The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-04-28

Western country, where timber in many places is com.
| ~paratively scarce, it becomes a matter of the utmost i'm.
portance to the farmer, how he may combine economy
with beauty and fertility. The Editor, I notice, has
recently touched upon this subject, and with what few
suggestions he was pleased to make, I heartily coincide
but the subject is unlimited, and I trust 1 shall not
overstep the bounds of propriety in calling attention to
it again.
Nothing adds 80 much to the beauty of the farm as
good substantial fences, and nothing gives such strong
indications of thrift. A man may live in q fine house
have all necessary outbuildings, &C., but if his fences
are in a rickety condition, the traveller will remark, as
be passes by, there lives a shiftless farmer. No man
likes to be called by such a name but I I'm sorry to
say that to too many in almost every community, it can
be applied with the greatest ~propriety. It has often
been remarked that poor fences make unruly cattle, and
the saying is no less true t i trite, for if q mere apollo.
gy for a fence is made, to inclose . field of grain, the
first drove Of cattle that comes along, seeing something
more tempting on the opposite side, makes an effort to
jump over or break down the fence, which being so
easily done, emboldens them to renew the attack upon
other, and perhaps better fences, whenever a suitable
opportunity offers, until they become so expert in their
exploits that TO fence will conine them within bounds
whereas had they not been entced by a poor, deceitful,
sham fence, in the first place, might have remained
quiet, orderly brutes all their days.
The practice of two, three or more farmers joining
fences, as it is called, for the purpose Of enclosing as
large an area as possible with a small amount Of fencing
material, thus leaving the lines between farms open, is
in my opinion a very prolific source of contention.
Perhaps at first, when commencing in a prairie country
it cannot we'll be avoided, but in the course of a year or
two, line fences should by all means be built.
1t is not necessary for one to urge this point all
farmers will agree with me that good fences are neoes-
sary appurtenances of a farm, and will erect them &C..
cordingly wherever needed. 81
Admitting this to be the case, the question would
naturally arise, what constitutes a good fence ? A fence
may be called good when it possesses these three quail
ties, viz: sufficient heighth, strength and durability ; !
and these can be obtained by different methods, the
most common among which are the old fashioned worm,
rail fence, post and rail, and post and board fence.
Others may have their preferences, I have mine, and l
propose in this article to show the difference in cost of
the different kinds of fences named, and their relative
merits. Let us take 80 rods as the basis of our calcu.
lations, and to build that distance of worm fence it will
require 1900 rails IL feet long, and about $50 stakes.
3 feet long.
We have then 200 rails at % per hundred, $4,000
We have then $50 stakes at 81 per hundred, 700
Hauling material at least, 1000
Putting up the fence, gEw0xsrw 800
Making the cost of 80 rods Of fence. $500 Nd