494 



SCIENCE OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part II. 



to common fences, in districts that do not require shelter ; because they occupy less space 

 than hedges or walls, and do not, by attracting cattle, cause their manure to be unequally 

 distributed ; nor do they harbour birds or insects. 



479 



3047. Ornamental wooden hurdles {fig. 478. and 479 .) may sometimes be formed at less expense of 

 material than the common sort, because they admit of being made strong by working up short pieces of 

 wood. Those which are highest [Jig. 478. a b) may be made of 

 oak, and six feet high, so as to be a fence for cattle ; others {fig. 

 479.) may be made of the common prunings and thinnings of 

 young plantations. In general it is an improvement in the con- 

 struction of hurdles to make the two sides so as to answer either 

 as bottom or top (y?^. 480.); by which means, if a leg is broken 

 off, it is only necessary to turn the hurdle upside down, and 

 we have still a perfect hurdle. For this purpose make the heads 

 eighteen inches or two feet longer than usual, and sharpen both 

 ends {fig. 480.) ; then the side pieces should be always double, 

 one on each side of the rails, and should shut in at their ends 

 on the heads and the centre piece, that their bearings may be 

 equally strong and firm whichever end is even uppermost. {Gard. 

 Mag. vol. iv.) 



3048. Iron hurdles ( fig. 481.) are found a very elegant and durable fence, though more 

 ~ than double the expense of wood. For park o 



lawn fences they aie admirably adapted; but 

 occupy rather too much capital for a commer- 

 cial faiToer. 



3049. The tvillow, or wattled, fence is made 

 by driving a number of piles of any of the 

 kinds of willow or poplar, about half the thick- 

 ness of a man's wrist, into the earth, in the 

 direction of the fence, and at the distance of 

 |.^ about eighteen inches from each other. They 

 then twisted, or bound together along the 

 with small twigs of willow or poplar (Jig. 



This kind of fence has some ad- 



i^antages peculiar to itself j it not only forms a cheap and neat paling, but if it is done 



either about the end of autumn or early in the 

 spring, with willows or poplars recently cut down, 

 the upright parts or stakes will take root, grow, 

 and send out a number of lateral branches ; and, 

 if pains are taken in the following autumn to twist 

 and interweave these branches properly, a perma- 

 nent and almost impenetrable fence may be formed 

 in two or three years. For the enclosing of 

 marshy lands, or for completing any enclosure, where a part of the line in which the 

 483 fence ought to run is so wet as to be unfit for the giwth of 



thorns, or the building of a wall, the willow paling will be 

 found an excellent contrivance, and the use of it will render 

 many enclosures complete that could not otherwise have 

 been formed. Sometimes stakes are used of a kind which 

 do not take root and grow, in which case this form still 

 makes a very neat and efficient temporary fence. {Jig. 483.) 



4S1 



|N^ are the 

 1 topwil 



^ll_482.). 



