IN SCOTLAND.

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May be employed; but even the best kinds of foreign fir verysoon decay and rot, just at the surface of the earth. Whengate-posts are made of wood, it is of use to cover that partwhich goes into the ground with a coat of pitch, or to char itslightly. The oaken ribs of an old ship answer well for gate-posts, where they can be procured. Some prefer living trees,transplanted with their roots at a proper season. When thesetake root and continue to grow, they may last for ages; butas they do not continue of the same girth, though the gatemay hang on such trees, it should not fold on them, otherwisethe gate must be frequently altered in its dimensions.

The best material for a field gate is sound red fir, which isnot very heavy, and is not liable to rot for some time. If oakbe procurable, the gates ought to be made entirely of the redwood, and need not be nearly so massive as when made offir. In regard to construction, gates admit of great variety,according to the places for which they are designed. Forinterior inclosures, the simplest and cheapest gate consists ofa pillar at each side, and four moveable bars made so as toslip in and out at pleasure, consisting commonly of weedingsof fir plantations. These, however, do not answer for morepublic passages.

As the loose bars, or the rails in this very simple gate, areoften tossed aside and left to rot on the ground, Mr Eastonat Springkell has improved the construction, by employingbetter materials for the rails, hanging each of them by aniron chain and hook to the right hand post, connecting alltheir other ends, a little off the left post, with a chain, andthus enabling the passenger in a moment, by loosing themat their insertion in the left pillar, to carry all the rails roundat once, either in opening or shutting. This prevents ano-ther inconvenience, that of misplacing the rails, besides thesaving of time, and preventing their being left on the ground,to be trampled on, and to rot. Mr Easton has farther im-proved this gate, by hanging a wooden bar by a chain fromthe top of the left post, which covers all the rails when placed