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Inclofng of Land. — Walls ,

It is remarked by an accurate praftical obferver, that the greateft part ofthe walls or dykes of the kind that have been juft defcribed, which he has feen rwere made of a confiderable thicknefs, with a ditch on each fide; the heart ofthe dyke being made up with the earth that had been taken from the ditches,and only a thin facing on each fide was built of folid feal (turf) from top tobottom ; “ the confequence,” fays he, “ of which is, that as the loofe earththat is thrown into the middle of the dyke fubfides much more than thefeal on each fide, the top of the dyke finks, and of courfe the twofide-walls are preiled too much upon the infide, fo as to bilge (or fwell) outabout the middle, and quickly crumble down to duft.” To avoid this inconve-nience, he has always chofen to build dykes of this fort much thinner than ufual,they being only three feet and a half or four feet thick at the bottom, fifteen oreighteen inches at top, and five feet high, taking care to have them built infuch a manner as that every fod (feal) from top to bottom binds the joinings ofthe others below it, with as much accuracy as the bricks in a well-built wall.The uppermoft courfe of feal is cut a little longer than thofe that are immedi-ately below it, and placed with the grafly fide uppermoft, fo as to projeft alittle on each fide, which is not only of ufe to throw the water a little off thewall or dyke, but is alfo of ufe in preventing fheep or cattle from attempting tojump over it fo readily as they otherwife might do. Further experience has, how-ever, taught him, that in many cafes the coping will be more durable if it confiftof a row of feal fet on edge; for when the flat-laid feal are withered by the fun infummer, they become very light, and are apt to be blown off by the wind fingly;whereas, when they are fet on edge, as they lean upon each other, they arebound fo firmly together, that no Angle one can be carried off. He has like-wife found, that a wall, whofe foundation is ftone, though perhaps the ftonesrofe no more than a foot, or a foot and a half high, having the upper partfinifhed with feal, or of alternate layers of ftone and feal, if the dimenfions arethe fame as if it were compofed entirely of feal, is probably more durable thanany other kind of fence compofed wholly of either of thefe materials.

At the foot of the wall or dyke, on either fide, is dug a fmall ditch about afoot and a half, or two feet deep, leaving a ledget of a few inches broad oneach fide, that the dyke may not be undermined by the crumbling down of theloofe earth into the ditch. “ Thefe ditches,” he fays, “ not only help to give thedyke an additional height, and keep its foundation dry, but are alfo of ufe toprevent cattle from coming clofe to it, and rubbing upon it, or tearing it downwith their horns, which they are very apt to do if this precaution be omitted.”