FENCING PLANTATIONS. 



tightened at will, when repairs are found necessary. The 

 tops of the posts should be rounded off or sawn on angle so 

 as to prevent the lodgment of water. Iron and wire fences 

 combined are now commonly in use, and there are so many 

 excellent systems that it would be invidious to recommend 

 one kind more than another. 



Iron box fencing, which consists of standards with doable 

 pronged feet for fixing in the ground and round or flat 

 horizontal bars run through them, has been largely used 

 and looks neat, as well as, if properly erected, very efficient. 

 Wrought iron hurdles are sometimes used for fencing park 

 clumps, and they possess at least this advantage, that they 

 can be lifted at any time and re-erected readily should it be 

 found necessary to remove them from one place to another. 



(7.) Tree-guards. These may either be erected of wood or 

 iron, the former is, however, preferred on most large estates 

 and will receive first attention. For large trees whose 

 branches sweep the greensward an elaborate structure is 

 required, which may take the form of almost any of those 

 described under wooden fencing. That entirely formed of 

 oak is to be recommended, or split larch for uprights, with 

 oak posts and rails may be considerad more rustic in appear- 

 ance. In any case the guard should be sufficiently high and 

 wide to prevent cattle and horses reaching over to damage 

 the branches. 



When the trees are destitute of branches for a considerable 

 distance up the stem, say 8 ft. or 10 ft., a very neat and 

 efficient guard is made as follows : Procure a number of 

 larch, oak, or Spanish chestnut poles, 7 ft. high, and about 

 2^ in. diameter at small end. Thread these on wires by 

 boring holes in the poles at 2 ft. and 5 ft. from the butt 

 end, keeping each couple separate by 3-in.-long pieces of 

 the same size of pole, also threaded on the wires. These 

 can be formed on the level, and when sufficient to embrace 

 the tree have been got together, the whole may be lifted up 

 and placed in position closely around the trunk, Ajaother 

 method is to bind tbp poles together with fencing wire, 

 giving a double twist between each, thus keeping them at a 



suitable distance apart. 



183 



