Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-04-16

tha Sf6fb is moi ahOrt oil WIFI WVFHF t..,, ;f a
nn,iosa al least 100 ncres !or each proprietor IL =" o.
=, tina hest shape. II 10, taking INTO c"IouH :,
linn only the coat OF construcuoi' ~ - =
49,, NJ vi,w, at present, the value oil HE iha.eI'"l W. -
OF the land occupied by tho !ences, .ne, e. :. snormous
v,stad in p~srishable fences in the State ,he eaosu.% da' f,
30 nf 500 81 ,l9i. All of which VIII De iest = &c !,
,rnved by the effects OF TINE 10 the space zen - - .
~ Ian IN this amount Of fencing, requires Q ~ =
,,. NJ 81 GOO, u0D-A sum douhie the revenue .
nu", ~ 90 S,s;;s for the year 1876, arising from ordinary !
y. ~" &c ts,aiion. and Three or lour tiI'es 1re"'o' .
han such rovenue a lew fe"ts uEo' g ,rs,.rinI
n TO this amount, We ago ~ uUis e nv I:D.
az OIL G0u. and the value OF land occupied p, io1,,"
SoLi - rrh;ch ar, legitimate items, IN Inc COST
9 Wv - q shnll find the whole outlay ior encAos"0'
in the State rather over S40.OO"'"Vo. ,.oosssrv OK.
The capital thus invested, ana u u our State
penditurs annually for repairs w U~ educate all our
INT n the community and individuals sunei !" -
RESPECTS. 1t is susceptible OF malne,n nnonor,ion is
that this smaller the farm, the greater IN - commit.
Tho coat of enclosing it-and when tresphss ta;n.d
ted, the greater proportion 10 inc uannss nrnnr;stor
Hence, the farming profits OF Inc snlanel realtby
are necessarily lees than those OF Dis :; 80 70 ana.
nai,bhor His products cannot long continue u y
ts;n tbs unequal competition. and the consequence
that sooner or later, he is not unirequeh.y somp ad IL
10 sell out and seek his fortune III d mo1 a:. iorv .
cslty. Thus there is, from the ac.tou y. . -. r.. ma N
constant tendency on the part oi Tue inieo q
sb,orb the small ones, and our populauon' aienuS
too thin, ia made thinner by the expulsion y enc,
Of farmers who, under the fostering care Vi q ..ha;-
ous legislation, from the very concenttalon ,rv "a
oEo,ts tsnd TO carry the agriculture OF n country 10
ihe highest state OF Improvement, TO enhance tue pc
acre Value of the land and increase the re'ehuo u
the State. ,ho
onsrs,ion of this law. 1t often happens that small
Isndsd s,,ates. the property OF widows and orphans,
whom the law processes to take under It's Sspe. ,;,h
care, cannot be sold. At first, when surrounded WIN
n good fence, they are rented ont to the hdYahtseeW
,ho -, Ruf "a the fences roll down. huu chSh
ysnr the Goa. Of repairs becomes greater Tue "'houn.
D oof rent Incomes smaller. ill finally the lands cannon
BIZ rented out st all, for they will mol Justify DSth u
!, having of rent and the cost OF enclosing. lnust ne
: ow nsrs lose not only tho small revenue formerly ue.
. rived from the rent, but the land is given up oy ine
u law az A common to the public, and coon its tarmlne
Il value as capital ia greatly iessensa. Sueh '''o' W
|" of frequent occurrence in loTsr Virginia.
Again, from peculiarly OF situation or some other
Gauss, tbs burthen OH individuals il particularly
grieyous. A stream may run through q larm, To.
Y curing a fence on either side, or q water fence, aA OF
which may be suddenly swept away by a tresh' per.
% han, in mid summer. in the midst Of harvest "hen u
n IL impossible for the proprietor to renew the enclosure
mr. IN nrotec, hs crops against the d.predauons Oh tne
ID stock of the whole neighborhoodi ora Vl9len' null III,
il cane may PROSTATE his fences and In q single nign,
"a oive entrance TO enough lean cattle ana famisneo
% hog. to ruin his prospects OF q crop iof tnat veaemw
some windy day in March, a hrs 10 q Few houis may
h. dsstroy all the fencing that the labor OF the 1881 tnree
months has been able to accomplish-or q puons
"a road, or woros still, a cross road may donoie OF quau
M rupls the cost of fencing sad increase ID tne same y
70 sven a greater ratio the danger OF 0Eo Hao'lty !"
trespass. Such cases are not uncommon snu ~
all doubt have come under the observation OF every
~, reader of this report. 49,
h n, Again, if the law would permit it, the same time
%. end labor which mauls and puts up loO rails 10 rt
snd be lost ~ o few years, would convert !he saln'
"a. material into Il cord of wood worth, with Inc sam
"a. hauling, ~. And the buyer OF lU0 ac:es g lang, W
c, stead Of paying 50 per cent. OF Its vaiuel 10 enclose.
d. and keep it enclosed, might win me ssnne Inoos ~ :.
: C, ,,,o nd dolivpr la6 cords of wood al q
par cord, deriving therefrom S2s2. Or, II lDs'ea'
,ct the seme time and labor were devoted 10 inc ln
,h movement of the eoil; 10 draining, Inning, maDurine
~. or more thorough tillags, ns a certain consequence
the whole country in a few Years poq!d assume
different and more improved aspect the land HoIi
increase IN product and valuei the owner woul
.so grow in wealth, and the public treasury would LEI
y, V. or ali tie cases of neighborhood pickering
i !. and Misunderstanding this lac RAY confidently Q
of asserted to be the most prolific. A man h'.5 nav
NJ done all that he can do to come up TO the requ's'toi
n Of the law; the time and labor which ne ought
have devoted 10 improving his land aud increasln
his crops, at gsect sacrifice, he has devote
Tia, to mauiing rails and building feooes. he ma
"a With top log, staked the CORNERS, and on ~inspecti'
inc pronounced all good. Trusting to hs fence for pr
mr.. lection he ploughs and plants. His crops may De d
der most ready for the sickle. He is just ready 10 rea
the reward Of his toll, when some unfortunate niRi
tho a herd of cattle or swine End their way within bic 6!
an. closure, and he srise iu the morning to look on h
loss in dismsy. Wherever o night travelling negI
ion is in the habit Of crossing a fence, 1t 10 soon 10 SOU
extent thrown down, inviting the ingress Of lnmpf
cattle. Some thin, half starved hogs cannot be kel
out. ,auch bave even been known to gnaW raiis
two two, and. once IN. they lead on the whole herd to-
~. are ant 70 accumulate in ;;:nss. Qf, worse SIN, son
ass- unprincipled man, either himsel, or :. r. " -
wa, to q negro, aot h~esitating to help himself 10 All =:
inc law permits, aide his ~fsr1ish:us stock 10 hnd the'r wa
on ind tat d IL 3ffs'. svsr vel. Effort Sf S on hrs 81 p safT to 'r pra ,ng
the it. t is more than human nature can atand. Wei
81 they his own hogs, could they bs got out in no 9TH
It's way, he would deHtroy them. Even il he could fu
the nish the requisite proof, the redress held :p 10 h
ugh view by the law is too remote, too uncertain, too II
adequate, and altogether too slow for the presel
ing pressing evil. He takes the matter in HE own hand
civ and forthwith a f-ud arisez which may be- transmitie
TO the children OF the parties CONCERNED. Some ma
l., is say the above lie sD extreme Gaze; ii may be 90, III
the who will deny that the like ia If frequent occurrence
rs. In making all unenclosed lands u common, this la
tu. serves to render lndistinct the line which separate
not the rights Of different iDdiyiduals-a line yhich ongt
len always to stand forth distinctly and boldly. 1t thu
red mas a demoraIizing tendency. 1t furnishes a plea
bet one man to make nee Of that which belongs to an
BUR Their, and it tempts the man, not fortified by prime
ice Pile, to bring about that state OF things under whic
hia he can enjoy the property of another, without labilit
lea for damages for treapaes.
e7 Having thus ~concisely examined the bearing Of tn
rn law on the in'aresfs of agriculture, and pointed on
if some &c ie evils, we now turn TO the more pleasin,
,or task Of suggesting s.ch notifications of the law a
3p may afford soma relief to q puriiieoed community =
And we are pleased to believe that the ennrt at relic
ay Ia not now 30 hopeless IA a few years ago. For thougl
ay such Ia the general law Of enclosures, yet in late
to years the Legislature in particular cases has no
ct shown itself IN willing 10 listen 10 the complaints o
ch our farmera, and to apply the suggestad remedy. |
has. for example, declared certain water erresms il
ir. Eastern Virginia to be lawful enclosures. IL has de
1t. clared the ssrne of mere plantation boundary lines, OF
st the upper waters Of the James river, where fences are
u. liable TO be washed away by freshets and more re
sI Gently in a large district, embracing parts of Motto
,a Wav and Iunanhar0 onunfipa IL hau laOnixa6 N unl
az un:ary agreement entered into by an association Of
lie farmers, by which each farmer has bound himself to
n. restrain his own stock, thus doing away with the ne
n. cessity of fencing, except one out side ring fence to
ID enclose the whole district.
The general elacinents have all been attended
er with immense benefit, and tne aystamc instituted lin
der them, have worked we'll. The selling vslac OF
many farms In the tide water region, bordering on
b. creeks and rivers, has doubled in consequence. But
at much more can yet be done.
III Your Committee would recommend
ID l. I'hst the law be 30 modified as TO prohibit the
# running at large of hogI in Eastern Virginia. 1t is
now almost universally conceded In this portion Of
1T our State, that hogs can be raised ard fsttened more
is economically within our enclosures, and in sites, than
ranging at large on the barren commons and such
,e law would enable the construction of fences on a
D cheaper plan, (the object being msrely to restrain
ia cattle than those now required for our protection
% against the depredsticns Of hogs. The benefit which
Il would arise from this change Of the iay may he illus.
trstad by the tnss of a New jersey farmer, who get.
tied in lower Virginia, and who, after buying and
O stocking his farm. remarked that he would give rs
much more az he had already expended on his farm,
if the law OF foreclosures hsreI ss in bis State, restrain
o ed the running at large Of hogs.
9. In Prince George county. many farmers feeling
!, the crushing burtbern imposed by the fence law, and
, seeking relief, have formed voluntary associations,
. under which they mutually bind themselves to keep
e up a ring fence around g number Of farma, and each
farmer within euch enclosure for himself to restrain
. his own stock, Of every description. No less than
d three such enclosures exist in said county, each en-
? bracing some fifteen or sixteen farms, owned and
D managed by different farmers. They have been in
9 existence fer eeveraI years. and the sYstem is found