Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Sunday 3 July 1803, page 2


To the Printer of the Sydney

Gazette.

“ SIR,

“ Amongst the number of erroneous per-suasions that have long subsisted, I beg to take notice of the preference given to the She‐oak for paling and fencing, and the to-tal exclusion of the Stringy bark for either of those purposes, perhaps because it has been but partially made trial of.

From the incessant labour and expence incurred by the present customary mode of fencing and paling with she‐oak, which, al-though valuable for other purposes, I by no means think fit for such uses, I was induced to direct a quantity of pales to be split from the Stringy‐bark, but as much as possible to avoid saplings. A fence of this kind was erected round my ground two years since, inclosing 50 acres, earthed several inches ; the buried part of which, instead of moul-

dering and incorporating with the earth, as is the case with the She‐oak, appears to have ra-

ther increased in its firmness. The sort of

paling generally in use is of so slight a sub-stance as nearer to resemble a feather‐edged splinter than a lasting barrier ; and the mode of putting up aptly corresponding, they yield to every gust of wind, and grounds lay con-sequently open and unsheltered, whilst with a trifling difference of labour, a fence may be erected of an almost incredible duration

from the Stringy‐bark. Having made use of no wood less than 14 or 15 inches dia-meter, it was certainly somewhat more dif-ficult to split, but this, while it occasioned a

difference of 200 paling in the complement of two men’s labour for a whole week, yet was amply recompensed in the size of the cuts, which may be made nearly of an equal thickness at each edge, and thereby brought to resemble weatherboarding.

“ From the trial I have made of the above method, I consider it as ornamental as it is useful, and an improvement to which I shall strictly adhere. But I further beg to observe

that no trees adapted to the purposes of build-ing should be at all made use of for paling, as those answer the purpose best that are on the decline, and which being hollow cannot be used as planking.”

“ I remain,

“ Yours, &c.

“ Aɴ Iɴʜᴀʙɪᴛᴀɴᴛ.”