Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-11-11
FARm GATES,

\ gate should be 70 set us not to .slt: Jrto
labor Of dragging it on the ground, and the
brcakage consequent upon it, are so much loss
without any great saving Of expense in the
construction. Ii there could be saving Of
ten dollars in the outset, there would be some
apology for having rickety, tumbliAg-down
gate but as the saving cannot be more than
that of an hours labor, It is best TO escRbe the
exertion of Juggling a gate round and to save
your strength for better uses The difficulty
may be obviated in several ways.
If you will construct frame; with tall
posts and top piece, braced at each corner
the gate will tt1t sag. But that Wotld be
needlcssly expensive, did not in the least ernas
meutal. Modern taste admires solid struc=
ture near terra frma, where it is wanted, and
not up in the air eclipsing perhaps, the more
important structures Of the homestead, Some.
thing to be seen over, but not jumped or erush-
| ed.
The post to which the gate Ia To Swina
should be large at the bottom, and firmly set
three feet in the ground. That ON which the
gate swings should be very large at the bot
tom, in other respects exactly matching the
other, but set i'll the ground so firmly that d
careess boy or beedless hired man running
against it with d teafh World not even make Il
nod. You may accomplish this by digging the
hole about four times as large as the post, set
ting the post in the centre, and then filling fl
as follows Drive down large stones at the
bottom, so firmly that the lower end of the
post can never tno+e This point can be more
easily gained from the fact that this part Of
the work is below the liability to frost Next
fill up with earth or small stones to one foot
of the surface, and tramp as you gil till the
soil is more compact than in its original shape.
New, excayate the upper foot II least twice a.
large as before, and imbed very large STONES
on every side, stamping the earth very solid
between them, 50 as TO reInier this part Of the
point us ifnmoeahle as the bottoms Finish
off with gravel, to prevent the tendency t0
grass and weeds in contact w;thFwo9d, aad
you have post that will hold your gate horf;
zontal!y for years, provided you have made Il
Of sound chestnut, cedar or locust and provid-
ed further, which is most important, you
mulch the ground about II h winter to pre-
vent the action Of the frost. II is but.a mare
chors 10 throw little broken straw around
such posC in December and then scatter PC
Oh the nearest field in March and you would
;are no great deal for the slatternly appear
lncc of the straw so long as the snow lasts and
5Tly Tie mice see it. q 1s@
Some have recorHmen4ed lfnbeddfnK q loR
'r piece of timber just below the surface, run
ling from one post to the other. But who
lOes not sec this would be no obstacle to the
post leaning if they would only agrees to lean
he same way? The best way that can be de-
Used is to set the latch-post Yreffy well, and
he hinge post rery we'll We wOal4 consent
o your being half way man, rather essy as
egards the first but as to the last be an ex-
remist set it so firmly that nothing but
rost can stir it, and then take good care to
eep the frost ont
As to making both posts hinge posts, that 10
Or double gates don't think Of such thing
Mess you want riekety, hit4sndmiss crazy
flair, always masking you extra trouble.
Stone posts have BEEN recommeSde6; and
some localities they may be econ0micsl
ut unless vOu are willing to put more ex-
ense on them than most farmers would ap-
rove, they are shabby looking things and Of
II no great advaatange over good, sound tim
err r1rt Est