The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1873-01-18
TIE FENCE LAW.

counties Of the State, and has created
the gravcst concern among our leading
agricuturists, and widespread desirs
that the existing fence law should be,
as soon as possible, repealed.
As there has been for some tine a
great difference of opinion in our Sta
as to the legal provisions which should
be ostablished'in regard to the subject of
fencing, | desire to giye,,at some length,
some Of the reasonspwhich induce me to
recommend the abolition of our present
laws and the substitution of others.
'2st. The building of fence, includ
ing the splitting and hauling OF the
rails, is tax upon the capital and lab II
of the farmer equal, it is estimated, to
at least ono.third of the market value of
our average cotton lands The money
and work thus expended would if APP
piled to the cultivation of the land in.
crease, by very large percentage, both
the area cultivated aud the pro luctiun
thereof
I'd. Vast bodies of arabic land that
are now untitled for want of fencing
timber, aud for which, on that account.
there is no sale, would readily find
purchasers among our agricultural labor
ers, aud be yic ding plentiful harv SITS,
thus cheapcning many of the noccssaries
Of life, aud adding to the wealth Of the
State.
Sd. To require the farmer to fence
out his neiehnors stock, instead of re.
quiring the owner OF the stock to fence
it in, is palpablc act of injustice, and
monstrous instance Of folly, in State
whose wealth is agricultural, aud de
pends almost entirely on tilayc and not
on pasturagc.
Why should l be required to build o
fence around my farm, at heavy cost,
in order to keep my nciehbor's cow ov'
of my growing crop, when l d rive no
benefit from that COW?
Why should lis property Consisting
OF n few rowing animals, be more sacr,,i
in the eye of the law than the few acres
from which, by Industrious toll, de
rive my daily bread :?
Is it not just and lair that every man
should be required to exercise reasonable
care to: his own property, and not sub
jcct his ncighbor to any cost to prevent
that property becoming the means OF
injury to any other class of property?
4th. The fences themselves U .c,,py
considerable portion of the cleared land.
thus reducing the cultivated area.
5lh. In II opurton as the demand for
fencing timlcr cxhausts the supply OF
trees in any locality, he price Of wood
for fuel increases. which is IA con,id err
alton of great moment in n country
where there is no development oe strata
of coal
9th Science and experience unite to
prove that, in regions where the forests
are being exhausted, the fall OF rain i.
| roportionally lcssend, a..'l the lands
are rarchcd BY long druua hts that not
only destroy vegetation, but, from the
failure of water, prove fatal to stock OF
all kinds that arc permitted to run at
lar, C. | have read that this is notably
tho case in the prairie belt Of Texas aud
New Mexico aud have bccu reliably
informed that it is sirikingly exhibited
in those sections of Virginia where. in
tho late war, the trees wee destroyed
for fuel and other purposes along the
liLts OF military encampments.
7lh. Cattle and other other stock can
be fenced in more cleal.ly and securely
than they can be fenced out.
Sth. The system Of fencing in stock,
while it lessons the original expcns. of
establishing farm, will tond to increase
the yield per acre, by preserving n large
quantity Of the natural nanurcs, for ap.
plication to the Tiled soil.
9th. Enclosed pnstur:s will tend to
incite among our agrIcultnrists the cul-
tivation of improved grasses, aud also to
an improvement in the breed Of stock
in both of which particulars South
Carolina is far behind most of her sister
8tatc. ~
10th. Oar farmers may be better en-
ablcd to rest their lands, by cultiyating
several tracts i'm rotation, without the
necessity of fencing each, thus rccupcr-
ating soils that are threatened with to
tai exhaustion by continuous cultivation