The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1860-02-11
ORIGINAL Artitlc.
For The Cecil Wing.
For Fcncing--What is the Best.


It is often question amongst our farmers,
what will we do for fencing! What are We
to repair our old fences with ! and of what
material will we construct new ones ! Now
these questions. so often asked, are not so
often answered or if So the answer is not
often made practical use Of
In this section OF country farmers often
suffer an inconvenience from the wan: of good
fencing, and but few have sufficient tmhe, to
make the amount their farms require. Chest
nut rails, delivered at Elk Larding are worth
from 81. to IS, per 100; Cedar rails, abont
Sl2 per 100: posts are worth from 10 to -
cents each. And our board fencing, which
we know does not last but a few years. is
comparatively speaking. more costly than the
post and rail fence. The boards cost at the
lumber yards from SO to So. per 1000 feet.
Let us inquire if there are not other kinds
of fencing that are cheaper We have post
and rail, hedges of different kinds, stone, &c.
II dgcs are coming into more general use, and
if these could be substituted The advantages
would be incalculable: much land that is now
unproduclive might be brought into cultva-
ton, the great expense of making new, and
repairing old fence would he taken away. and
the rural appearance o. the country would be
very much improved. OF these we have three
or four kinds the most common now in use
is the Washington thorn, which appears to DC
well suited to this climate. This kind OF
hedge requires much care and attention, or it
will not last many years. Cattle injure ii
very much in the Spring when the young
shoots are tender. if allowed to graize near it,
as they prefer the branches to grass The
thorn S no: stiff enough TO hurt the cattle
and when the hedgeis not very thckly grown,
they viii press through it, especially road cat
lie, il they see through the hedge tempting
pasture.
Another enemy to this thorn is the poison
vine, and to keep it free from Tins pest requires
much care. Indeed. the hedge mast be Fl cc
ir"m filth Of all kinds. that it may thrive or
even live. We see now but few h, dyes made
Of the black thorn: the principal objection to
this is the sowncsS Of growth, and the thin
ness Of the hedge. especially near the ground,
which makes il but poor fence against small
animals. fowls. &c.
The Usage Orange appears to be the kind Of
hedge most generally preferred, and many arc
being planted in this county. This thorn has
much to recommend il to our farmers: its
quickness Of growth, its spreading manner,
Its dcnsencss, and the armaturc with which
its branches arc furnished This thorn seldom
atainS the height of nloie than 10 or Is feet,
bat this is not allowed in a hedge. as trim
ming once or twice year is necessary, beside
adding much TO the strength and beauty OF
the hedge. Unlike other thoIns, the seed
requires no preparation before sowing. and
generally vegetables within two or three weeks
after sowing. Fresh, clean seed is worth one
dollar pound: which measures about two.
thirds Of a quart. As many as 6 or 10 thou
sand plants have been grown from a quart OF
the seed, which costs about one and half
dollars per quart. The seed should be sown
IN rich, moist and mellow soil, about one and
a half inches deep. The plants which can be
bought at almost all nurseries for So or S4
per 1000. When transplanted they should
not be more than two years old and the plant
should be cut off nearly even with the ground.
The cost of preparing the ground and setting
out the plants will not he more than eight
cents per rod.
AS loose stone arc very plenty in some
parts OF our county, and the land is not farmcd
with much satisfaction until they are taken
off: to many persons stone fencing is the
cheapest; and if well put up at first will las!
for ages. Many object to stone fence on ac-
count Of its falling in the spring of the year
when the ground lhaws. but there may be nc
difficulty If it IS well built, and the foul. datio
is solid ground. A wall about three feet
wide at the bottom. A. feet high, and with
about one third Of the stone crosswiSc in it t.
bind and hold it together, will, | venture tc
say, not fall. and will fully satisfy any farmer
for the trouble and time he may be at in
building it.