size. In cold and wet climates, and in pasture lands, 

 the shelter of many enclosm'es is desirable ; but in 

 wet tillag-e countries, fields cannot be too open and 

 airy for drying- the land and saving- the crops. The 

 shape of the field, whether on large or small farms, 

 should be square, or rather oblong square. In fields 

 of the latter shape, there are in ploughing-, the fewest 

 turnings and shortest head-lands ; but of all things 

 (if you have any brains or eyes) do not make crooked 

 ditches. The loss of labour in irregularly bovmded 

 fields is very great ; it has been ascertained, that in 

 square fields, five ploughs will do as much work as 

 six, when the sides are unequal, and men's labour is 

 probably lost in the same proportion. Short stitches 

 (in Irish, geroges,) should never be seen qua decent 

 farm. Consider what 'a foohsh thing it is to have 

 one-tenth of your ground under great, wide, ugly 

 ditches, straggling in every direction, and tUviding 

 your farms into parkeens, merely that you may have 

 a bit of pasture for a horse, (who ought to be in sta- 

 l»le) or some other equally bad reason ; consider the 

 waste of land for which you pay rent, tithe, and 

 county cess. From small holders particularly, eco- 

 nomy, in this point, would be expected ; and yet it 

 is with them, who can least afford the loss, that the 

 greatest number of useless ditches are to be seen. — 

 Again, are these banks sufficient security against tres- 

 passers? are they so well-faced with well-trimmed 

 and close set thorns, as to afford shelter, or even or- 

 nament ? No ; they are generally crooked, and crumb- 

 ling heaps of clay, occupying with their dykes, ten 

 or twelve feet, without tree or bush, and so thinly 

 covered with furze, that every stray beast who has 

 the common use of its legs, may scramble over them 

 at pleasiire. 



I am willing to admit, that a thick furze fence is 

 most useful, even handsome, if clipped ; and in bleak 

 aspects, and mountainous soils, the very best that can 

 be made ; but if not close and regular, it gives an 



