Nebraska advertiser., 1870-03-24
ences--.Hedres--Herd Law.

Fenees--Hedges--Herd Law.
The question of fences and herd
law are becoming, all over the cOun-
try, the most prominent and impor-
tant OF any other in which the farm
er, and agriculture generally, are in
tercsted. In the old and timbered
States the subject is being discussed,
more, II possible, than In u W
prairie country. New York, Ohio,
Indiana and Missouri, are particularly
agltating the question, and the weight
Of opinion is decidedly I'm favor Of
what we call out here, a Herd Law"
That Is, that fences are, OF ought to
be, to keep stock ia, not out. That
stock has no right as cOmmOners to
roam, at pleasure, in the highways,
or over other peoples lands besides
their owners. Besides these points,
the stem Of expense of blackboard
and rail-fences Is being investigated,
and found, even in timbered cOun-
tries, TO be over burthensome, and
farmers find it necessary to get rid Of.
this heavy expense.
Let US make n few figures on fences.
II any one can build a board or rail
fence for less than 81 so a rod they
can beat our experience. At this rate
it VIII cost $500 to fence a quarter sec
ton Of land, TO say nothing Of parti-
ton fences. It will cost 10 per cent.
Of this amount each year to keep it
up; 500. The intsrest OF the invest
ment is 10 per cent. more; 500 annu-
ally. This class Of fence is gone In
ten years, and thus the farmer has
been taxed ia that time the original
investment, $500; ten years in keep
ing it up, $500 more, and the interest
on the original investment, $3.50, to
say nothing of the interest OH the ex-
penses Of keeping up fences. We have
a grand total In ten years of $3.50,
for each quarter section, or II hum
dred and sixty acres of land, and the
farm, Without a fence.
Now give the same man a chance
TO build a live-hedge-fenceand see the
difference. A hedge fence can be plant
ed, and successfully established for
about eighteen cents a rOd--say twenty
for round numbers. We find the ac-
tuaI outlay for the same quantity Of
land to be SIPS 20. twenty-five dol
lars a year, for three years, will culti-
vate the hedge, at which time it
ought to be ready 70 turn out, and all
expense, Of any amount, at an end.
This makes the sum total S2O3, and the
farmer has a fence that win last him
and his children's children for ages.
The difference in actual expense Dr.
outlay, is as between $2O3, and $3.50,
which is $2,677 to each tract Of 100
acres of land, or SIS, 43s for each town
ship, six miles square. There is this
much saved TO the farmer alone in
fences, to say nothing of the value of
Of the hedge fence, and the additional
value OF land in other respects.
We profess TO be holding out induce
ments for the man Of limited means
the poor man-to come to our prai-
RE country and make him a home. If
ne does so, and proposes to raise corn
and wheat, we subject him to this
enormous expense to fence in his crops,
while his neighbours cattle may range
over the prairie at pleasure. There is
no Justice in this-all wrong from be-
ginning to end.
All this can be avoided by the pas
sage Of q general Herd Law. This
thing Of excepting this, that or the
other county or precinct is simply
nonsense Of the hugest proportions.
You can't learn stock to respect the
boundary lines, and there is no use 70
talk of it.
We are confident the people are be-
ginning to understand this question,
and will act wisely by giving no rest
until our Legislature passes the re-
quired act. We venture the assertion
that Il a vote was submitted to-day to
the people of Nemaha county, who
are directly Interested, it would result
handsomely In favor Of a Herd Law.