PART VII. PICTURESQUE IMPROVEMENT. 419 



by any means stumble into the margin of the excavation; for 

 the same reason the two bearing longitudinal rails are placed 

 near the middle of the cross ones. Fig. 2. represents the appear- 

 ance that this fence has when nearly viewed : the light ground 

 on each side represents the close bitten or mown pasture; the 

 dark ground among the rails the uncropped grass which 

 springs up from the bottom of the excavation, and, partially 

 covering the rails, tends to render the whole invisible, more 

 especially if the rail be painted green. Fig. 3. is a section of 

 the fence when thus placed, shewing the width of the excava- 

 tion, which, where sheep, cattle, &c. only are to be excluded, 

 as at Kingswood Lodge, need not be above four feet and a half 

 wide and twenty inches deep; but where deer are kept, the 

 width should be from six to ten feet, and the depth at least of 

 the margins from twenty inches to three feet. The two posts 

 which support the longitudinal bearers of the rail, the proper 

 shape of the bottom of the excavation, and the grass which 

 springs up from it, are also seen in this section. The grass, 

 when it becomes too long, may be cropped with a scythe; for 

 it may be observed here, that the cattle will not eat it, from 

 an instinctive timidity at rails or palings, or even open gates, 

 when laid along the surface. Fig. 4. shews the manner in 

 which this fence may be placed upright in times of snow, when 

 cattle might otherwise be in danger of walking over it. A si- 

 milar purpose might be effected by. other means ; as by having 



