The Fence
must be one of the picturesque zigzag rail enclosures sometimes called “Old Virginia” fences and again “snake” fences.
Fig. 417. They are peculiar to America and are made of split logs. When Lincoln was a boy he excelled in splitting rails and made more and cut them faster than any of the other boys. The rails you require, however, are so small that a girl as well as a boy can easily make them. Cut the logs four and one-half inches long and split each one lengthwise (Fig. 417). Make enough rails to lay a fence around three sides of the grounds. The back edge of the land can be hedged in with bushes and trees. Build the fence by first placing stones—one or more, according to the size—in two rows, those in each being about four inches apart. The circles in Fig. 418 give the position of the stones, and the dotted line that of the rails. Begin the fence by laying the first rail on two of the stones, the next rail across to the third stone, and so on. Make the fence several rails high; then cross two upright rails at each corner and build on the top rails (Fig. 419). Glue the stones to the ground and the rails one on top of the other as you build.
Fig. 418.
Fig. 419.
Leave an open space at the path for a gateway, but instead of an ordinary gate you can make
A Little Turnstile