2io FENCES. [Jan. 



fix or eight months after the cafting of the ditch, 

 to allow the earth to confolidate, in order to make 

 the (tones lye the more fecure. Even the placing 

 of the dike is a particular matter. If it (land too 

 far forward or outward, it is in danger of flipping 

 down, and the hedge cannot be cleaned and dref- 

 fed without difficulty ; and, if it (tand too far 

 back, the fpace may afford the cattle an opportu- 

 nity of fcrarnbling up and treading down the 

 hedge, and defacing the ditch. 



In regard to the materials of which the dike is 

 to be conftru&ed, it may be a matter.of choice or 

 of neceffity. Flat fquare stones are the be(t, be- 

 caufe they lye more fecurely, efpecially if they arc 

 of fome confiderable fize. The top mould be fi- 

 nifhed with ftones large enough to reach from 

 fide to fide of the wall. 



Bricks may be ufed with propriety ; but the 

 great expenfe is almoft a prohibition. 



Some improvers have built their top dikes 

 throughout with lime ; but where flones of a 

 good fize can be had, they will ftand very well 

 without any fort of mortar fox four or five years, 

 by which time the hedge may be a tolerable fence, 

 and the fervices of the dike may be difpenfed 

 with. 



In diftrifts where (tones are not to be got, re- 

 courfe may be had to turf, or well dried peat, for 

 conftrucling the walls j or even wiburnt bricks 



