1806.] On Raising Live Fences, 225

a Tunging motion, so as to open a narrow and deep notch; this operation he repeats, until a notch of this sort is opened the whole length of the bank; he then proceeds to stick this, with short and rough bushes, so close as to make a complete hedge; he then throws up out of the ditch as much stuff against the bushes as will lay on the plane or top, in which che hedge is stuck, and beats the same down strongly with his spade; the same process is followed at the back of the hedge, by. which these bushes are so securely set into the bank, that they will often stand, until the quick is become a fence; in places where the destructive pilfering of the poor 1s properly repressed.

“ Some may perhaps consider us, as going here too far into the subject of fencing, but we request of such to consider, how important the subject is, to a canal company who may have to raise much more than a hundred miles in length of quick-fences, as was the case a few years ago with the Grand Junction Canal Company, and some others; some of whom are still feeling the very heavy burden of weeding their quicks, two, three, or four times annually; which an adoption of the above principles would, we are certain, have tended to reduce most materially.

“ The quick for a canal ought to be placed a little above the level of the towing-path, and be separated therefrom by a small ditch, to prevent the towing-horses from biting or trampling on the quick; but the principal ditch,(where the sudden falling away of the off-bank does not answer the same purpose) ought invariably to be on the field side, for keeping the farmers’ cattle at a proper distance from the quick, and to check their attempts at jumping through or over it. The quick ought not to be’ placed too near the towing-path, and the hedges should be carefully cut and plashed about every twelfth year, both to preserve them vigorous and in good growth, and also to preserve the towing-path clear. On the Oxford canal, near Braunston, we remember, that the hedges Were 50 grown over the towing-path, in the year 1799, that it was quite dangerous riding along, and the horses were driven s0 near the edge of the canal, by the intrusion of the bushes on the path, that the bank was suffering materially.

€ In places where the canal is embanked, it will be proper to place the hedge at the bottom of the slope, in order to en- able the company, the better to prevent the growth of rank and large weeds, and the consequent harbouring of vermin, which would lodge in the bank: steep embankments might ats0 be materially damaged by the treading ot cattle on their sidess Through common fields, or very large pastures, it is sumetimes not necessary to tence of the towing-path there-

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