728  Oil  the  Farming  of  Somerset. 
th.it  many  of  the  large  open  fields,  being  perfectly  clean,  have  the 
appearance  of  the  home  paddocks  near  a gentleman’s  house, 
and  the  shelter  of  the  plantations  is  invaluable  to  the  crops  and 
the  stock.  The  fields  are  provided  with  ponds,  so  placed  as 
to  supply  four  fields  at  once,  and  bounded  by  good  thorn  hedges, 
or  by  fences  against  the  plantations,  which  are  made  on  a simple 
and  cheap  plan  with 
dry  walls  and  banks  ; 
the  wall  is  built  first, 
about  20  inches  in 
height,  and  sloped 
from  16  in.  to  6 in. 
in  width,  so  that  it 
may  stand  firm  if  the 
bank  gives  way,  the 
greater  slope  being 
on  the  inner  side. 
The  wall  with  turf 
on  the  top  is  put  up 
for  8 d.  per  rope,  or 
inside  bank  and  wall  together  for  about  16c?.  per  rope  of  20  feet 
long,  and  quicks  are  planted  on  the  top. 
Some  of  the  fields  are  divided  by  dry  walls,  built  4 feet  high, 
at  Id.  a foot  (20 d.  per  rope  length)  the  whole  height;  in  other 
places  the  fence  is  what  is  called  a list  wall,  alternate  layers  of 
Turf  on  the  top 
Stone  witli  mortar  . . . . ■“ 
«D 
fl 
Dry  walling  . . . . . . • Oi 
Stone  with  mortar  ...  . ■“ 
Under  list  of  dry  walling  . . .5 
ci 
dry  wall  and  stone  with  mortar  ; the  expense  of  a list  wall  of 
4^  feet  high,  besides  the  turf  at  the  top,  is  about  3s.  4 d.  per 
20  feet  (viz.,  building  wall,  2s.  8 d.  ; lane,  9 d. ; turfing,  3d.), 
besides  making  the  foundation  and  hauling  the  stone. 
A recent  mode  of  cultivation  has  been  to  spread  dung  on 
the  sward  after  two  or  three  years  of  grass,  and  plough  it  in,  roll 
it  with  a heavy  roller,  then  apply  about  5 quarters  of  lime  per 
