G86 
On  the  Farming  of  Somerset. 
fields  which  used  to  be  furze-brakes.  A piece  of  permanent 
pasture  is  being  laid  down  after  turnips  at  a very  high  elevation, 
in  imitation  of  Mr.  Blake.  It  is  now  an  excellent  breeding  farm  ; 
the  summer  grass  fattens  oxen  and  sheep,  and  a good  basis  has 
been  laid  for  further  encroachments  on  the  hill-side  in  any  direc- 
tion in  which  the  return  will  pay  for  the  outlay  in  fences. 
Hill  Fences. — The  cheapest  fence  against  the  moor  is  a single 
ditch  wall.  It  consists  of  a stone  wall  of  5i  or  G feet,  built  in  a 
ditch  with  the  earth  banked  up  against  it  on  the  inside.  It  must 
have  a strong  projecting  coping-stone  to  turn  the  Exmoor  sheep  : 
for  they  will  jump  any  common  bank  or  wall.  The  expense  of 
this  fence  is,  per  perch  (164  feet),  about — 
s.  d. 
For  labour  (sinking  foundation,  &c.)  . . .16 
, , , , (walling)  . . . . • 2 6 
3 tons  of  stone,  quarrying  and  carriage  according 
to  distance  .......  3 8 
7 8 
This  fence  gives  no  shelter  on  the  inside,  and  the  sheep 
can  jump  out  to  the  hill  from  the  enclosure.  The  fence  which 
gives  complete  shelter  is  a double  ditch  wall,  54  leet  high,  with  a 
beech  hedge  on  the  top.  It  consists  of  4f  feet  of  stone,  feet  of 
turf-sod,  5 or  6 feet  wide  at  the  bottom,  with  a sloped  ditch  on 
each  side,  and  two  lines  of  wattling  on  the  top  (called  vrith  or 
