TOP DIKES, DEAD HEDGES, &C. 



keeping it one foot wide at bottom, whatever be 

 the fize of the ditch. The general rule for mak- 

 ing ditches for hedges is, that whatever be the 

 breadth at top, the perpendicular depth mould be 

 half as much. For inftance, a fix feet ditch mud 

 be three feet deep ; a five feet ditch, two and a 

 half deep ; and a four feet ditch, two feet deep ; 

 and fo forth. Six feet ditches made in the above 

 form, without thorn plants, may be rendered to- 

 lerable fences, by fowing whin-hedges along the 

 ridges of earth laid up in March ; which fee. 



TOP DIKES, DEAD HEDGES, AND RAILS. 



If, in the view of protecting the hedge, or more 

 completely fencing the enclofure, it is intended to 

 build a dike or wall on the top of the ditch, ii\ 

 Sir George Suttie's ftyle, it is neceflary to flatten 

 the earth thrown from the ditch, fo that it may 

 {land about a foot above the thorn bed, with the 

 fide thereto neatly Hoped back. The height of 

 the wall may be thirty inches; the foundation 

 twenty inches broad, and the top fifteen. The 

 height of the dike muft be regulated by exifting 

 circumftances. The outer face of the dike, next 

 to the ditch, may (land ten or twelve inches back 

 from the face of the thorn-bed, according to the 

 loofe or retentive nature of the mould. The 

 building of the tpp dike fliovild be deferred for 

 O i 



