Field Gates. 
55 
■ “ I find by experiment that an oak gate made of imperfectly- 
seasoned timber will lose a tenth part or more of its weight in 
two or three years.” 
The hanging of a gate is of vital importance, for the best 
gate ever made will soon be ruined if badly hung. To start 
with, it ought to be hung well off the ground. Gates wear out 
by the nose dragging on the ground. This often comes from 
the natural tendency of the posts to tilt inwards as the result of 
a heavily laden cart having gone through the gateway. In my 
own experience, after having had some steam ploughing done, 
the gate-posts where the engine had passed through had to 
be readjusted. The remedy is to have wide gateways, ten- feet 
opening, and good strong oak stumps, well sunk in the ground. 
No doubt modern implements have necessitated wider gateways, 
but for ordinary machinery a 9 ft. 6 in. gate is wide enough. 
In Lancashire and Cheshire they are rarely over 9 feet wide. 
Gates into farm-yards may be wider to admit of the threshing 
machine, &c. 
Another way by which a gate is worn out is by banging 
against the falling post, caused by hanging the gate so as to be 
self-closing. A heavy gate, especially with a wind behind it, 
will strike with great violence, and in a short time will shake all 
the joints loose. 
This is not the only objection to a field gate closing itself — • 
the danger to stock is considerable. I have more than once 
known the temporary prop to a self-closing gate knocked down 
by the stock in passing, and the gate catch a cow and injure 
her seriously. Then, again, who has not seen the manner in 
which a carter deals with a self-closing gate ? As Mr. Salmon 
says, he throws it open, whips on his horse, and allows it to 
bang against the nave of his wheel as he hurries through. 
Probably the majority of gates are self-closing, more or .less, 
but to me this seems objectionable. A gate should always open 
into a field, that is, against the stock. It is especially dangerous 
to allow a gate to open into the road, and serious accidents to 
people driving on a dark night have resulted from gates so 
hung being left open. 
Now, as to the construction of the gate itself. All gates are 
alike in having (fig. 16) a heel post A B, a head post E F, a top 
bar and bottom rail, and longitudinal rails. It is when we come 
to tie these together that opinions differ, for though most people 
agree that a diagonal strut, M C, is the best way to strengthen 
and retain the rectangular form of the gate, they disagree as to 
the manner of its application. Mr. Salmon urges that it should 
start from the top of the heel post at A I, and run to the bottom 
