509 



SCIENCE OP AGRICULTURE. 



II 



able, should be used without mooring the bark, "Inch lias been found to add greatly 

 to their durability. In some places it is customary to plant trees for gate-posts, and 

 aftu they have attained ■ certain size and thickness, to cut them over about ten feel 

 above the surface: where the trees thrive, they form the most durable of all gate-posts ; 

 in many instances, however, they fail, and much trouble is necessary to repair the 



defect. ' Where the DOStS are made of dead timber, they should always be strong, and the 

 wood well prepared -. th.it part which is let into the earth should also be defended, by 

 dipping it in coarse oil, or giving it a coat of pyrolignous liquor; and all that is above 

 ground exposed to the action of the weather, should be well covered with one or two 

 good coats of oil-paint. The expense of this preparation is but trifling, while the benefit 

 ia very great 



3087 The substance cf a gate-post, according to Parker, should be from eight toten inches smiare, or for 

 v , . . ,,t iquare would not be too large. If made of still larger size.it is better, the 



iteadineas of a gate-post, he says, depends in a great measure upon the depth to winch it is set in the 

 ground whirl, ought to lie nearly equal to its height. Five or six feet are, in general, fully sufficient : 

 * ut the ,„ • kept in their places by a strong frame- work placed under the ground, extending 



between the po^s. 



3088. The fastenings of gates, it is observed by Parker (Essay, 

 &c. 1816.), are as various as the blacksmiths who construct them. 

 The subject occupied his attention in connection with the hanging of 

 gates, and he has introduced various improved forms. One of the 

 most secure (fig. 497.) is a spring-latch (a), opened by a lever (6) 

 which works in a groove in the upper bar of the gate, and therefore 

 cannot be rubbed open by cattle, while, by means of a knob at the 

 end of the lever, and rising up against the top of the upright bar (c), 

 so that cattle cannot touch it, it is very easily opened by persons on 

 horseback with or without a stick or whip. 



SOS!) A simple, economical, and effective spring-latch consists of a bolt (Jig. 498 a.), which is loose, and 



plays freely in two morticed openings in the 



,Cl 



497 

 b 



i 



9\ 



) 



( 



498 



3091. 



upright bars, and is kept in place by a spring 

 (6). The gate may be shut from either side, 

 when the bar, striking against the projection 

 (c) on the falling-post, is pushed back, till, 

 arriving at the mortice (e), the spring (/)) 

 forces it in, and the gate is shut securely. 

 Such a gate is easily opened by a rider. This 

 is a good latch for the common field gates of 

 a tana. 



3090. For gates of an ornamentalkind, Par- 

 ker says, he does not know a better latch 

 than the crooked lever [Jig. 499.) now in com- 

 mon use. 

 The reversed latch ( fig. 5C0.) is one of the latest improvements in this department, and is par- 

 ticularly suitable tor the gates in a 

 gentleman's park. On the edge of 

 Kn _ the head of the gate a pin t,a) is 



j0(J screwed ; and on the falling post a 



plate containing two latches (b c) turn- 

 ing on pivots. Whichever way the 

 gate is opened, if left to shut itself, or 

 if shut by force, it easily passes within 

 the one latch, and is retained between 

 that and the other. Taking it alto- 

 gether, this is one of the cheapest and 

 best field-gate latches. Where a gate 

 opens only on one side, the latch plate 

 mav be made of one half the size, and 

 with only one of the latches, according 

 to the side on which the gate opens. 

 A contrivance of this sort is in use at 

 some of the pleasure-ground gates at Bretton Hall, near 

 Barnsley, Yorkshire, and is found very cfhcacious and satis- 

 fartnrv There are also some very handsome iron gates at 

 i.t residence, which, with the latch stopper alluded to, 

 will be found figured and described in the Gardener s Maga- 

 zine, vols. vi. and vii. .. , 

 tr \ Kni and ^O" \ according to the particular 

 3092. Gate* of Afferent hnds (Jigs. 501. and ^.Jjccc m jg ^^i _ ^ ^ 



principal sorts made use of 

 are, the swing gate, the fold- 

 ing gate, the slip-bar gate, 

 and the wicket and turn-about 



rises nine inches., 



a diagonal bar through which 



gate. 



The improved siring gate 

 4 of tiie northern counties is well 

 - adapted for agricultural purposes. 

 There is a projection on the tore- 

 Dart of the hanging style, which 

 k, on which.thelowerendof thc_diag ? naM«r, c Pass,, ; ^ 



the three middle horizontal bars pass. 



durable pate, and its construction, hanging, and principle of operation, are 

 country carpenters and hedgen of those parts. 



well understood" among the 



