The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-12-02

tarsous tot stick, and to save tkeirI9Aare.
The milesof outside fences, II disRensed e Tan,
ssle TSea al sa g have have good pastaresF oE ehfiahed
srsfsts for soiling .purpdses. II wonld asoen-
abse the 1armerto clear good spots OF landtn
dafached parcels, as across public roadsS aIong-
Winding branches, between barren ridges, &C,
which are often useless on account OF tne coss
of fencing them; or the good and me oaa iana
mnst be taken as 1t comes, 10 gel-neioS- ~ I"
body"
It is difficult to estimate the total invest
ment in the State, in outside fences. A
careful calculation, based upon the census
of 1850, gives the following result: 4,ooo,-,
600 acres OF improved lands, worth atethis
time $40, 900, 900, enclosed by 100, 900 miles
of outside fencing, the fencing costing for
its original construction, SIT, oOO' be-
sides encumbering and rendering valueless
100, 900 acres of land, worth $500, 1000. The
duration of such fences varies from four to
fifteen years, according to timber and other
circumstances, apart from casualties Oh
floods and fires; but the annual cost OF re-
pairs cannot be less than 10 per CENT or
ST, 600, 900, equivalent to a tax OF 40 cents
an acre on all improved lands in the State,
or per cent. OF its value, being just eight
times the rated tax, State and county, we
shall have to pay on the same property next
year. To this should be added at least .
per cent. interest on the original cost, max
ing the tax Is per cent, or IS cents per
acre. --t l:i .'. il-''i =
These statements may appear to be ex-
travagant but they are fully borne out by
the experience of:the whole country. Some
years ago the cost Of the fences OF the
United States-"those unproductive monu-
"ments OF art"-were estimated by .Burknap
at more than tweaty times the amount OF
specie in the country. More recently their
total first cost is placed at near $1,000, o0O,-
600, and the roadside and boundary fences
as exacting an annual tax averaging 81 30
on every acre of improved land in the coun-
try. Nearly a generation ago, Mr.. Biddle
estimated the. cost Of the fences OF Pennsyl-
'vania at s1OO, ,0OO, 900; and. the annual re-
pairs at SIC, ,OOO, 600. Yet Pennsylvania had
then but about double the amount OF i'm
proved land OF South Carolina General
Wcrthington estimates their cost in Ohio at
sl15, 900, 900. Ohio had about two-and-a-
third times the improved land OF South Car
olina. With about three times the improved
land in New York, Its fences cost, according
to Robinson, sl44, 600, 900. Mr.. Prince esti:
mates the cost OF annual repairs on the two.
thirds OF the fences OF Maine that are made
OF wood, on farms Of over twenty acres ex-
tent, at near 100000. The total i'm
proved land OF Maine is about one-half that
OF South Carolina. Illinois is said to have
ten times the fencing Of Germany, and
Duchess County, New York.. more than all
France. And in 1864 the question was
summed up in the illinois Agricultural Re
port as follows: "The fences OF the United
Estates have cost more than the houses,
.'cities included; more than the ships, boats
land vessels Of every description, which sail
"the ocean, lakes and rivers; more than our
manufactures Of all kinds, with their ma
"chinery; more than any one class OF prop
"erty, aside from real estate, except 1t may
"be the railroads of our country"
= We sincerely hope that the interior press
will again take up this important subject.
Virginia has State fence law, which may
be adopted or rejected byIa majority Of the
citizens OF each county and is OF force only
in the counties which adopt it. We believe
that Alabama has similar Law, and Geor-
gia is moving in the same direction. A
member OF the South Carolina Legisla-
ture has already given notice Of q bill rela-
ting to fences, and We think that with
little explanation and persuasion, we may
obtain this session the passage OF o new
fence law which,, without injuring the large
landholders, will be substantial benefit to
every man who holds small farm, or who
hopes, one Of these days, TO have home
stead OF his own. .-..