r-I C S B A. N D IT V 
4!)’> 
The heft fecurity for all hedges or fences, is a deep and 
wide ditch. Thele are conftru< 5 ted with different inten¬ 
tions, being fometimes formed only as a part of a fence, 
or as a drain, while at others the)' ferve equally the pur- 
pofes of drainage and inclolure. In forming ditches, re¬ 
gard is neceffary to the peculiarity of the Toils, and the 
nature of their drainage, in order that they may be dug 
in a fuitable manner in relpefl to depth, and the direc¬ 
tion moft convenient for conveying- away the water: much 
mifchief being frequently occafioned by its remaining 
ilagnant. When ditches are made only for the purpole 
of fences, they ihould be fufficiently wide to prevent 
animals from getting- over them, and be more than 
■ufual Hoped in the banks, that cattle may not lb readily 
poach them in. Ditches of-this fort ought to be more fre¬ 
quently cleaned out, and have their Tides well pared down, 
than is the general cultom among farthers. Where hedges 
are made, the ditches, as has been fhown, are either lingle 
or double; the latter is more fuitable where much water 
is to taken oft from the adjoining land ; and, in cafes 
where the earth is well thrown up in the middle, a tole¬ 
rable temporary fence may be formed. 
Should there occur, in any part of the farm thus to be 
laid out, either arable land or meadow affliffed with 
weeping fprings or bogs, recourfe mull: immediately be 
had to draining; than which nothing can prove more be¬ 
neficial to the eftate of the landlord, or more advantage¬ 
ous to the crops of the tenant. For the lateft and moll: 
approved methods of draining, with the new draining- 
plough, and other modern implements for laying- wet land 
dry, fee the article Draining, vol. vi. p. 53-63. 
When the farm is thus far completed in its practical 
arrangement, the next confideration is its gates~~and faft- 
enings 5 for it is a deplorable thing, in windy and ltormy 
weather, to fee gates, as we too frequently do, blowing and 
Twinging all day long, and beating themlelves to pieces 
againft their polls, only for want of proper faftenings, and 
of care in keeping them Unit. A very ufeful form for a 
gate is defcribed by Mr. Robertfon, in his Survey of the 
County of Perth. “ The back of the gate itfelf,” fays he, 
“ (independent of the poll on which it hangs), has a pro¬ 
jection of three inches in the timber on the fore fide, ril¬ 
ing nine inches from the foot of the moveable part. On 
this projeftion relts the back end of the diagonal bar, 
which points upwards to the fore part of the gate, 
and reaches about four feet and a half in that direction. 
This diagonal bar is of fuch a thicknefs, that every one 
of the horizontal bars pals through it, nicely mortifed, 
except the loweft and the highelt. About fix or ten 
inches from the termination of the diagonal bar above, 
there is a perpendicular one fixed in the two outlide ones 
above and below, and of. fuch a thicknefs as to admit all 
the reft to pafs through it, mortifed as they are in the 
diagonal bar."” The reft of the gate is'made in the ordi¬ 
nary way, and may be of any length. See a plan of this 
gate in the Hulbandry Plate I. fig. 1. Thefe gates alfo 
admit of being made double, having more than one per¬ 
pendicular bar. The excellence of this conftruftion is, 
tiiat all the horizontal bars, except the higheft and loweft, 
reft, not on the polls only, but likewife on the diagonal 
and perpendicular bars ; and that the diagonal bar itfelf 
refts on the projection of lolid wood at the foot of the 
back poft; fo that it is impoffible the joints can Hart or 
the gate come afunder, until the timber rot 5 or that the 
gate itfelf can fall forward, unlefs the pivot, on which it 
moves, or the pillar,on which it hangs, be faulty. It is 
far fuperior to any gate whofe diagonal bar is fixed only 
by nails to the horizontal ones. See this correftly repre- 
fented in the Engraving at fig. 2. 
A gate which partakes of lome ornament, as well as of 
confiderable utility, has been recently invented by Mr. 
Waiftell, of High Holborn, London, and which we have 
feen erefted in many lituations, with a very pleafing ef¬ 
fect. “The various methods ufed, (fays Mr. Waiftell,) in 
bracing common gates for fields, prove that not one of 
Vol. X. No. 67*. 
them is greatly fupsrior to the reft ; for, if it were, that 
method would have been generally adopted. Moft gates 
are loaded with fuperfluous timber in fome of their parts, 
whence they are.frequently broken by their own weight, 
aided by the concuilion of the bead againft the falling- 
poll ; and this, long before any part of the wood has be¬ 
gun to decay. Gates made according to the plan here 
laid down poffeis greater ftrength, are very light, and of 
eafy and iimple conftrutHon ; and, although uniformity of 
appearance be not eifential in a common gate, yet it is 
worth having when it can he obtained, as in this gate, 
■without additional expence. Its ftrength confills in there 
being at four dillant points, between the head and the 
heel, two bars and a brace croffing each other; whence 
it muft be found proportionably more durable.” This 
gate is correCtlv reprefented in the Engraving at fig. 3, 
It was dellgned for the approach to a country relidence ; 
but, for common purpofes, the wicket on one hand, and 
the Ihort length of rails on the other, may be omitted. 
The head and heel of the gate may be of oak, and the 
bars and braces of fir. Narrow and thick bars, when 
braeed, as in this deiign, are llronger than broad and thin 
ones, containing the feme quantity of timber, and they 
alfo oppole a lei’s furface to the wind. The two points 
in the heel of the gate, to which the thimbles are fatt¬ 
ened, may be confidered as firm or fixed points. From 
thefe points, two braces proceed in the middle of the 
bottom and top bars, and, being there l’ecured, become 
fixed points. The gate is thus doubly braced, viz. from 
the top of the heel to the top of the head ; and from the 
bottom of the heel to the bottom of the head. On each 
fide of the gate are two braces, and thofe parallel to 
each other. The brace proceeding from the bottom of 
the heel of the gate, and that which is parallel to it, as 
alfo the bottom bar, are all ftrained in the way of com- 
preffion, and the brace proceeding from the top of the 
heel, and the other brace which is parallel to it, and alfo 
the top bar, are all ftrained in the way of extenfion. The 
ftrains in this gate being none of them tranfverfe, but all 
longitudinal, it would fupport a vaft weight at its head, 
without having its form altered. The braces all ferve 
the double purpole of keeping the gate in its true form, 
and of Ihortening the bearings of the bars, and llrength- 
ening them. Few gates have lei’s timber in their braces ; 
and perhaps in no other way can a gate be fo firmly 
braced with fo finall a quantity of timber. 
If, in fome cafes, a ftrong top-bar be wanted to refill 
the preffure of heavy cattle, a bar or board, about fix 
inches broad and one inch thick, may be laid with its 
broad fide upon the top bar, and fixed thereto by mean* 
of the ends of the braces in the middle, and by the heel 
and head of the gate at the two ends of it. This board 
will, in this pofition, refill exaCtly the fame preffure as 
a thick top bar, three inches broad by four inches deep, 
although it contain no more than half the timber. 
When gates are hung to open one way only, their heels 
and heads generally reft againft the hanging and falling 
polts ; but when they are hung according to this deiign, 
gates may be made about one foot Ihorter for the fame 
opening, and conlequently they muft be lighter, llronger, 
and lefs expenlive. According to the eftablilhed princi¬ 
ple of hanging gates, when the two hooks in the hanging- 
poll are placed in the lame perpendicular line, a gate, 
like a door, will reft in any direction in which it may be 
placed. But, in order that a gate may fliut itfelf when 
thrown open, the hooks are not placed exadtly perpendi¬ 
cular; the upper hook declining a little towards the fall¬ 
ing-poll, or a few feet beyond it. In whatever direction ' 
that hook declines the fartheft, in the fame direction will 
the gate reft, if unobftructed ; and its head cannot then 
link any lower. If the head be made to deferibe half a 
circle, it will thus have attained its utmoft elevation, and 
will be equally inclined to defeend either to the right or 
to the left. 
The following method of fixing the hooks and thim- 
6 K bles. 
