CLEARING LAND, BUILDING, FENCING. 31 



A man can sink twenty-five holes a day in ordinary soils. 

 The straining post may be secured by a stay resting in a 

 notch, and on a block sunk in the ground ; the stay can be 

 moved forward as the work proceeds, two being used 

 alternately. The wire should be so tough as to coil closely 

 round itself without giving way. Such a fence, under 

 ordinary circumstances, costs from 80 a mile. Neither 

 the ground auger for making post-holes nor the driving of 

 posts by hand has been found to work particularly well. 



Wire is sold by the hundredweight and ton. Prices 

 vary according to the guages. Nos. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are 

 favourite sizes for sheep fences, and answer very well, with 

 a top rail or two barbed wires, for cattle and horses. 



Stretching and Tying Wire. Wire strainers of various 

 forms are sold by the ironmongers for a few pence each. 

 The strainer shown consists of a mowing machine finger 

 bolted to a stout stick ; a stick curved as shown in the 



engraving is preferable to 

 a straight one, as it does 

 not turn in the hand. 

 When using it, the wire is 

 held firmly in the slot of 

 the finger, and may be 

 A Home-made strainer. easily stretched by apply- 



ing the stick as a lever. 



Post and Rail Fences. Ironbark, bloodwood, blue and 

 red gum, or other hardwood are in favour for fences They 

 are very durable. Three-rail fences cost from 3s. 6d. to 7s. 

 per rod, according to location. Two-rail fences are about 

 Is. per rod less. 



Paling Fences. An effective close-paling fence is made 

 by sinking posts nine feet npart, one top rail on top with 

 an open trench alxmt six inches deep between the posts. Set 

 the bottom ends of the palings in the trench, letting the 

 tops rest against the rail. In stiff' soil, well rammed 

 against the palings, this fence answers well, and costs from 

 10s. to 16s. per chain. 



Double Post and Rail, with Saplings. This style of 

 fence is more frequently used for sheep yards than for 

 paddocks. It is formed by sinking two posts in the ground 



