Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-01-30
Gov. Moses on the Fence Law.

L OVi iOt0
Gov. Moses on the Fence Law.
This week we, lay before onr read
efs that chapter of Gov. Moses mes'
sage which refers to tile Fence Law.
His reasoning in favor of the '9 abel. aboli
ton OF. the existing Fence Law Seems
foroible- eat all events, plausible ssBut
as the mass Of our, readers, are sagM-
cultural gentlemen, we lsasEys'i them hSsmG5t' to
form their own opinions :.offthis i'm
portant matter: '''lastp,t;.'1 q .l;i:o
The very y: large large % Consumption a4 tt 'f of
timber, for fencing Fl purposes, threat:
ems. speedily to exhaust the forest
trees in many counties Of the State,
and has created the .grayest, concern
among our leading agriculturists, and d
a,wide spread desire, that the exist
ing fence Jaw should bs, ljas se9pn aa =!
possible, repealed ii .a.,on. ,. 4rqd
Aathere has heen for some. time a
great difference, ofoopinion in our
State as to- eilegall provisions which
should be established In regard to, the
subject of fencing, II: desire ito igiYei
at some length, some of the reasons
which induce me to recommend tthe
abolition of cur present. laws; and the
substitution of, others, II oyie !s1 ote.iw
7alst. The d building Of "a fence, tin
cluding the splitting andr hauiing'ofi
the rails, isa tax upon the capital
and labor Of the farmer, equal" it is
estimated, to- at least one-third Of the
market value Of our average cotton
lands. Tie money and work thus
expended would, if applied to the
cultivation Of the land, increase, by
a very large per centaga, both the
area cultivated - q and u the ss production EFe on
I'd. Vast; bodies b,d1ii; ! Of arabic land,
that are now untitled for want Of
fencing timber. and for which, on
that account, there is no SALE, would
then find ready purchasers among our
agricultural laborerss and be yielding
plentiful haryests,. thus cheapening
many of tie necessaries Of life, and
adding to the wealth Of the State.
Sd. To require the farmer to fence
out his 1neighbor's stock, instead Of
requiring the owner Of the stock to
fence it in, is a palpable act Of injus;
tice, and a mionstrous instancsgf fol-
ly in a State whose wealth is agricul-
tural, and depends almost entirely
on tillage, and not on pasturage, :,
Why should I be required to build
a fence around my. farm, at a heavy
cost, in order to keep my neighbors
cow out of MY growing crop, when
I derive no benefit from that cow ~
Why should his property, consist
ing OF a few rowing animals, be more
sacred in the eye of the law than
the few v acres, flom which, by indus.
trious toll, 1 derive my daily bread ?
{, Is it not just and fair, thai every
man should be, required, ito exercise ,IlIy, sc
reasonable, care for his own property,
and not subject MS nelgnnor 70 any
cost. to prevent that property becom-
ing the means of injury to any other
class Of property? ~.ia.,,.
4th. The fences themselves occupy
a considerable portion of the cleared
land, thus reducing the cultivated
area. e,,i4.,.Y-. us
5th. In proportion as the demand
for fencing timber exhausts the'sup-
ply of trees in any locality, theprlce
of wood for fuel increases, which is
a consideration Of great moment in
country where there is no develop
ment Of strata of coal.
9Th. Science and experience unite
to prove that, in regions where the
forests are being exhausted, the fall
of rain is prcportionally lesssned,
and the lands IRE parched by long
drought, that not only destroy vege-
tation, but, from the failure of water,
prove fatal to stock of all kinds that
are permitted to run at large. | have
read that this is notably the case in
The prairie belt of Texas and New
and have been reliably in.
formed that it is strikingly exhibited
in those sections Of Virginia where,
in the late war. the trees were de-
stroyed for fuel and other purposes,
along the lines of military encamp-
ments. i,
9TH. Cattle and other. stock, can
be fenced in more cheaply and Sc
,urely than they can be fenced out.
sth. The system offencing N stock,
while it lessons the original expense
IF establishing farm will tend TO
increase the yield per acre. by pre-
serving large quantity of the nat |
lral manures, for application ID the
Tiled soil. i
9th. Enclosed pastures will tend
to incite among our agriculturlsts the
of improved grasses. and
also to an Improvement inthe breed
,f stock :, in both Of which particu-
Iars South Cardinals far behind most
,f her sister States.
10th. Our farmers may. be better |
enabled to rest their lands, by cult
7ating several tracts in rotation,
without the necessity Of fencing each,
,husrecuperating soils that are threat |
,ned with total exhaustion BY con-
;inuous cultivation, unaided by prop |
Or fertilizers. a.,..
18th. The fence law repels the
agricultural immigrants Of the North
,rn n States, whose cultivated indus
;ry and thrifty modes Of farming are
10 much needed in this State, where
here are three acres Of arabic land
wing fallow for every acre there is |
hat is titled. That most valuable