Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-03-25
Fences and Fencing.

As it is rather seldom that | see in print
anything about fencing, thought | would say
few words ON this subject. Fencing is one
OF the first and most important matters upon
the farm. Our lands may be rich and our
cultivation careful and laborious, but if We
have not good fences to protect our crops
these avail but little The truth of this il
seen, IN some instances, in the utter annihila.
ton of our crops. A. general rule, we dc
not see thrift and order in anything connected
with farm, unless there are good fences to
protect the crops.
Fences are important to the peace of neigh
horhoods. The man who keeps good fence.
Is usually good citizen and neighbor. Some
farmers act as though they thong ht every DAYS
work in building and repairing fences was lost
90 to my neighbor and tell him that his fence
is down and needs repairing. Perhaps he will
say, We'll, | will fix il up" But he pro-
crastinates, and it is not attended to. Again
| remind him that his poor fence exposes my
crops Again he promises, but the OBJ is not
done. Finally | 90 aud repair it myself
Now do not such men lack principle that
holds the community and the world together
in peace and friendship Some depend large
y ON dogs for fencing purposes This almost
invariably leads to trouble, hard words or hard
feelings.
have found that posts cut from the first
OF December to the first of March, last better
than those cut at any other season of the year.
| have put the top end in the ground some
times, but find, as the top end is the smallest.
At will rot off quicker. want my posts large.
II in clay soil, they need to be put three
feet deep, and the dirt trampled down hard.
so that the post will be as solid as if it grew
there. If in sandy or gravelly land, two or
two and half feet is as good as more, as they
viii not heaye out.
OF late years, | have cut my LOGS for fenc.
ing from ten to eleven feet long, and have
them sawed into boards from nine TO twelve
inches wide. set a post at each longth of
boards, without a middle post, so that, Il any
of the posts heaye out, there is no harm done
to the boards Where boards are from ten
to eighteen feet long you must have a middle
post, which breaks or splits the boards in case
II is raised more than the posts at the ends of
the boards. Lumber is growing scarce, and
soon we shall have to resort to stone for fences
Stone wall is the most permanent and durable
of any fence, and the cheapest in the end.
But it is quite trade to take large stones, and
put them into a good wall.
| look around to see the young men who
are learning this trade, and though | regard
it as matter of much Importance to be able
to manage the large bouldors that lie in our
helds' tire are none in our nolghborhood who
are serving the necessary apprenticeship.
On my own farm, take care to divide all
the outside fences with my neighboring abut.
tiers, and to have such division properly re-
corded. This makes il a permanent thing
and | am not troubled with any change of own.
orship that may take place in the adjoining
farms. O. Fosr,p
Tunbridge, w., Jan 1868.
-Nec England Farmer.