176 THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



teen at the top, under the ' copestone. The copestones should hang 

 over the first somewhat as shown at/. 



The part shown at e, immediately behind the wall, should be filled in 

 with small stones to act as a drainage to the wall, and holes should be 

 left at regular distances through the wall to admit of any water getting 

 through from the part behind to the ditch in front. A large stone should 

 be put in at d to cover the breadth of the wall and enter into the earth 

 a few inches ; this assists materially in keeping the fence strong and 

 firm. If there is a field in which stock graze to the right of the wall, as 

 shown, then a low paling will have to be erected on the top to prevent 

 the stock getting over ; but if there is a plantation on that side, then it 

 should answer without a paling. The paling should be made to hang 

 slightly over the wall, as shown, in order to prevent sheep springing over 

 from the ditch side. 



Sunk fences are admirably adapted for the sides of slopes, or on any 

 unequal surface. These are made in much the same way as described 

 already, as shown in fig. 62. 



Fio. 62. 



The building of the wall should be done in the same way as the 

 other sunk fence. On high-lying sites, and where they are not much 

 seen, these fences might be built without mortar; but when in any 

 home-park, they should be erected with mortar ; and in any case the 

 copestones should be put on with lime. When the wall is built 

 without lime, or what is termed dry-stone, the drain behind need not be 

 put in. 



In exposed positions a hedge is sometimes planted immediately be- 

 hind the top of the wall, at a distance of about fifteen inches from the 

 stones ; and to protect it on both sides from cattle until it is strong 

 enough to act as a fence by itself, a paling should be erected on each 

 side, as shown. 



In high-lying districts these kind of fences are very serviceable ; they 

 can only, of course, be made useful where the line of fence runs at right 



