Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-03-31

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where the material is most abundant. At the
same time IL Is Not uncommon TO observe large
ples OF stone heaped together alta great sx-
pense OF labour aud occupying in some places |
fourth or NTH part of "a cultivated field |
The dread OF innovation aud ihe want al eApe- /
rimehtai entefpriZe have heretofore been The ;
reptOachoi ON, farming. 1 know many per- /
sons tnliy convinced OF the efficacy OF gypsum I,
Ia improving the soil who forego the use Of IT, :
for the sole reason that the, have not been ac- (,
cnstumed TO n. In like manner, many can
give no betterreason Tor not adopting the hor-
izohtai culture OF corn I'm ouT hiil> country,
than That their fathers did not practice it
This horror OF change can certsinl, be the
only reaSon tor heapins stones in field instead
OF disposinI them along tho sides of il in a
fense. Perhaps the dread OF enconuteriny "A
tedious aud hurried undertaking may nave de-
TERED many from an attempt 10 construct
sioue fences. L eau assure all such that this
dread IL ina great measure unfouuied More
thah 10 months agO made any FIRST essay in
this business, without experience OF its ability
To withstand irost,or knowledge OF ilv me thod
OF erecting II. 1 commenced Couiess with
considerable anticipation of encounteriny
leu on business, but was a2reeably surprised
to mud when the uatSi ials were ~ place that
one inas could erect ten yaid DIS IA "a dan The
feHce which made WAS - feet high 3 ieet
WIDE al tn base, and tapestHg EQUAL, en- both
Slues 70 the width OF Is i9ches at top. 1t has
barred every kind OF stock bur sheep and .to,d
the host OF last wiDtSr without iuiury
HE mode ut erecting il was regular and
sunple IN Tie extreme. Take 4 stakes about
loot lsnser than the propose,i h.iglit OF lie
fence :-pOiut one end to he driven ihiv he
ground, and round the other end to ,oceiye
wooden cap Oh collar wIili two holes barred
al lie ulS,dDce OF the intended width of he
fence top. Place two of those stakes in the
Srou III ~ Tar apart X. the proposed base of
tile ,ehce is Wit!.. and draw III tsp> loyethe,
unt" iiey receive the cap. DO Tie same with
the other iwo stakes, III the direction OF the
fence, al the distance of The lines Won wu,k
d a .InS -
cut III each stake 10 RAISE the lines TO- and as
you ,roceei 10 ~oik, the 30 ,i,ion of the lakes
always ahOiJ the proper level. Mr.. Thomas
Moore, the present engineer TO the Board of
fhoiic works, Was Min me last faii, aud gave
Inc sOIRe valuable into. nation OH The subiyc,
OF stone fencing. He had resided in a bari
oil MARYLAND where II had been long aud ex.
ienslveiy practised. He stated thai general
experience had proved ,ithat il was NECESSARY
III erecting such FENCES, TO attend to these
TueS. Dig no foundation, unless II he to
smooth or level tue surface, taking care TO
| leave no loose earth for the stones 10 lie ON
| hen make the bottom course throughout of
Inc smallest stones yOn have, and theSe as
| nearly OF tie same size as possible Let u,,
STONES reach thrO the fence until The finishing
| course, when IL practicable most or all OF them
shouidreach thro there By binding all the NO, X
Iight' Asfrost Is the only enemy 10 stone
| FENCES, the propriety of using small equal sized
| stones Tor the foundation is manifest for the
expansion OF The earth in freezing and tbaw-
| Ing oeing uniform aud regular, aud the who,s
Foundation being acted Oh alike Won Tins
avoid ali risk OF the fence being partially
thrown down by frost. Tie other suggestions
OF MI. Moore seem just, bat cannot sneak
from experience OF their advantages
An enquiry naturally presents itself OH this
subject what is the relative value Of "A iarni
fenced with stone compared with one fenced
WITH dead timbers lake the iollDwipr. dat,
From the best accounts nave been AMI. 10
OBTAIN from others, aud from my own experi-
ence, II may be fairly stated that one fuII
month OF the whole annual labonr of every
farm Is consumed III tile various operation, Of
| cutting mduiiue, hauiIGIg and putting IN fem
ces. Ihis In one twelfth OF the wear Or one
complete year IN twelve, thai is devoted ca
clusiVely 10 making and repairing dead leu
ces ;-aud as the expense is animal it's clear
that the condition VI such fences 4, no her
Ter at TIE end OF any year than az the begin
ming.
Again. think Imay be fairly stated. that
when The materials are in place the exppnse of
erecting stone fence does not exceed that of
erecting one OF rails, Including the various on
eratiOns above mentioned. the value OF The
lumber which Is not taken into The account
above aud the advantages OF Clearing the land
OF stone, will balance lie expense OF n,oyin,,
the stone or hundred yards. So thai on
farm Astounding with stone aud where The
transportation does NOT exceed llis distance
think fence OF stone will IN the FIRST instance
DO as cheap as a common rail Que SuDnosr
tsen two farms OF 600 acres of ara bic land oh
- all otaer respects equal, except tllat one is
FENCED Win stone and one with dead timber
fach OF them employs IL labOuTers az SIDo
arlece, per annuin. One il at no sxoeuse
wmie he WHO fences with timber consumes one
month IN every year in making aud repairing
liIS tences. This Is an expense OF SlOo being
me idOouI OF one maud during complete year
Al annual compound interest, this wouJd -.
mount, III less than 80 years, to $4,000, which
~ the eaIire price OF The farm surprising the
land TO he worth $50 per acre. thus an IA
years the one farm would be able 10 buy the
To- IA
ntmode OF fencing. Ii is true that there IRE
not MANY farms capable of being entirely fen.
ced WITH stone, bnt there are scarcely auy
tnal 90 no, admit OF 1t IN some degree, aud
tie advantages would be derived in a siiniIar
ratio TO any part of a iaIm thus enclosed
-, az. II. MINOR.
mr. hudson, President Agricultural
SOcisty-4ItGsmdrie.