Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-29

Generation after generation had been ac-
customed to see cattle of all kinds turned
out at large, and felt as If their crops
could not be possibly secured, except by
fences. And thus it happened, that when
all the conditions which gave rise to the
system in question had passed away, the
old plan still prevailed, like the chills of
autumn, pursuing and attacking the pa
tient after the freezes of winter have des-
troyed sll malaria.
"The expanded ideas, moreover, con-
nected with a large range, very naturally
gave rise to the patriarchal idea of large
fiocks, and as the range became conTac-
ted and poorer, no matter if the beasts
became poorer, the same numoer must
be kept; the patriarchal idea, like the
chill, also hung on TO its victim, and if
the thought of fencing in the stock and
turning out the crops ever reached the
threshold of the farmers mind, the ques-
ton of where can l fence in a pasture
big enough, at once barred out all further
entrance.
''The present condition of the country
affords an extremely favorable opportuni-
ty of revising our opinions, examining
into the policy of old ussges, and especi-
ally of making changes which may be
deemed expedient for the general welfare.
And this is especially true of the matter
under discussion. The stock of the South
is much reduced compared with ante
bellum times, and the fences are so far
gone that they must either be dispensed
with or rebuilt. What shall be done?
1t seems TO us the matter is in large
measure one of dollars and cents; if it is
cheaper to let stock run at large and fence
in crops, than to fence in stock and turn
out the crops, other things being equal,
then the old system ought still to prevail
if not, let it be abandoned.
"The statement has been made by the
advocates Of a stock law, that the cost of
making and repairing fences, as hereto
fore done, exceeds the marketable value
of all the stock in the country, leaving
out horses and mules, which is proper, as
they are seldom turned out on the
range"
The Farmer and artisan has the
following on the cost of fences. We
know from calculation which we made,
less than year ago, that the fencing on
our farm cost, at least, one dollar per
acre for each acre in cultivation. Let
our farmers make some calculation on the
subject and lei the subject be ventilated.
We would be pleased to publish any sug-
gestions:
"a writer in the Illinois Agricultural
Report for 1864 says: '"The fences of
the United States have cost more than the
houses-cities included; more than the
ships, boats and vessels of every descrip-
ton which sail the ocean, lakes and
rivers; more than our manufactures of
all kinds, with their machinery; more
than any one class of property, aside
from real estate, except It may be the
railroads OF our country" This may
seem like an exaggerated statement, but
let US look at the estimate:
"The first cost of the fences of New
York State was between 800, 000,000
and $3.50, 600. Robinson gives it as
$l4+, 900, 900. Assuming this to be ap-
prOximately correct, and estimating the
first cost of the fences of other States on
the same basis, we have, as the total first
expense of the fences of the whole coun-
try, the vast sum of 81, 296, 100000.
"This requires to berenewed oncein ten
years, giving 1929, 6OO,0 as the annual
cost, to which should be added, however,
at least half as much more for repairs,
making the aggregate of 1874, 400, 900 as
the annual national expense sum, we
believe, below the actual figures, yet quite
beyond comprehension. Nicholas Biddle
estimated that the fence tax of Penn
sylvania was 100000 year. Gen.
James T. Worthington, of Ohio, says that
there are 100000 acres of land in
Ohio enclosed with 40, 900 miles of fences
at prime cost of $115, 900, 900, and at
yearly expense for repairs, ETC., of
81, $50, 900.
eff roadside and boundary fences can
be dispensed with, half the cost of fenc-
cling will be saved That cost is now an
annual tax of $3.50 on every acre of i'm
proved land in the United Ststes-the
fence tax being twice or thrice as great
as the aggregate of the States and local
tayao combined aybihit -