often find in this work, especially in old neglected hedges, some great
trees, or stubs, that commonly make gaps for cattle: Such should be cut
so near the earth, as till you can lay them thwart, that the top of one
may rest on the root or stub of the other, as far as they extend,
stopping the cavities with its boughs and branches; and thus hedges
which seem to consist but only of scrubby-trees and stumps, may be
reduced to a tolerable fence: But in case it be superannuated, and very
old, 'tis advisable to stub all up, being quite renewed, and well
guarded. We have been the longer on these descriptions, because it is of
main importance, and that so few husband-men are so perfectly skill'd in
it: But he that would be more fully satisfied, I would have to consult
Mr. Cook, chap. 32. or rather _instar omnium_ (and after all which has
been said of this useful art of fencing) what I cannot without injury to
the publick, and ingratitude to the persons, (who do me the honour of
imparting to me their experiences) but as freely communicate.

It is then from the Reverend Mr. Walker of Great-Billing near
Northampton, that (with several other particulars relating to our rural
subject) I likewise receive from that worthy gentleman Tho. Franklin of
Ecton, Esq; the following method of planting, and fencing with
quick-sets; which we give you in his own words.

10. About 10 or 12 years since, I made some essays to set some
little clumps of hedges and trees, of about two pole in breadth,
and three in length: The out-fences ditch'd on the outside, but the
quick-sets in the inside of the bank, that the dead-hedges might
stand on the outside thereof; so that a small hedge of 18 or 20
inches high, made of small wood, the stakes not much bigger than a
man's thumb, which (the banks being high) sufficiently defended
them for four years time, and were hedg'd with less than one load
of shreadings of willow-sets, which, (as my workmen told me) would
have requir'd 6 load of copp'ce-wood: But the next year after their
being planted, finding wast ground on the top of the bank of the
outer fence, between the dead-hedge and the quick, I put a foot-set
in the same space between the quick and the dead-hedge, which
prosper'd better than those planted in the side of the bank, after
the vulgar way, and hold it still. This put me upon thinking, that
a set cheaper and better of