PREPARING THE PLANTING AREA 95 



from 9 to 15 feet apart with either two or three droppers. 

 The latter are light pieces of wood about 2 inches by 

 1 inch in section, and long enough for all the wires to be 

 stapled to them. They are apt to get shoved about by 

 cattle, leaving the wires slack. The difference in the cost 

 does not warrant their use. 



After the stobs are all driven in, the places for the wires 

 should be marked upon them, always starting from the 

 top of the post. The wires are then run out and fixed to 

 the stobs by staples, not driven home, but leaving enough 

 room for the wires to run through easily. The old method 

 of straining the wires with levers and straining machines 

 and then stapling the ends securely to the straining posts 

 is to be deprecated, as it entails so much extra labour 

 when repairs are made or when the wires need tightening 

 or slackening. 



Heat expands and cold contracts, and wire (especially 

 plain wire) is much affected by extremes of heat and cold. 

 In summer the wires of a fence will slacken, making it 

 quite easy for sheep to get through, and in winter become 

 so tight that they often break. 



When screwed eye-bolts or winding brackets are used, 

 the wires can be easily slackened or tightened as required. 



Straining machines are still necessary when eye-bolts 

 are used, the wire being stretched and the loose end passed 

 through the eye and fastened. The bolt is passed through 

 a hole in the post and secured by a nut, with which the 

 wire is tightened, a washer preventing the nut cutting 

 into the post. 



When winding ratchets are used, they are fixed to the 



