditch-earth hap- 

 pens to be extraordinarily rich, and to pay well for 

 carrying it to the land, otherwise the grass of the 

 border is spoiled, and the farmer is at the expence 

 of carting earth which may be worth but little. 

 When the ditch is finished, the men begin the 

 hedge. Such of the stems left in cutting the old 

 .ind growing in the line where the 

 - to run, they cut off three feet from 

 the top of the bank, to serve for hedge-stakes to 

 ;<nv hedge. Ti -'.ot be too much 



comi akes being immovable, 



and never rotting, keep up the new hedge, so 

 that it never falls, or leans either way. In the 



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