184 FENCING AND DRAINING 



Where a wire fence already exists it can be made rabbit- 

 proof by attaching wire netting to it, care being taken to take 

 the above-mentioned measures to prevent the rabbits burrow- 

 ing. Netting must also be put on all gates and across drains 

 running under the fence. 



In order to reduce the cost per acre it is important to 

 enclose as large an area as possible at one time, as small 

 enclosures cost more per acre than large ones. Thus, in square 

 plantations, an area of one acre requires 280 yards of fence, 

 and four acres requires 560 yards. If the fencing costs is. 

 per yard the one-acre plot costs 560^., while the four-acre plot 

 costs 2805. per acre, and so on, halving the cost per acre every 

 time the area is quadrupled. 



WALLS. 



These give good shelter, but nowadays they are seldom 

 made, as it is usually considerably cheaper to use wire fences. 

 Even if wooden posts cannot be obtained in the neighbourhood 

 iron ones can be erected, and the fence will not usually cost 

 as much as a stone wall. Where stone is very plentiful a wall 

 may possibly be desirable, and if so it should be built to 

 a height of about 3 feet 9 inches without lime or mortar, 

 except that the top stones should be bedded in lime to keep 

 the wall from falling. 



DRAINAGE. 



Swampy ground is unsuitable for the growth of trees because 

 the roots cannot get a good hold of the soil, and the trees 

 may afterwards be blown down by gales ; moreover, as the 

 soil contains no air, growth is stunted and the roots decay. 

 Wherever possible, however, it is better to plant some species 

 such as poplar, willow, alder, or spruce, which will grow to 

 a certain size on swampy land, than to go to the expense of 

 draining in order to grow a more valuable species. In many 

 cases one or two shallow drains, dug to remove the surface 

 water, will enable the area to be planted up with these species. 



