The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-05-12

and L press upon you plan, which i
properly carried out, will without lessening
the value Of your surplus lands to your
selves, enable you to put them to immi
grants practically at several dollars an acrt
less than under existing laws.
The idea is an old one; it is familiar to
you and has been thoroughly discussed,
though l fancy not generally in the light in
which | am about to present it allude to
what is termed in Virginia
A "FENcE LAW"
in some of the States, "Stock law" in
others, to law which instead of requiring
! farmers to fence each others stock OIL,
shall compel each one to fence his own
stock an, and so do. away with those
expensive enclosures altogether.
Asst now stands you have few fences
which are lawful fences, or as they are
styled in your epigrammatic way, fences
that are "horse high, bull strong, and pig
tight"
You know the hard feelings which are
engendered among neighbors on account of
fences. How expensive they are, and the
difficulties they are now causing between
landlord and tenant.
| NlC vi JllC CfllS vi lCuClllR OuL Is, as
you know, to encourage the raising of in
ferior breeds of stock. The owner who
turns his cattle out to range and feed upon
what they can get, takes but little care Ct
them. Require him to keep them up, and
thus being obliged to care for them he will,
as you say, soon discover that scrubs and
scata,cags eat just as much as the best
breeds, and the best breeds are therefore
the most preferable. And so fence law
among its many collateral advantages, will
increase our consideration for the dumb
brute-a great Christian virtue--as we'll as
improve the breeds. The farmers of the
different States where / have been are
much
EXERCISED UPON THIS SUBJECT.
Some estimate the expenses of good
lawful fence, where timber is abundant, at
$500 the acre enclosed others, where tim
Der is scarce, use large figure.
Let us assume, and [ believe we shall
not be far out, that to build fence and
keep it in repair, will cost $500 per en-
closed acre every seven years that is at
the average rate of 43 cents the acre the
year. Now, 43 cents is the lawful interest
upon s7.17. Therefore when any immi-
grant, as matters now stand, comes to
you and bargains for land at $500 the acre,
it is really costing him sl2.14, for besides
parting with his $500 in. payments to you,
he has to expend the interest upon SLY
forever in keeping up his fences.
1t seems to me that the estimate of the
interest upon $7.17 the acre enclosed, as
the cost Of fencing, is rather, on the long
run, under than over the mark, for to this
cost should be added the damages of tres
pass in consequence of jumping cattle and
bad fences, which you know some people
will keep, also in consequence of gates left
open, bars left down, &c. l doubt whether
the interest on ten dollars the acre would,
under the present law, satisfy the cost of
fences and the damage by trespass, the
state through.
THESE COSTS AND DAMAGES,
though not always palpable, are neverthe-
less burden upon you as grievous as the
tax bill, and therefore it is for your own
immediate good as well as for the benefit
of the stranger that you invite to come
among you, that you should strive to set
them aside.
Suppose, therefore, when you invite him
to come, you can tell him that your state
has fence law; he will be quick to per-
ceive that that is worth to him and his the
interest on some $500 or $1,000 forever.
Nebraska has fence law, Missouri not
they are adjoining states, but Missouri has
the best climate and soil I; yet they told me
there the other day that that law, and that
alone, was turning the tide of immigration
away from Missouri and pouring it into
Nebraska. Therefore set to work, might
and main, raise your "fence committee"
and bid them stir up the farmers, their
clubs and societies, in all parts o: your
two states, to the end that they may bring
in each state united pressure upon the
legislature for good fence law.