Plate 29a.—Fascine.
Fascines are made in a cradle which consists of five trestles, the outer ones being 16 feet apart. The trestle is made by driving two sticks about 6-1/2 feet long and 3 inches in diameter in the ground and lashed at the intersection as shown in Plate 29a. In making the cradle, plant the two end trestles first. Stretch a line from one to the other over the intersection. Place the others 4 feet apart and lash them so that each intersection comes fairly to the line.
To build a fascine, straight pieces of brush, 1 or 2 inches at the butt, are laid on, the butts projecting at the end 1 foot beyond the trestle. Leaves should be stripped and unruly branches cut off, or partially cut through, so that they will lie close. The larger, straighter brush should be laid on the outside, butts alternating in direction, and smaller stuff in the center. The general object is to so dispose the brush as to make the fascine of uniform size, strength, and stiffness from end to end.
When the cradle is nearly filled, the fascine is compressed or choked by the fascine choker (Plate 30), which consists of two bars, 4 feet long, joined 18 inches from the ends by a chain 4 feet long. The chain is marked at 14 inches each way from the middle by inserting a ring or special link. To use, two men standing on opposite sides pass the chain under the brush, place the short ends of the handles on top and pass the bars, short end first, across to each other. They then bear down on the long ends until the marks on the chain come together. Chokers may be improvised from sticks and rope or wire.
Plate 30.—Method of using the fascine choker.
Binding will be done with a double turn of wire or tarred rope. It should be done in twelve places 18 inches apart, the end binders 3 inches outside the end trestles. To bind a fascine will require 66 feet of wire.