THE CULTURE OF PLANTS 



bit trench, well backed. Or for want of these, back 

 up the ditch with turf, which is like half ditching. 

 But all this time there is but one side of them fenced, 

 and that next the pasture ; therefore no beast can 

 come on the other side to eat the f orrage, except 

 tethered horses. But if you make the hedge or hed- 

 ges and trees betwixt the two ditches, you may cast 

 half of their earth to each hand, and back them as 

 is said, which fences from all hands most elegantly. 

 And if you plant your hedges in the face of the 

 ditches, the same backing on each hand will also 

 fence them. 



But where you plant trees at a great distance 

 through your fields or parks, you may fence every 

 particular tree by cutting a little trench round, 

 four foot from the tree, and about two foot wide, 

 facing it handsomely up like a ditch, laying one 

 row of turfs or spadings above another, till it be 

 three foot high from the surface, backing them 

 with the small earth or shovellings, battering in- 

 ward to the tree. Here the tree must be high plant- 

 ed ; tho' the more the soyl inclines to wet, or the 

 sour it be, plant so much the higher above the sur- 

 face : you may stick some briers or thorns on the 

 top of this tump. 



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