The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-05-17
HOW SHALL WE FENCE OUR
PRAIRIES2

DE-. KANSAS FARAER: ] look upon ID
fence question as atPTesent the most inn
/ portant and difficult question that the PEG
Die of Kansas have 10 settle. and the beav
lest burden We have ia improving farm
90 the Prairies.
/ Our rich unimproVed prairie land
can be had for an average of IS per acre
$3.50 for a quarter section; but thii
land cannot be enclosed with good fenc,
tor less Than 81 900 70 So, 900; but THU
is not the worst feature OF the case. The
heavy drafts that are being made on oul
groves for the little land We are now en-
closing, is fast stripping our Stale of it,
timber. Il requires from ten to twenty
acres of our average timber to ience 4
quarter section with single outside fence
l speak from experience, having bull
several miles Of fence within The past few
years.
Now it is plain and clear that if We Sc
up all The forests of the State We shall
then have but small portion of our lands
fenced, while we shall be ihout limb
tor building our houses. barns, shops.
bridges, and railroads. and the many 9th
er uses tor which civilized communities
need wood.
II We Insist on attempting to fence our
country thus, the rapid destruction of our
timber will soon raise the price much
above its present cost, making fencing
still more expensive aud difficult; and
when too late 10 remedy the evil, we shall
realize the TACT that We have wasted our
forests in attempting TO do an impossible
| thing; that our piairles instead of being
improved are more desulale 10 winter, and
more parched by drJuth 10 summer, an
that We must send our money out OF the
State and pay sxorbitant prices for the
material and transportation on just wha;
we had fooled away by hauling it out on
the prsiries to rot.
Where stone is handy It can be advan
tageously used for fencing. but on a large
proportion of the open prairie il will cost
from three TO FIVE d liars per rod 70 build
good stone fence, and is of course entire
y too expensive for general use.
There are thousands of people IN the east
who are anxious TO make their homes on
our cheap, fertile prairies. and will do so
il any way can be devised by which they
can occupy, use and improve the land af
ter they have boughtiI, without spending
a fortune, (Which they do not posses). to
get il enclosed.
ANY plan that can be devised to save
such expense. will bring more people to
Kansas thai all the immigration socl cites
lha, can be formed In the Stale for ten
years.
Il must of course be something prac-
tioable and something that snail meet the
appreciation of at least majority of our
ciuEeGs.
A herd law. that is, law obliging
every man TO take care OF bis own stock
aud keep il from ire spsssing on other
peoples land without regard to fence, has
been recommended and urged with good
deal of zeal, but it is subject to some OBJ
jections, the gravest of which are, that if
we had such a law people would neglect to
grow edges even, that the prairie would
be dotted with unfenced fields of grain.
making it difficult to herd stock and keep
it from grain, and thai it would be diff
cult TO drive stock through the country.
II is also argued that il would givenon
residents and spectators who are doing
nothing to improve the country, a chance
to rent out their lands, or in some way
deter residents from using the pasturags
Now / have plsu to offer, which many
of our farmers and stock growers in this
section will favor. Ii Is 10 ask for law
making hedge, with proper restrictions
as 10 planting, aud care, legal fence IS
soon az planted, making all stock liable
t.. carr nad hE1
such hedge. Such q law would O6Li9e
every person who wishes TO cultivate or
improve his land to plant hedge around
it. In three or four years the bedge will
make a good secure fence that will turn
any iarm stock; so the only unfenced LAND
10 guard stock from, would be thai around
which hedges bad been recently planted,
and 10 q lew years the country would be
so fenced up that every mans stock could
be Kept on his own land, and his
neighboIs would be fenced off. While
no man could use and cultivate his land
without starting his fence, but the expense
would be still so light that it need not
deter any one from making the improve
ment. For instance, a man coming to
Kansas thi summer, can, With his own
team. break his land for next summers
crop. and break his hedge rows. LssI
summer We broke some fourteen miles
with single pair OF horses. at the rate
oil one mile day. Next spring he can
buy his plants for FRI M twenty to thirty
dollars per mile, aud from eight to ten
dollsrs more 10 work byhimselt and team.
will prepare the ground and plant the
hedge in good shape. A few days
each year would be required TO tend the
hedge aud 10 three or TOUR years he will
have a fence that will last a life time.
while at the same time he is making he
fence he can also be gioRing something
on bis landtO pay his expenses add sup
port his family
But some say his is stock country
and We must not do any hing L" hiade'
the stock grower from having the free
range Of the pra;ries Yes. shis is gon''
stock country but other interests must
be ios,ersd ana other things bssldss stock
mus be grown,
Individuals may acquire large fortunes,
but countries seldom if aver become rich
by confirming themselves to the production
OF one OF two staples, while they depend
upon purchasing the other neeessaFies- o.
lIie by the sale OF such staples. We Ems
have grain, vegetables and fruits to liva
upon We can grow them much cheaper
HrH.