Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1869-04-09

IA some cxpesicsce with
S23 plion of fence, and being
Dkkcd that a Car cheaper, bet.
more durable fence can be
- Nth wire than with pine boards,
4 lily give tlaose who are inexpe-
$4,000, my method Of constructing
- wire fessos. Having built such
- tsose last spring, aud pasturcd Is
hcsd Ut fs~r year-old steers Oh one
side Oft, while gang Of 50 cows
Wcre on the other side till jane LIST,
whs4 corn was planted where the
COWS had pastorcd, and ~ the fence
proved perfect barrier to this stock,
! think I cannot illustrate my mean
ing better than BY telling juss how l
built the said fence, especially as DO
not ace h,s could improve upon Il.
The fence i 80 rode In length; the
poets used, cedar averaging about
fever inches in diameter. TIE wire 10
No. 9 { which IA always boot Dis
lance apart Of these posta, l2 feet
The Squire and I the squirc's land
joincs this fence, had set the stakcs
for The line, end just as sooa ~ the
frost was out OF the ground in the
spring, armed ~ith . good SHARP
pointed crowbar, = 10 foot pole and .
good strong line, I commenced TO
make the holes for the posts. By
,irus,ing the bar into the soft earth.
an6 working it back and forth and
right and left, hole 10 soon formed
two 10 two aud one half feet deep
and four inches across % The top. Il
took me one day to drin he holes for
this fence.
The posts, previously sharpened,
were then loaded into wagon. on
the fore end, and the team driven
ast,ide the row Of holes, the wagon
passing each hole about three feet be.
tore the team was stopped for the
post to be driven. The epd-hoard
was taken out, and . man startling
with ore foot on either side board Of
the wagon box, with . good cast-iron
maui, viii soon settle . post. II the
holes are half 6lled with water, 20
much the better, and it does not
strain . man 90 much TO let the maui
descend between his leges and then
raise it vertically, ~ to swing it .
around horizontally ~ is necessary
when standing on . bench.
The next step was TO pass along
with an AZ and smooth one side Of
posts in erde, to mark them for the
wires. Then . measure was made
by saving nosches in piece of board
~ follows: The first vie II inches
from the ground the first space seven
inches second space nine inches
third space eleven inches. -Four
wires, and the fence three feet eigh,
inches high.
Nsxt put good brace and one
halt inch bit into the hands Of man
60 bore the holes for the wires, and
he bored them 10 one day. An an
Choir, or etraining post was set .,
each cad Of the fence, and one in the
middle. Eight or ten inches square
10 large enough for thess posts and
they require 10 be set very firm, and
also to have strong brace from the
scp Of them to the foot Of the searcst
Fence post to keep from pulling.
An inch anger is used to bore the
ssraining posts; and rollers, three to
four inches in diameter, eight inches
long to tighten The wires. A small
hole is bored through the center of
the roller to pass the wire through
and fasteu the end. Then half the
way between the center and each end
An inch hole is bored in opposite d.
rectioss 70 form . windlass for draw
! ing the wire, and to keep the rollers
in place, ~ inch pin is inserted under
each end OF roller in straining posts
and long enough for roller 10 rest
upon. A couple Of small iron bare,
say two feet long, ofthree fourths inch
iron IRE best for strainiag the wires.
Commencing 1t one end, one man
holds the coil Of wire, while another
passes along the posts, putting throug
the heles, and ifthese are not straight
his task IL not easy. Having run the
wires, and Strengthened them up, l
next proceeded to set small stakes
midway between the posts. driving
them into the ground six or eight
inches with IN x, and fastening the
wires to them with staples.
Next l proceeded to turn . coup
lie of good furrows against the posts,
and under the wires. II would be
better 10 plow on both sides, but !
did not like to open the fence TO ges
into the Squire's field. Two or three
throws thrown up 10 board or wire
fence, in this way is equal to m extra
board OF wire, - it keeps stock away
from the fence.-O. F. FARGO, In
Kenkexn Raxs.al