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ON INCLOSING land

ought invariably to be covered, that all the valuable soil thatcan possibly be obtained may be turned to profitable use. Ifstones be plentiful, and at an easy distance, a low wall of fourand a half feet high may answer sufficiently to confine cattle,horses, and Leicestershire sheep. If finished by a raggled cop-ing, of rough stones set on edge and firmly impacted, afterthe form of the Galloway dike, four feet of wall, besides thiscoping, will effectually turn almost any kind of live-stock, themountain breeds of sheep excepted, unless impelled by thecravings of hunger, or some other powerful incentive.

In soils of this description, white thorn soon makes a fence,and is in most cases preferable to every other on such soils,where stones are seldom plentiful. The most approved planis to secure the growing hedge from injury, by a sufficientditch on one side, and a dike on the other, till it has becomesufficiently fencible; after which, the dike may be removed,and the ditch filled in.

On such lands of this description as contain much clay intheir composition, and retain surface water, as is commonlythe case with carse soils, the fences may be formed by openditches, which should be regularly cleared out, and sufficient-ly wide and deep to prevent the passage of live-stock. Thesame observation applies to low rich meadows, or swampygrounds, and in many cases to improved mosses. But unlessa great width of ditch is required for the purposes of drain-age, it might be more advisable to occupy a part of thespace with a hedge, which, without augmenting the unpro-ductive surface, w'ould afford greater security than any openditch, and shelter at the same time. All the interfurrows andsurface drains, and all covered drains, ought to open into thefence ditches, which must be regularly cleared out from allobstructions, and the semirings applied either to the formationof compost dunghills, or spread on the surface as top-dress-ings. In carse lands, and other low rich soils, the crops ofcorn or hay require free admission to the sun and air. Itjtherefore, the fence ditches have the addition of live hedges