Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-10-10
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JouN S. SKINNER, ESQ.
Dear SRI have ever since the pub
LEGATION of your valuable and widely cir
culated paper, intended writing you my
experience in farming, which has been
pretty successful, or at least esteemed
so by neighbors but not having sui
iicient control of eloquent words, al
most declined it, until being informed
by one Of my neighbors that it is matter
YOU take, not words. Well, if this is
the case, and the following meets your
appreciation you are at liberty to give it
a place in the American Farmer, for the
consideration of those in the vicinity OF
Baltimore who have been troubled about
fenring, that heretofore very important
item on a farm. | allude particularly
to those farmers who have a scarcity OF
rail timber. Among the variety OF
plans recommended for fencing, such as
stone, board, post and rail, aud hedge,
none appear to answer the purpose SO
well as the latter, if even but poorly at
tended to, because the former is too eX
DSllolNC ANA tDO dlHh.up W IiohC tuN
latter though slow in its growth when it
has attained it, is most formidable
fence.
Stone fences will answer on a small
scale when securely built, the tops par.
ticularly with lime and mortar, and are
frequently used for the breasts of low
meadows subject to frequent inunda
tons but to build stone wall for the
enclosure and cross division fences of
farm Of 500 acres, would be folly in the
extreme.
For my own part, all that I think is
necessary is 10 inclose the farm well,
with the old chesnut timber which has
attained its growth and is on the decay,
and properly to secure the stump Tor the
growth of the suckers in the most con-
venient strong way--the enclosing fence
to be staked, ridered, and pig tightened,
with strong substantial gates or bars for
out lets; then with the balance of your
rails, (if sufficient, if not buy them1 in
close circular good watered barn yard,
of post and rail fence for square, for
worm fence has so many corners for
fighting goring COW to catch another in,
this will not do.
The barn yard being prepared, put all
your stock of horses, cows, hogs, and
sheep in; then the service of one boy
will be all that is required for their
management and care, by cutting suf
fciency of clover 10 be hauled to the
yard, or whatever food you may have
for them. BY keeping them off your
clover land, the same quantity of clover
which would last them one month by
feeding on the field, would last them two
by feeding in the barn yards: because
sne half the clover is unnecessarily trod
under foot.
A person in adopting this plan will not
be able to keep great many stock, but
those that he does keep (say for instance
cows) will be kept in much better order,
and consequently yield more profit, and
this is done without any occasion OF cross
fences. Now, Mr.. Skinner, let us only
ask how much money it takes to cross
off large farm in good substantial ches-
nut rails and white oak posts? and sir,
the amount of our calculation is this,
that the interest of the money invested
in division fences would be sufficient to
furnish boy, cart, and horse for the
supply of the stock for the whole grass
season.
The balance of clover or timothy when
ripe will of course be cut, cured and
hauled to the barn for their winter food.
py keeping cattle off your clover lands
the young clover has chance, the land
3 not srampled, your clover does not
nun out so quick, and you have no occa-
zion to be at the cxpence OF cross fences
and of keeping them in order, which is
Of itself a great relief Now, Mr.. Skin
uer, let us see how much more manure
Il made in this way from a moderate
stock (Which should always be in pro-
portion to your produce) than the old
and what an abundance more; then sir
we must admit that this difference in
manure, together with the interest of the
money invested in cross fences is suffi-
Client to employ boy or even man to
haul the food to the yard, say even it it
occupies his whole time.
Now, let US take into consideration
Che loss occasioned by the decay or rot
Of these fences which is most generally