244 HOW TO GEOW GOOD FENCES. 



Erom these data, then, we may conclude that 

 if available land equal in extent to a county may 

 be gained by keeping fences within bounds, this may 

 be more than doubled by grubbing up, not merely 

 useless, but mischievous fences, and discountenancing 

 the growth of hedge-row timber. 



Now, although we reside in the county of the 

 Dorsetshire poet, we are not of those who would 

 curtail the privileges of the poor by closing up all 

 footpaths, or by too rigidly curtailing the road space ; 

 but as long as the farmer has to pay rent for the 

 ground needlessly occupied by badly-constructed 

 hedge-rows, we think it due to him, and even to the 

 poor themselves, that land now so occupied should 

 in future be made food-producing; and with these 

 sentiments we would conclude this chapter by 

 quoting the following 



DORSETSHIKE DITTY. 

 {From Poems by William Barnes.) 



" They do zay that a travellin chap 



Have a-put in the newspeaper now 

 That the bit o' green ground on the knap 



Should be all a-took in vor the plough. 

 He do fancy 'tis easy to show 



That we can be but stunpolls at best, 

 Vor to leave a green spot where a flower can grow 



Or a foot- weary walker mid rest. 

 'Tis hedge-grubben, Thomas, an' ledge-grubben 



Never a done, 

 While a sov'ren mwore's to be won. 



