338 On the Advantage of 
sharp bill-hook, cutting a foot off the top. It is now an excellent 
fence. 
The plan of cutting or splitting a fence in half, to which I 
have just alluded, answers better on arable than pasture-land, and 
is performed by cutting off all the shoots on one side close to the 
main stem, which will reduce the thickness of the hedge nearly 
one-half. Where the fence separates arable from pasture, it is 
better to cut on the arable side, but the plan itself is only a 
saving of expense, or else a substitute for a better plan of renew- 
ing the fence when it has become too large. This latter method 
is by cutting the whole of the fence down, the strong stems being 
cut down close, and the weaker ones left of different lengths, 
according to their strength, as recommended by Mr. Blaikie in 
his treatise on the management of hedges. Care should be taken 
to follow the advice there given of cutting upwards. Where the 
fence cut down divides arable and pasture, the clipped hedge cut 
off will form an excellent protection on the pasture side, where 
the most care is required to guard against cattle. In doing this 
a grip is made 3 feet behind the hedge on the grass side, 1 foot 
deep and 2 feet wide, by cutting out two sods. One sod is placed 
upon the edge of the grip next the fence, for the dead hedge to 
rest upon obliquely, the other sod is then placed on the stem 
ends, and is sufficient to hold them down, as shown in fig. 3. 
This operation costs, cutting and placing, 4.d. per rod. At the 
end of the second or third year the dead fence will scarcely be a 
sufficient guard against heavy cattle, and a fresh one should be 
substituted, which can generally be obtained from the arable 
lands, as in cutting down a fence which divides arable only, it is 
seldom any protection is required. If, however, another dead 
fence cannot be obtained, j)osts and rails must be substituted. 
The fence as it grows again will not require so much trouble and 
attention as in raising a new one, as the old stubs will send forth 
a great number of strong and vigorous shoots. These must, as 
before directed, be regularly clipped, the shoots at the lower part 
being cut off pretty close, in order to niiike the renewed hedge 
thick and close at the bottom, and it should not be allowed to 
