328

ON INCLOSING LAfUD

consisting of a ditch and faced stone-dike, without hedge orpaiJing, from four to five shillings; an open ditch, six feetwide and three feet deep, without a hedge, from two shillingsto two Shillings and sixpence ; a common Galloway dike, ordry stone-wall, five feet high, with a snqb-work or open builttop, nine shillings ; and a double Galloway dike of the bestmaterials and of its full height, from ten to thirteen shillings.

More detailed information upon this subject, extracted fromthe County Reports, will be found in the Appendix .

SECT. VII.

OF FIELD GATES.

It is proposed in this place to confine our attention entirelyto the most common, most useful, and most durable fieldgates, for farming purposes ; the usefulness and durability ofwhich depend much upon the quality of their materials, andnot a little on their construction. Ornamental gates are outof the question on the present occasion, being infinitely va-rious, in their materials and construction, and entirely de-pendent on taste and fashion.

Pillars or gate posts are now often made of single blocksof stone, where such can be had of good quality and sufficientsize, and are much preferable to timber, as not being liable torot. Large blocks of granite are the best where they can beprocured. Where stones of sufficient size cannot be procured,these pillars are often built of stone andlime,havinglarge stonesinserted at that part of the pillar on which the gate hangs.Next to these in strength and durability, are posts of soundred oak, or of black oak, which is often procured at the bot-tom of peat mosses. If none of these are to be had, larch