FENCING AND DRAINING 



to erect; on the other hand it will only last some twenty years, 

 and it gives no shelter. Nevertheless, wherever hedges do not 

 exist already it will usually be best for the present owner to 

 put up a wire fence round his plantations in order to obtain 

 immediate effect, and because a wire fence requires very little 

 repairs in future years. 



There is a great variety of fences which can be erected, but 

 it is not necessary to enumerate or describe them in this book. 

 For the purpose of forestry it is usually best to form a fence 

 with wooden posts," if possible of oak or larch cut from the 

 woods on the estate. Their durability may be increased by 

 charring and tarring the parts which go below ground, and 

 for a few inches above the ground level. To protect planta- 

 tions against cattle and sheep an efficient fence is as follows : 

 Strong posts of oak or larch, roughly squared with the axe to 

 7 inches square on the part above the ground, and left rough 

 on the part to go below ground, are cut 7 or 7-| feet in length. 

 These are used as straining posts, and are placed at all corners 

 of the fence and at intervals of about 200 yards in all straight 

 parts. They are let into the ground to a depth of 3 feet, 

 leaving 4 or 4! feet above ground. They are supported with 

 stays about 7-| feet long placed in the line of the fence to 

 prevent the straining posts being pulled out of position. At 

 intervals of 50 or 60 yards intermediate posts about 5 inches 

 square may be placed. 



At every 6 feet piles or standards are driven into the 

 ground. These may be made of split oak or of sawn larch, 

 and are 6 feet long, and about 3^ inches by 3 inches, and are 

 pointed. If round stakes are used they should be 3 J inches 

 diameter at the small end. These are driven in after the 

 lowest wire has been stretched to give the line, and are best 

 erected with a slight lean outwards. 



To make a good fence on the flat it is usually necessary to 

 use 8 wires, the lowest being .5 inches from the ground and 

 the others 5, 54, 5J, 6, 7, 8, and 9 inches from the one below ; 



