406 



APPENDIX. 



inequalities of the surface, or spread over tlie ground be- 

 tween the drains, as circumstances may dictate. 



In planting waste lands, the first operation should be 

 the boundary fences, and these, where the lands are wet, 

 may be formed of turf or sods. This serves a twofold pur- 

 pose, viz. acting both as a drain, the cut preventing all 

 the surface water flowing from the adjacent lands, as well 

 as the under water, circulating through the earth to the 

 depth to which the cut is made, and the earth raised 

 from the excavation forming a face-fence against the in- 

 trusion of cattle, &c. Those who have paid attention 

 to this subject, must have often observed considerable 

 portions of ground laid dry by means of a sunk fence ; 

 indeed all grounds liable to wet should be enclosed with 

 dike and ditch for the boundary fences : the general di- 

 mensions of these are, the ditch 5 feet wide at top, 

 feet wide at the bottom, and 2| or 3 feet deep, built with 

 a scarsement of 1 foot, to secure the built dike from being 

 endangered by the action of the frost upon the face of 

 the ditch ; but when the grounds are dry, and materials 

 easily procured, a stone -dike is beyond doubt the best de- 

 fence. When the enclosures are face-fences, it is com- 

 mon to sow whins on the top, which in a few years make 

 an excellent fence. 



A dike and ditch of this description are represented 

 in Figure IV. 



