ESSAY I O F INCLOSURES AND FENCES. HE uses and value of inciofures are THE now fo generally understood, that it will not be neceffary to say any thing upon that head in this place. I only propofe, in this effay, to make fome obfervations on the principal uses, comparative value, and manner of rearing feveral kinds of fences, with a view to enable the young farmer farmer to make choice of fuch kinds as may best answer the purpose that he may defire. § I. Comparative Value of Dikes and Hedges. The fences that are most univerfally employed, are either ftone-dikes or hedges Dikes, if well built, as effectually preserve a field from the intrufion of domestic animals, as any other kind of fence whatever; but they afford little warmth or shelter to the field: Whereas hedges, if good, anfwer both these purposes equally well. But the moft material diftinction between dikes and hedges is, that dikes are in their highest degree of perfection as foon as they are reared, *Dike is a term employed in the following Effays, to denote any kind of wall reared for the purpose of inclofing a field, and nothing else. and and from that moment begin to decay; fo that the person who builds this kind of fence immediately receives the full benefit of it; whereas hedges, being at firft weak and tender, ftand in need of attention and care, and do not become a fence for feveral years after they are planted. And, as they continue to encrease in strength, and gradually acquire a higher and higher degree of perfection, it is long before they begin to fall toward decay; fo that they are, in general, infinitely more durable than dikes, although they are longer of becoming of use to the perfon who plants them. Which of these two kind of fences may, upon the whole, be moft eligible, must, in general, be determined by the circumstances and views of the poffeffor of the ground to be inclosed. If he is a tenant who has a fhort lease, without a proípect of getting it renewed, or, if he has immediate occafion for a complete fence, it may perhaps, in ge neral, neral, be most prudent in him to make choice of dikes, if the materials for rearing these are at hand; but, if it is probable that his pofterity may reap any advantage from these inclosures, it will be almost always more for his advantage to make choice of hedges. § II. Of dry Stone-Dikes. If you live in a country where good free ftone can be easily got, and lime procured at a moderate price, a dike built of these materials will, it is true, be almost as durable as a hedge; although, in general, it will neither be fo cheap nor agreeable. But dry ftone-dikes, unless built of the finest quarried ftone, are of fuch a perishable nature, as to be hardly ever worth the expence of rearing; and never, as I apprehend, excepting where the field that you would wish to inclofe inclofe has plenty of ftones upon its furface, which you are under a neceffity of carrying away before the field can be improved. In this fituation, a man may, in fome measure, be excused, if he should be tempted to put them into dikes; because the carriage of these ftones may be faid to coft him nothing; and he may, perhaps, be at some lofs how to dispose of them in any other manner. But, in all other circumstances, I apprehend, that it is bad oeconomy to rear fences of this kind, as feal* dikes can very Feal is a provincial word, which may perhaps have many fynonyma. It here means any kind of fod dug by the spade from the surface of grafsground, confifting of the upper mold rendered tough and coherent by the matted roots of the grass. thickly interwoven with it. If only a very thin bit of the upper furface is pared off with a paring Thefe fpade, the pieces are here called Divots. being of a firmer confiftence, are more durable when built into dikes than feal, but much more expenfive alfo. always |