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Vol. I.
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IN SCOTLAND.

307

pence. In finishing off the ordinary dry stone-wall, with araggled coping, in imitation of the Galloway dike, it contri-butes greatly to its permanence, if the stones composing theraggled or Galloway coping have a little lime mortar insinu-ated between each, along with their wedges or pins; andthis adds very little to the expence.

SECT. Ill

THE SOD-WALL, OR FEAE-DIKE.

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1 his species of fence was more common .in Scotland for-merly, than of late years. The folds erected for tathing ormanuring lands, by collecting the cattle and sheep of thefarm to remain there through the night, and during the heatof the day, were generally fenced by this species of wall,having a braiding of whins or gorse, or of cut thorns belowthe upper turf, as an additional fence to turn the inclosedcattle or sheep. This practice of folding is now much anddeservedly fallen into disuse; yet the feal-dike is still usedin some cases as a fence. The most common and properuse of it is in moors, for the protection of plantations of trees.In such places, the turf sod or feal is more tenacious and moredurable for this kind of fence, than when erected on rich andfriable soils. The pasture likowise of moors is of little valuecomparatively, and there is consequently less injury done bycutting up a portion of the surface to make such a fence,than in soils of more fertility and value. Where stones areto be had in plenty, and especially where these incumber thesurface of the ground, the feal-dike ought never to be used.But where stones are scarce and expensive, this fence may of-ten be of service, and is necessary for securing young plan-tations of trees. When a tract of moor land is in course ofimprovement merely for the purpose of being laid down to