Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-01-10
1armer's department.
Fences.

fence is greatly superior to the old-fashioned
worm fence, yet it appears that a great
many farmers all over the country still per-
sist in building it on their farms. And even
where land is valuable & rail timber scarce.
we see farms bristling with the old stake
and rider fences, and some occupying e.
nough land in their zigzag course, to main
tain family of ordinary size Every far
mcr knows that a common stake and rider
! fence occupies at least half red of ground
in width throughout its whole length that
cannot be ploughed making an acre every
three hundred and twenty rods. A farm of
one hundred acres fenced with this kind of
fence, and divided into fields of an ordina-
ry size, does, at the rate above, contain !,
large quantity of ground which is worse
than useless to the proprietor. Not only
| useless in being inaccessible to the plough.
but the fence corners, of which there ar.
two in every rod in length, are source of
continual trouble. They harbour all kinds
of noxious weeds, briars, thistles and bush
es, which not only disfgure the farm, but
are continually encroaehing upon the cult
waited land Therefore, to keep farm fenc-
ed in this manner, in respectable condi-
ton, It requires great amount of labor to
keep these fence corners clean. In many
instances I have seen fence corners SO grown
up with bushes, briars and weeds, as almost
to hide the fence from sight The conse-
quence is, the rails rot away without being
perceived, and hogs break thro' and steal
Some people advance this argumentin IA
vor of the stake and rider fence, that it is
made with less labor than any other, and re-
quires but little mechanical genius. Now
it is very doubtful if It can be made with
less labor thsn the post and rail, and the
post and rail fence requires but little more
skill in making. In building stake aud
rider fence it requires eight rails eleven
feet long, aud two stakes for every PANEL,
eight feet in length, being over six feet of
fence in every rod, occupied by the worm
and the lap Of the rails. But for post and
rail fence it requires but five rails twelve
feet long, and one post for every eleven and
a half feet in length, being great saving
of material, which is of considerable inpor-
lance, even in country where rail timber
is plentiful. Then the post and rail fence
does not occupy more space than about a
foot in breadth, there are no fence corners to
be kept clean, and it is stronger and will
last longer than the old fashioned worm
fence. Therefore, whenever a permanent
wooden fence is required we recommend it
to be post and rail fence. There certain
1 ly are places where the worm fence would
answer the purpose as well, and perhaps
better, than any other. AS, for instance,
in fencing new ground adjoining a wood
that is to be cleared the next year; in tenn
porarily dividing off fields for pasturage.
and in all places whore temporary fence
is required. A very good fence can be
made by planting posts in the ground and
mailing on boards, but is neither so strong
nor SO lasting as the post and rail. And
now, farmers, when you go into your woods
to split rails, instead of splitting common
rails for fence that will be pest and an
eye-sore as long as it remains on your farms,
why not split broad rails and posts for
fence that will be both pleasure and an or
nament for half a generation.-Dot. NeWs.
Corn Mead for Mich Cows.-In the fall
of 1852, began to feed three farrow COWS
for the purpose of supplying milkman III
this vicinity with milk for market. l had
a few sugar beets and turnips with which l
[ pSSuii, dilN, do dcSiSuti ii4G IillCh CONS
! for the butcher in the spring, commenced
giving them meal from corn and barley,
some ten bushels old grain; then corn meal
alone, increasing till they ate one peck each
! day. | tried it cooked and raw, wet and
dry. mixed with cut fodder, composed of
hay, straw, and corn stalks cut up together,
varying the amount of each as convenience
might suggest as | think all animals re-
quire variety.
Now for the result The COWS increased
| in milk, giving more on the above feed than
they had done on grass during the summer.
Contrary to my expectation they did not ni-
prove very fast on the food given, and Was
obliged to dry them up early in March. to
get them fit for the shambles, My cows
that We're coming in in the spring had two
quarts of corn meal each per day, and they
also gave literally. The milk being sold
daily, gave an excellent opportunity for tcs
ting the amount given at the time. ] made
K up my mind that corn meal was the best for
milk Of any food for the milch COW, and still
think so, if good, rich milk is wanted 1t
has been tried considerably in this vicinity,
with the same results as here given. fed
cut feed, but do not think that would vary
the result with me, if the COWS get their
daily allowance, get the returns.
Education of The Agricultarist. No man
is 50 high as to be independent of the sue,
cess Of this great interest no man is go low
as not to be affected by its prosperity or de-
cline Agriculture feeds us, to great de-
gree it clothes us s; without it we could not
have manufactures. and VIC should not have
commerce, These all stand together, bat
they stand like pillars in cluster, the lar,
gest in the CENTRE and that largest is agri-
culture We live IN 4 country Of small
farms ahd freehold tenements; country in
which men cultivate with their own hands
their own fee simple acres. drawing not on
" their own substance, but also their spirit
of independence and manly freedom, from
the ground they plow. They are at once
its owners, its cultivators, and its defenders
The cultivation of the earth is the most inn
portant labor of man. Man may be eivili-
zed in some degree. without great manu-.
features, and with little commerce with his
distant neighbors but without cultivation
ofthe earth he is, in all countries, saw
age. Until he gives up the chase, and fix
! L.