AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF chap. 



CHAPTER VI. 



Inclosing, Fences , Gate s. 



INCLOSING land is allowed to be an improve- 

 ment in agriculture of great importance and uti- 

 lity. Few counties need this improvement more 

 than Fife, and there are few, perhaps, where it 

 is so far behind. At first view, one would ima- 

 gine that a very considerable portion is inclos- 

 ed : but when more closely examined, manv of 

 the fences are found to be so imperfectly exe-> 

 cuted, or so totally neglected, as not to deserve 

 the name. In some cases the fences consist of 

 ditches without thorns ; and in others, of thorns 

 unprotected either by stone dikes, or by palings 

 of wood, so that cattle can walk out and in at 

 pleasure. The hedges are often choaked with 

 grass, stunted, r-nd full of gaps ; and the ditches 

 grown up with weeds and rushes ; so that they 

 are equally unfit for confining cattle, or for 

 draining the ground. 



So far as can be judged, one third part of the 

 county may be considered as completely and 

 substandally inclosed : the rest continues partly 

 open, and partly fenced in the slovenly and 

 incomplete manner just now described. It is 

 matter of satisfaction, however, that though we 

 may be considered as far behind many others in 

 this useful and necessary piece of improvement^ 



