The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1873-01-18
THE FEN e LAW.

counties of the State, and has created
the gravcst concern among eur leading
agrlculturists, and widespread desire
that the existing fence law should be,
as soon as possible, repealed
| AS there, has beoui for some tine a
great difference of opinion in our Sta e
as to the legal provisions which should
be cstab!ished)in regard TO- the subject of
fencing, desire to give, mt some length,
some Of the reasonsswhielfiuduce me to
recommend the abolition of our present
laws and the substitution Of others.
'2st. The building of feace, includ
ing the splitting and hauling OF the
rails, is tax upon the capital and lab "
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 ap-
piled 10 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, and for which, on that account, =,
there is no sale, would readily fud
purchasers among our agricultural labor
ers, and be yic ding plentiful harry SITS,
thus cheapcning many Of the necossaries
of life, aud adding to the wealth of the
State.
Sd. To require the farmer to fence
out his neiehnor's stock, instead of re.
quiring the owner OF the stock to feuce
it in, is palpablc act OF injustice, and
monstrous instance of folly, in u State
whose wealth is agricultural, ard de
pends almost entirely on tillayc and not
on pasturngc.
Why should l be required to build
fence around my farm at heavy cost
in ortlcr to keep my neighbours cow out
of my growing crop, when | drive no
beuefit from that COW?
Why should his property, Consisting
of few rowing animals, be more sacred
in the eye of the law than the few acres
from which, by Industrious toll, | dc
rive my daily brcnd
Is it rot just and lair that very man
should be required to exercise reasonable
care for his own property, and not sub
jcct his ncighbor 10 any cost to prevent
that property becoming the mems of
injury to any other class Of property?
4th. The fences themselves o.clpy
considerable portion Of the cleared laud,
tlius reducing the cultivated area.
5lh. In proportion as the demand for
fencing timber cxhaus,s the supply OF
trees in any locality, the price of wood
fer fuel increases. which is IA con,d err
atipn of great moment in u country
where there is no Development Of strata
Of coal.
9th Science and experience unite t.,
prove that, in regions where the forests
are being exhausted, the fall of rain i.
roportionally lcssend, aal the lands
are rarched by lung drou, hts that not
only destroy vegetation, but, from the
failure of water, prove fatal to stock OF
all kinds that aro permitted to run at
lar. c. ! have read tha, this is notably
tho case in the prairie belt Of Texas aud
New Mexico aud l have bccu reliably
informed that it is strikingly exhibited
in those sections of Virginia where. in
tho late war, the trees wee destroyed
for fuel and other purposes along the
liLcs OF military encampments.
7lh. Cattle and other other stock can
be fenced in more cheal.ly and securely
than they can be fenced out
Sth. The system of fencing in stock,
while it lessons the original expens. of
establishing farm, will tond to increase
the yield per acre, by preserving large
quantity of the na,ural nunurcs, for ap-
pIieation to the titled soil.
9th. Enclosed pastures will tend to
incite among our agrlcultnrists 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 behiud most of her sister
State. ~
10th. Our firmers may be better en-
ablcd to rest their lands, by cultivatny
several tracts in rotation, without the
necessity of fencing each, thus rccupcr
ating soils that are threatened with to
tai exhaustion by continuous cn;tiyat;,n