# What are they trying to accomplish in their yard?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-they-trying-to-accomplish-in-their-yard/688238>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 12, 2014, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-they-trying-to-accomplish-in-their-yard/688238 "2014-05-12T03:19:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-they-trying-to-accomplish-in-their-yard/688238/41 "2014-05-17T09:07:42Z")

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This sounds like some variant of [coppicing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coppicing) being practiced, if only they hadn’t retained that much trunk.

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**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-they-trying-to-accomplish-in-their-yard/688238/42 "2014-05-17T16:00:16Z")

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> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#):
>
> When you say 8’ do you mean 8 feet or 8 inches?
> 
> 8’ usually means 8 feet and 8" usually means 8 inches. But some people often interchange these terms. I’m trying to understand what you likely mean but I must admit that I can’t quite figure it out.

Feet! How the hell would I notice something 8 inches high while driving by?

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-they-trying-to-accomplish-in-their-yard/688238/43 "2014-05-17T17:03:04Z")

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I’m guessing that the trees actually do have bark, and are just of a species which looks bald due to not having much cork.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-they-trying-to-accomplish-in-their-yard/688238/44 "2014-05-17T17:20:38Z")

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Vertical elements “placed in a straight line, a few feet apart” suggest posts for a fence to me, with the panels/pickets/whatever to come later. Maybe I’m just not seeing it.

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**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-they-trying-to-accomplish-in-their-yard/688238/45 "2014-05-18T00:28:11Z")

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> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#):
>
> When you say 8’ do you mean 8 feet or 8 inches?
> 
> 8’ usually means 8 feet and 8" usually means 8 inches. But some people often interchange these terms. I’m trying to understand what you likely mean but I must admit that I can’t quite figure it out.

Have you seen the triptychs at Stonehenge?

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