ears r the with and

ofa ‘ds to stays ald a aves nat are nity WS:

lot,

OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 19

CHAP. VI.

Inclosing——Fences—Gates.

INCLOSURE is going on rapidly in this county. There is seldom a session of parliament in which’ three or four bills are not passed for inclosing common fields.

The general fence used is whitethorn, planted in one or two rows, sometimes on the flat of the bank, sometimes on the front or slope of it. The posts or stoops generally of oak, with ash rails; though of late years, fir from gen- tlemen’s plantations, particularly from Clumber and Rufford, has come much into use for rails. Gates are generally of oak, but willow with oak posts is found to make very durable gates, which have the advantage of lightness, and not damaging themselves by falling to.

In poor soils, which are particularly favourable to the growth of birch, birch has been found to answer very well for hedges, which may be pleached, and resist light stock, and also serves for light gates and rails.

The value of lands has been every where raised by inclo- sure, in a greater or less degree, in some very greatly.

Hedge-row Planting.—It is to be lamented, that in the new inclosures very little attention should have been paid to raising hedge-row timber, which is done at first with no more expence of fencing than the raising of the quick.

Whole traéts of country may be seen without a single tree growing up for farming use. This seems to arise from a mistaken notion of their being so prejudicial to the growth of hedges; which, as far as I have been able to observe, is not the case: they are likewise supposed to hurt the corn,

C 2