may

every

work with the utmost freedom; and feal will join to the others at the first with the utmost accuracy and facility. The uppermoft course of feal is cut a little longer than those that are immediately below it, and placed with the graffy fide uppermost, so as to project a little on each fide, as may be feen at L 1, (Fig. 1ft.) which is not only of use to throw the water a little off the dike, but is also of ufe in preventing sheep or cattle from attempting to jump over it fo readily as they otherwife might do. At the foot of the dike, on each fide, is dug a small ditch xx (Fig. ft.) about a foot and a half, or two feet deep, leaving a ledget of a few inches broad on each fide, that the dike may not be undermined by the crumbling down of the loofe earth into the ditch. These ditches not only help to give the dike an additional height, and keep its foundation dry, but are alfo of ufe to prevent cattle from coming close to it, and rubbing upon

it, or tearing it down with their horns, which they are very apt to do, if this precaution be omitted. The earth that is taken out of the ditches may be thrown outwards into the place that was occupied by the feal that has been taken to build the dike; and, if the field is in grass, a few feeds may be fowed upon it, and it will foon be covered as well as the reft of the field.

I have been the more particular in defcribing the manner of forming these dikes ; because, by having the joints bound in every direction, the fabric is rendered much firmer than it could be by any irregular manner of working, while it is, at the fame time, more easily reared. And, as experience has taught me the easieft method of working these, which others might not, perhaps, have fallen upon at first, I thought it would be of ufe to communicate this to the public. If the ground is foft, and the feal rifes well, I get a fence of this kind done

for

for one penny halfpenny per yard; but, if it is not good to work, a little more than that must be allowed.

As to the time that a fence of this kind may ftand without needing any repair, I cannot fpeak with certainty, as it is not long fince I fell into this method of building them. The oldeft has just now stood ten years, and feems to be nearly as firm as when first built. I have feen fome walls of mean cottages that have been built fomewhat after this manner, that continued to be good after standing forty or fifty years: But their durability, in a great meafure, depends upon the nature of the feal of which they are formed. The best is that which is taken from poor ground, of a fpungy quality, which is generally covered with a strong sward of coarfe benty grass. And, in fituations where this can be had, I have no hesitation in recommending this as the cheapest and beft temporary fence that can be reared.

The

The greatest inconvenience that attends this fpecies of fence is the danger it runs of being torn down by the horns, or wasted away by the rubbing of cattle upon it, which they will fometimes do, even where the ditches have been properly formed. This may be effectually prevented, by planting a row of sweet-briar (Eglantine *) plants be

tween

As this plant forms a most useful affiftant to many others in fencing, I fhall probably have occafion to mention it in fome future parts of this Essay: I fhall, therefore, in this place, mention the method f rearing it. Let the berries, or hips, as they are ufually called, be gathered when ripe, and pitted in the ground like haws, or other kernelled feeds, for one year, and fowed in the enfuing spring in a bed of light rich garden-mold; they will quickly appear, and, as they grow very faft, fome of the ftrongest of them may be taken up the first winter, and planted where they are to remain. All the others may be planted out the winter after that; fo that they require but fhort time and little room in the nursery, and are, therefore, reared at a very fmall expence.

tween the first and second course of feal when the dike is building, which will not fail to grow with luxuriance, and in a short time defend the dike from every attack of this kind. But, if fheep are to be kept in the inclosures, this plant ought not, on any account, to be employed; for, as that defenceless animal naturally flies to the fences for fhelter in ftormy weather, the prickles of the ftraggling branches of the briar will catch hold of the wool, and tear it of in great quantities, to the great detriment of the flock, and lofs of the proprietor. In these cases, if the poffeffor of the ground is not afraid of the bad confequences that may be dreaded from the spreading of whins, (furze), it would be much better to scatter a few of the feeds of this plant along the ledget xx, (Fig. Ift.), at the foot of the dike, which would quickly become a preservative for it, and be otherwise of use as a green food for his fheep during the winter season.