The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-01-18
Fences and Fencing.

ington instituted a very thorough investi-
CATION into the amount and cost Of fences
in the United States, and embodies the re-
suits Of the investigation in one Of lis late
reports. The census aifording little or no
information on the subject, and many Of the
correspondents Of tho Bureau being COM
petent to give little information Of def
mite character, the task involved great la
Dor and the calculations and conclusions,
may be somewhat wanting in defniteness.
Putting the amount Of fencing and It's cost
at the lowest figures, that is the cost when
built; addto it the cost of one years re-
pairs, and the figures stand as follows ST.
946,s56,l13.
This exhibit makes the cost Of fences, in
the entire country, very nearly equal to the
Government debt, and little over the es-
timated value Of all the farm stock and an
finals in the United States. For every
dollar invested in stock, another dollar is
invested in fencing. Now it is difficult to
say whether this necessary expenditure
for fencing is caused by the danger of a
neighbor's stock trespassing upon mans
farm, or the danger of a mans stock tres
passing upon his neighbor's cultivated
fields And it may be nice question
whether fencing is intended to retain corn
from trespassing upon cattle, or to restrain
cattle from trespaSsing upon corn. There
is no doubt, however, that the fence invest
ment is very Large one, and the necessity
for which, in many instances, works great
hardship. 1t is, in short, very heavy tax
far greater than that which he has to pay foi
the support of his government in many in
stances, which is imposed upon him by his
richer neighbors. To illustrate A has
four or Eve acres of land from which he
keeps COW and one or more horses, his
necessities and his interests unite in oblig-
ing him to keep his little stock within a
stable or barn yard, therefore his stock
can't trespass upon any one. B, c and
d are large land holders adjoining A, and
have a great deal Of stock which of course
runs at large, and A is therefore taxed to
the amount Of cost Of fencing for his little
lot to keep his richer neighbor's property
from destroying his support. A young man
adopts Mr.. Greeley's advice, and emigrates
to the West: at cost of 5000 or $500, he
becomes the possessor of 100 acres of land
and fixes up to live on it. He does not
need fencing, yet to protect himself against
the large stock owner, who allows hundreds
of his cattle to roam where they please, the
young man is obliged to invest $500 or
$1,000 in fencing. Here the poor man
is obliged to pay a tax of S. to Sc per
acre on his land in the shape of fencing,
which his rich neighbor does not have to
pay.
Fully three-fourths of the fencing in the
State of Maryland, is unnecessary under
proper laws, and burden upon property
owners to prevent injury from their neigh
boris trespassing cattle. The estimated
value of the fencing in Maryland is $780,
100000. The annual cost ofkeeping this
fencing in repair is said to be Is per cent.
II is an important question to farmers and
land owners, whether, at least, one-half Of
this very large amount of money cannot be
released from its present investment and so
invested as to be more profit. 1t is now
worse then real capital, for heavy annual
percentage must be paid to keep up the
fences. In some Of the Northern States
the experiment has been tried of placing
cattle owners under bonds to keep their
cattle from trespassing upon their neigh
bors it has worked very well where ever
tried, and is rapidly growing in favor; in
many villages, and frequently in whole coun-
ties fence will not be seen except about
barns. The money which had been invest
ed in fences, being invested in other farm
Improvement; cattle are kept confined and
fed in their stables or barn yard the man.
urial resources of stock husbanded and the
way prepared for great profit.