The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-04-24
Stake or palisade fence.

tits constructed as follows: Select large burr
or white oak trees (burr oak is the most durable),
and saw them into cuts FIVE feet long; split
them into "bolts, as would be done for spokes
or barrel staves then with froe, small
sharp wedges, rive them into stakes 20 or 2
inches square; with hand axe sharpen one end:
they are now ready for use. The heart pieces
8 or 10 inches longer than the rest, should be
reserved for posts, two or three times as large
as the common stakes. If there should not be
enough of these, others should be sawed for the
purpose. These should be sharpencd like the
small stakes. Take common fence boards that
are pretty free from knots, six or seven inches
wide and sixteen feet long, and with buzz saw,
Gf convenient, if not, carpenters rip saw,
slit them in the centre, which will give you strips
of board or 2 inches wide; get supply Of
eight penny fence nails, and you have the
whole material ready to put up. Get the line
upon which the fence is to be built by setting
guide stakes once in ten or fifteen rods; then
with square-faced wooden maui drive post
every sixteen feet; they should be driven from
fifteen to eighteen inches into the ground, hav-
ing measure, and being careful to leave the
top of the post just four feet four inches from the
surface of the ground. You are now ready for
the small stakes, which should be driven six in
ches apart, if you wish to fence against hogs,
twenty stakes to the rod will answer where you
only wish to stop cattle) these stakes should
be driven eight inches into the ground. To get
them in line, and the spaces accurate, take
thick fence board sixteen feet long, or one that
will just reach from post to post, and bore two
inch hole every six inches; lay the board on the
ground between the posts, and with a pointed
iron bar sink hole IN the ground through each
hole in the board remove the board, and drive
stake in each hole. In order to have the top of
the stakes of uniform height, take straight
edged board, and tack it with nails to two posts,
the upper edge Of the board being just on level
with the top of the posts; then drive every stake
to level with the straight-edge. You are now
ready for mailing. Take your narrow strips of
boards and lay them Aatwise upon the top of the
stakes, the ends resting on the posts; nail them
first to the posts, and then every six inches
drive nail through into the centre of the top
of every stake, your fence is completed.
The cost of this fence is about 20 cents per
rod. The nails and lumber, which are the only
cash items, cost about seven cents per rod A
keg of eight penny fence nails will make mile
of fence, and costs SIS; 800 feet of lumber will
also make mile, and costs So; making total
cash expenditure Of $l4 for mile offence the
balance is IN labor. .aro.. . -r..
As to the durability of this fence, will men,
ton that there is in this vicinity stake fence that
is now five years old: no stake has vet failed,
audit will no doubt last several years longer
| think eight or nine years may be assumed as
the average length of time that this fence will
last The stakes will rot first at the surface Of
the ground. Whenever it is discovered that
they are rotting, with plough or spade throw
up embankment of earth on each side, six or
eight inches high, which will secure them for
several years longer. .....v s...-.-..g
This claim to be the cheapest fence that
can be built. Ithas the same advantage as rails
in the fact that it takes very little money to
build it, most of the expense being in labor; it
has some advantages over rails taking much
less labor to get the material, when once finish
ed never blowing down, needing very little re-
pairing, il sure barrier to all animals, and moth
ing ever attemps to leap it. 1t is neat and ele.
CANT in appearance, and occupies the least pos
sible space ofground. l.,4 "a, a.. Q" ..,,..j .r.
Another mode of fastening the stakes l think
may be adopted in many instances, especially
where it may be desirable to remove the fence,
or by those who may entertain fears that board
of the dimensions describe may be too slender
It is as follows: Fit and drive the posts and
stakes as before described, except that the top
of the posts should be some ten inches below the
stakes. Drive small wrought spike into the
top of the post, leaving it projecting quarter of
an inch. Let the corner or starting post be a
large one, sunk deep, and made solid Attach
to the spike in it the ends of two cwo coils of
No. 10 wiIe, and weave them regularly between
the stakes, crossing between each, until you
come TO the inext post. Strain them taut
and take a turn around the spike, and proceed
as before ''unto the end, fastening the terminus
end Of the wires to firmly set post like the
commencement, and your fence is done. This
will cost trifle more than the other variety, but
may perhaps be better. The wire and spikes
will cost about twelve or fourteen cents per rod
the labor Of putting up is a trfle less. I'LL, 7
l,g.g sr.. 5ia@ JOIN r. DAcGETr. Z
Lockpor,, Will Go. ILL.,, Feb 10, 1850. 4