Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1841-05-25
From tbs Chicago Agr.culturist.
DID AIDE ELNN(,INE 2ro

be more cneaplY nndQe on the OOrueIS Oh
the timber than at a distance from it, and
that for several reasons such location is
TO be preferred. But firmly believe that
when a man has sufficient capital to begin
properly, the expense of making q farm at
a distance of ten or fifteen miles from. tim
Der will be less than TO clear and improve
one in it.
But to illustrate this we will suppose that
the settler wishes 10 have an Improvement
of half section, 800 acres, and to have
it divided into 40 acre lots. And to give
him no advantage from contiguous i'm
provements, we will suppose that he is first
compelled to'commcnce without neighbors,
and make all Of his exterior fences. Nor
will we allow him to make lice fence, for
he will net probably be able to wait for it
TO grow, and II ne Cvui1, tho SUCCESS of
the experiment ( if we may Judge from
those hitherto made in the United States,
would be quite doubtlul.-(We trust, how
ever, not long to be So Ed.
The $40 acres divided into fields Of 40
acres each, will require 1850 rods of fence
equal to 81 miles.
For prairie in this situation | would
scrptiOn, having seen fences Of similar de-
scription in use, and believing them TO be
as cheap, permanent and handsome as any
that can DO devised.
From the centre Of The fence, let row
Of stakes BIO set at tho distance Of 3! feet
on each side, TO mark the lines for the ex-
cavation of the dtches-the distance be-
tween these stakes being the width Of the
embankment al the base. From these
stakes measure off five feet as the width at
top Of each ditch and let the bitches be cut
with slopes Of one TO one, or at an angle
of forty FIVE degrees, the earth removed
therefrom being placed in the bank, the
slopes Of which should be the same as those
oc the ditch. To obtain the quantity Of earth
necessary TO form tbs baAk when settled
will require the bitches to be excavated to
the depth of about two feet, and TO the
width Of one foot on the bottom.
A section Of the bank and bitches, with
the posts and boards, or Of tho fence COM
plete, would appear thus,
II will be seen that the whole deviation
from the bottom Of the ditch to the top Of
the bank is II feet; and from the natural
surface 81 feet.
Tho BEST mode Of digging the bitches
and raising the bank will readily suggest
itself TO most farmers. Tbs only tools ne
cessary are tho prairie plough, the spade
and the shovel The sods should be placed
upon the outside Of the bank with the grass
in, so as to prevent its washing. A few
months after the bank has thus been thrown
up Of at the proper season OF the year, it
should be thickly sown with blue grass seed
or the seed Of some other grass which will
grow in this situation, and the sod which
will soon be formed will efiectually prevent
the sides Of the bank and bitches from
crumbing or washing.
But before the bank is built, let line Of
posts or stakes be set in the centre, at the
distance of 6 feet apart, and rising TO the
height of 2 or 81 feet above the top Of it.
These posts or stakes should be in size
about by 3 inches, SO that each one would
contain about 3 feet board measure. To
these stakes two boards, in ordinary cases.
together l J foot in width, should be strong
ly nailed, thus completing the fence.
The expense of such fence at this time
would be about as follows, to wit:
1850 rods of cmbankment and
bitches, 20 cents, $40 90
5s,OSO feet b. NJ. fence and
posts, a $50 per NJ feet, 11Gl 60
Nails and workmanship, &c, 100 90
Total, I7Ol 60
This estimate, which | admit to be low,
but which fully believe is sufficient to do
the work, amounts to 1892 per acre for
the whole 800 acres. But this is by no
means 10 be understood as altogether ne
cessary, for it is not customary upon pra-
ire farms to subdivide the land into lots Of
the small size of 40 acres. By increasing
the size Of the lots, the expense could Of
course be greatly diminished.
The cost of erecting buildings, would
certainly be greater than in situation
nearer timber; but when it is understood
how cheap hauling can be done with pra-
irie team, g or yoke Of oxen, and such
a sled and wagon as is generally used for
this purpose, the difference will be found
TO much less than is generally supposed.
The cultivation of timber upon such
farm, should be one Of the first things at
tented to and the older settlers of the
country can testify in what incredibly short
time it grows large enough TO be of great
use for fencing and for fuel.
Millions of acres Of the finest land that
the sun ever shono upon, not inconvenen,
to market, and with no fault but the want
Of timber, yet remain unimproved in our
State; and it is the duty as we'll as the in
terest of every citizen, TO cndeavor by
plain statement of facts TO procure the set