20 OZ.

Nature of Fences.

A large proportion, especially of those which have been made, for a long time, (as march-ditches,) are formed by throwing up the earth out of a ditch three feet wide, and three feet deep on either side of the mound, which mound is six feet broad at the base, and as high as the nature of its components will permit. These remain, either naked, or covered with furze (eulex Europeus.)

The fence next, as to frequency, is that of a single ditch, whose contents are heaped on the one side, which is the bank. The usual rule is, that the bank, or back, should measure four feet at the base; the ditch, or gripe, also should be of the same width; and if it be between two properties, then the bank is placed on the highest ground. The parties take care of the portions belonging to their respective mearings; one scours the ditch, the other mends the back.

In the improved countries, especially in the neighbourhood of towns, quicks are now generally planted. The quick is usually laid on the shear sod, over which another sod of vegetable mould is placed, and then the contents of the ditch are heaped up. In clay grounds it is not easy to find stones, but in other soils it is usual to put a row of stones above, and another below the quicks, for the purpose of rendering future weeding more easy and expeditious. I observed, in many instances, that the quicks fogged more in the soils composed of the matters laying under the basalt, than in the stiffest and coldest clays, composed of the solution of the shist or flag. Where the quick is not planted, it is now the practice to plant the black sallow (salix fusca); the cattle will not crop this; and thence, its preference to the other more valuable sallows. Hedges of crabtree are sometimes to be observed.

In Magilligan, the fences are chiefly composed of the sod or sward, after it has lain long enough in lea, to interlace its roots and bear handling. Adjacent to the base of the intended ditch, the sods are cut in the following manner; the first, which is called the shear-sod,

is laid over on the base, grass to grass; the next row is laid with the grass turned out; the third is laid with the edge out, so as to penetrate with its longest dimension into the ditch for the purpose of binding it; every successive row is laid alternately, as the two last mentioned. The interior part of the ditch is filled with the sandy subsoil, and well clapped together by the spade at every row. A coping sod is laid over all. No other fence is practicable in this sandy country, except a very temporary one, formed by merely laying the sod on edge, rather obliquely, as to the perpendicular, and lengthways, as to the thickness of the fence; the second row is laid with its obliquity reversed, so that a perpendicular line would be the intersection of a zigzag. This last kind of fence is often topped with thorns, or brairded; it is in use in various districts, where only an occasional fence is required. It has one good quality, that of being an effectual fallow; so that this sodding, when thrown down, will carry crops equal to the rest of the field though manured.

We find, in stony countries, the fence composed of the loose landstone, gathered off the field, and thus answering two good purposes. In very rocky grounds, which happen to be in the hands of laborious people deserving better soil, the rough ground is cleared in this manner: the rocks, being quarried, are rolled into the future trench, out of the line of the future potatoe ridge; the crop being dug in winter, these rocks are rolled to the top of the ridge, and thence dragged on slide-cars to the margin of the field, of which they become, in time, a very solid fence.

Sunk fences are not much in general use. A climate, like ours, requires shelter. In bottoms and for the purposes of draining, they are useful, and in such cases they are to be found.

Ash, sycamore, and oak, particularly the two former, have been planted in hedge-rows. If the practice be a bad one, we have the comfort, that it has been followed very little, and is likely to be, (in common with every species of useful planting,) utterly neglected by the farmers in the county of London-Derry.

Gates.

The only remark here to be made is, that few are to be found, except those belonging to gentlemen. An hay-rope, strung with thorns; a few sticks, kept together by cross-rungs, and hung with rope-such are the gates of the farmer, except near towns, where those of common construction may be found.

Mode of Draining.

In very stiff ground, where stones are not at hand, sod-draining is a little practised; for this, two large turfy sods are laid, so as to be distant nine inches at the bottom, and to rest on each other at top, forming the figure of a triangle, whose base is the channel. The back of this is clayed, and then all is covered. This, however, is not judicious when stones may be had for the French drain; which latter practice, in stony ground, affords the easiest opportunity for getting rid of the surface stones. Where land requires to be intersected with water-tables, for carrying off the moisture from the water-furrows after seeding, it is a common and a judicious practice, to begin before ploughing, and having marked the hollow course, which is to be the future drain, to dig out, and draw off to the midden, or to some poor spot of the same field, two or three spadings in breadth, and one spading deep of the mother earth; this facilitates the passage of the water, and, by rendering less water-furrowing or trenching necessary after sowing, saves the furrows from being trodden, and the seed from being buried. The passage of the harrow will not fail to slant down the edges, and to bring mould enough to cover what seed may fall on the sloping sides of the drain.

Many farmers practised the plan of ploughing a rid-hint; that is, to take up a fur from the subsoil, after the hint has been cleared by the plough. This practice has the advantage of deepening the water-fur at the present, and tends, by repetition and change of place, to deepen also the whole soil.

When a field consists of a long reach of a declivity, I have found it better to plough it diagonally, than up and down. In order to ascertain the obliquity of the future ridges, it will be right to try the plough in some of the steepest parts; the difficulty will consist in the reluctance of the fur-slice to turn off from the plough-wrist; after the passage of the plough, it is also likely to fall back, if not completely mastered and laid over. Having found the degree of obliquity, which is practicable, lay off a fur-whit and a fur-back, and mark at equal distances for the parallels. Let the ridges be all thus marked, before the finishing of any, and let the fur-whit be opened up the hill, and the fur-back down, because the laying up of the back is more difficult than the laying up of the whit, or opening fur. Having marked the oblique ridges, proceed to intersect these, at the interval of about sixty feet, with other furs in the direction of the declivity up and down. The intention of these intersecting is, to open drains for the more ready carrying off, by the declivity, the water, which is so far conveyed down the furrow; it has also a further use, which is that of intercepting the flow of the water, which would otherwise pass down the whole length of the oblique furrow. The advantage of thus shortening the reaches of the water-vents will be evident to those, who have observed the difficulty of having the lower part of their field dry enough, to suit the various seasons of ploughing, seeding, &c., at which the upper parts are manageable; besides, a field, thus laid out, becomes dry in half an hour, after heavy rain, and it will ripen equally in all parts.

IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY.

Dicendum est et quæ sunt duris agrestibus arma,

Queis sine nec potuere seri, nec surgere messes.

The Plough.

VIRGIL. GEORG.

That in common use is also of the old Scottish model; the beam and the head are long and heavy. Where the natural oak is yet

PP