Chapter XXIX Fencing Plantations
Many different methods of fencing are adopted throughout the country, each one, no doubt, possessing peculiar advantages according to the circumstances in which it may happen to be required.
In hilly districts very efficient fences of stones may be made where these are abundant. Turf dykes may be constructed on high-lying grounds where stones cannot be readily procured, and iron or wood used wherever fancy dictates.
The term “dead fence” may be applied to these in contradistinction to “live fence” or hedge, to which a special chapter is devoted.
To describe even a few of the various wood or iron fences erected nowadays would be by no means an easy task, but typical examples of several kinds will be explained.
Stone Walls.—These make capital plantation fences, but they are at first rather expensive, and unless well built require a good deal of attention in the way of repairing breaches. They possess a great advantage over most other fences in the amount of shelter afforded to the young trees. Two methods of building are usually adopted: firstly, where stones are abundant, the entire wall may be of these; and, secondly, where only a limited quantity are available, the wall is built to a certain height and wires placed atop.
The dry stone wall as this is usually termed, is built without mortar, with the exception of the cope-stone, which in all cases should be bedded in and pointed with lime.
From 4 ft. to 5 ft. is the usual height, the foundations being from 22 in. to 24 in. wide, and the wall 14 in. across beneath the cope-stone, the latter being about 10 in. high and placed on edge. Great care is necessary in building to see that the “throughs” or binding-stones are placed in position, as on this depends mainly the efficiency of the fence. Where wires are used atop, the wall need only be 3 ft. high, 22 in. wide at base, and 12 in. under the cope-stone. The latter are bedded in mortar, and an extra large stone is placed every 6 ft. for receiving the iron standard, to which the wires are attached. Slate slabs, where these are readily procured, may be used for the same purpose as the iron standards, but they should be built firmly into the wall, and reach from the base of the foundation. Two, and sometimes three, wires are used atop of the wall.
Slate Fences.—These are commonly in use throughout Wales; in fact, wherever slate quarries are worked. When well erected and of fairly regular sized slates, this fence is certainly not to be despised, and it may be considered as practically indestructible. The expenses incurred for keeping these fences in repair are also very little, as they seldom become damaged, and when an upright chances to get broken, another whole one can easily be substituted, and without interfering with any other portion of the fence. The size of slate pale, or slab, as usually termed, is 5 ft. long, 4 in. to 6 in. wide, and about 1 in. in thickness. In erecting the fence a trench is cut about 12 in. wide and 8 in. deep, care being taken that the trench is cut perpendicular, so as to ensure the pales standing in a similar position. These are placed upright in the trench, about 3 in. apart, with their flat side close to the perpendicular cut and the soil replaced in the trench and made firm with a rammer.
A double wire is then tightly interlaced about 3 in. from the top of the pales, and given a double twist between each, thereby ensuring great stability by uniting the fence and keeping the pales at equal distance apart. The straining-posts are also of slate, 6 ft. long, 6 in. wide, and 3 in. thick.