The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-03-30
From the Rural Carolinian.
Worm Fences and Stock Pens.

cannot be too often repeated. It should be
dinned into unheeding ears, and by reiterated
discussion, impressed on the common sense,
until the attention is not only arrested, but 1nr
terest and action are awakened and stimulated.
More than quarter of a century ago, the
subject of dispensing with the almost inter-
minable worm fences, which network the coun-
try, was brought in various forms to public no
tice. and since that time illusions to it have
often been made. The public accord, as far as
seen. has been unanimous and universal in con-
demnation of the practice, with the single ex-
ception of an otherwise able Germantown Pa
editor, who approves on the ground that it is
an evidence of advanced civilization. This
term is generally of vague meaning, and used
sometimes ad captandum vulgus to avoid or
suppress argument, and commend incongruities
IF restricted somewhat in its import, to refining
the manners, and promoting the arts and learn
ing, what application can it have to the art Of
zig-zag rail fence, beyond that required to
construct one of plank or Of metal7 Why not
employ this art to improve or embellish the
narrow enclosures to secure stock, rather than
the larger and more costly ones OF entire farmsY
And how will the one kind more polish the
manners or advance the learning, than the others.
Besides civilization is based on uses All night
things in this world are founded on their pur-
suit, for a certain good religion divulges the
fact. and persuades to conviction by the amp
lest satisfactory illustrations that the degrees
of happiness enjoyed beyond the span of hu-
man fife, are shown in the gradations OF devo-
ton. in the infinite variety of yocations, to the
performance of uses. Wherefore, the useful
ness or necessity of these worm fences Is ques-
toned, and will be briefly discussed.
With the altered system Of labor among US,
these fences have become more expensive than
formerly, and with the probable great reduction
of stock Of all kinds, they have become more
pressingly, because unnecessarily burthensome.
In some countries, as England, France, Ger
many, Belgium, fences are partially or wholly
abolished, excepting for enclosures OF yards tor
ornament, and of lots for work and other anil
mails. If cattle are not "soiled," that IS. Kept
up and fed the year round, they are herded to
grass, with attendants to prevent their lntrt!-
sion on cultivated fields.
Few taxes are so heavy On our timo and la
bor. 10 saw nothing of the destruction of our
forests. as the building and repairing fences.
See the cost of the practice-a practice origin.
ating partly in the ownership Of vast tracts OF
wood lands, and extrayagant waste in all our
economies, and continued, through habit, in
herited from our forefathers, or from mere In
ertness in readily adopting Improvements. 1t
need not be said, from want Of legislative en-
actments-full as legitimate as permitting an
| incorporated city to confscate all swine estray
| in the streets-because these would have fol-
lowed q wide spread and earnest disposition, Oh
the part of the people, to change their policy.
An estimate Of the fencing, in South Carroll
ma, nearly thirty years ago, placed the number
of miles at 100000. Take this as basis OF
calculation, although, probably, by one-hali'
under the marx. The number of rails re-
qnred for (1o) ten-rail fence, with riders,
is about (9,O0O) nine thousand for one mile,
and for ali these miles, nine hundred mil.
lions 1900 600, ,OOO.) Their value, taking into
account the worth of the timber, the splitting,
the hauling, and putting up, would be very
moderately placed at (S10O) hundred dollarD
per mile, amounting, in the aggregate, to tho
astounding sum of ten millions 10000, ,O00) of
dollars. The State interest being seven per
cent. and the annual decay of these fences
about (13) thirteen per cent, or their duration
about (7l seven years, the annual interest on
this investment is (20) twenty per cent, or two
millions (2,OO0,000) of dollars.
All this immense outlay of capital more
than sufficient to purchase all the 1--we STOCK OF
the State-for by the census Of 1850 its entire
value, at high rates, was ,lSl5,OoO,OOO) hfteen
millions of dollars, and its numbers are re re-
duced now to about one-fourth, with prices It-
tie, if any higher, is incurred solely to allow
our cattle and swine the benefit of generally
moor range. If the labor required to build and
repair these fences were withdrawn, ana ap.
nlied to the crops, 1t would increase them suf.
| hciently to enable US to buy the larger part OF
the meat for plantation consumption, while, II
the necessity for keeping them up no Longer
| existed, we might dispose of the large reserYa-
tions of land lying idle, otherwise than to sup
nlv timber for rails. In the disposal OF these
reservations, what bounties, II need De, mlght
he offered toward desirable immigration And
what relief from the oppressive land ta1-to
the present large landholders especially-w
has already impoverished or bankrupted so
MANY persons, and threatens to drive from the
State numbers of her valuable citizens, while
from these sales the means would be furnished
of living more comfortably than now, and our
people be compacted into more social propln-
auity, leading by close contact and mental COL
| lisions, to progress and refinement.
Abandoning the general system CT fencing,
which can be done promptly by abollshlng the
fence law would render necessary the enclos-
inc our stock, for that part of theyear, at least
hefween seed time and harvest, or the pastu-
r;no them. under the care of herdsmen, to pre-
vent iniury. But this enclosing could be made,
not only remunerative for the trouble and e1-
pense attending it, but highly profitable IN ag-
ricultural results. =,
Hogs, when properly attended in pens :. OF u
lots, have exceeded 500 pounds in weight H1ng at q
wear od-the white Chester breed, ooo pounoS
Of fourteen or sixteen months, and as much as
I oSO rounds at twenty-ene months, increasing,
for short periods, as rapidly as three or tour
pounds day. While each one, when amply
spupplied p with peat or pond mud, straw and rot
sop GOOD or charcoal, has manufactured, in the
wear , three cords, or over three hundred bushels
1f excellent manure Thus the manure alone
would pay for the feeding, and the increase OF OF
Hesh over the ordinary accumulation from our
seant ussn range-l5O pounds At the utmost in 3
vear-would be net gain. The hogs, too, wouio
be kept from mischieft to ourselves or our nelgnii