22 Fences, Walls and Hedges 



ways as at these places a greater strain is 

 borne. 



GATES 



The gates themselves should be espe- 

 cially strong and the construction here is 

 more elaborate, as frequently the gate is 

 the principal feature of the whole. It is 

 the point of interest of the general design. 

 The braces are to be worked in as part 

 of the composition. They should not look 

 like independent members, but should tie 

 in with the general arrangement. Equal 

 size rectangular parts intersecting may be 

 halved together, although care must be 

 taken not to weaken a structural part. 

 Corner gates are bad for they put an un- 

 even strain on the fence. 



Remember that a gate acts as a lever 

 and exerts a strain on its support pro- 

 portionate to its length. In wide gates 

 various devices are resorted to to establish 

 an equilibrium so that all the weight is not 

 borne by the lower hinge or fastening. 

 Braces and balances serve for this purpose. 

 The braced gate is shown in Fig. 8, the 

 brace being kept low enough not to mar 



