401 
Removal  of  Useless  Fences. 
in  draining’,  you  cut  out  your  work  to  the  substance  of  your  land 
and  its  slope,  draining  should  hardly  ever  exceed  SI.  an  acre  all 
round,  and  should  often  be  done  for  much  less.  A previous  step, 
however,  is  often  required  ; — 
§ 2.  The  Removal  of  Useless  Fences. 
It  is  many  years  since  this  Journal  first  showed  the  evils  arising: 
from  useless  hedges  and  trees.  Mr.  Grant*  by  actual  survey 
found  that  in  ten  parishes  around  Exeter,  averaging  3000  acres, 
there  were  5680  fields  under  five  acres,  and  calculates  moderately 
the  loss  of  land  at  one  acre  in  ten  ; that  is,  at  one  whole  of  these 
parishes.  In  Broadclist  alone  there  were  hedges  enough  to 
reach  from  London  to  Edinburgh  ; but  in  that  parish  they  have 
been  greatly  reduced,  and  would  now,  I suppose,  stretch  little 
further  than  York.  Devonshire  is  famous  indeed  for  its  small 
inclosures.  But  the  next  year,  Mr.  Grigor  surveyed  four 
square  miles  in  four  districts  of  Norfolk,  and  arrived  at  the 
same  result  there,  an  injury  of  10^  per  cent,  from  hedges  and 
trees.  With  regard  to  trees,  “ The  utter  extinction  of  the  land 
overshadowed  by  trees,”  said  his  informant,  “ would  be  gladly 
submitted  to  by  every  farmer,  provided  the  trees  were  to  be  an- 
nihilated, and  that  without  any  diminution  of  rent.”  j By  removing 
these  fences  and  trees,  then,  in  many  districts  landlords  may  add 
one-tenth  to  the  size  of  their  farms,  for  the  injury  is  not  at  all 
overrated,  as  I know  by  experience  ; since  though  it  is  now  a very 
long  time  since  my  own  internal  fences  have  been  removed  en- 
tirely, I still  find  it  useless  to  plough  the  land  within  five  yards 
of  a boundary  fence  full  of  ash-trees,  and  in  Devonshire  the 
roots  of  elms  meet  sometimes  in  the  middle  of  the  field,  eating 
up  altogether  the  food  of  the  turnips.  Every  farmer  knows  the 
other  evils  produced  by  hedges.  1.  They  encourage  mildew  in 
wheat  for  a wide  distance  within  the  field — a most  serious  loss. 
2.  They  harbour  weeds,  which  spread  their  seeds  through  the 
fields ; and,  4.  birds  which  devour  the  corn.  5.  They  occasion 
a serious  loss  of  time  to  the  ploughman  in  turning  at  the  land’s 
end,  and  make  it  almost  impossible  to  use  the  larger  implements, 
such  as  a drill  drawn  by  five  horses.  Where  hedges  too  are, 
there  must  be  gates  and  gateposts— a serious  item  in  the  carpen- 
ter’s bill.  How  far,  then,  can  fences  be  dispensed  with  ? Where 
Down  sheep  are  kept,  which  are  always  within  hurdles  or  in 
care  of  a shepherd,  they  are  utterly  useless,  and  Down  farmers 
certainly  neither  have  them  nor  miss  them.  The  owners  of  long- 
woolled  sheep  I know  commonly  divide  their  flock  into  small  lots 
* Journal,  v.  420. 
t On  Fences,  bv  J.  Grigor,  Journal,  vi.  194. 
