The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-12-17
Fences or No Fences!

The question of fences or no fences is
one that has long sgitated the farmers of
the country. 1t is, from a money point
of view, of the greatest importance.
since there is no doubt that the fences of
the country represent fully one-half of
the improvements of farms. To the
farmers throughout the prairie regions of
the West 1t becomes most vital ques-
ton, since, from the scarcity of fencing
material, it has to be carried long dis
tances on wagons, or, as in the majority
OF instances, it must be bought with
cash after being transported long dis
tances by railroad. With lumber at six
teen dollars per thousand, and posts at
thirteen dollars per 100, the cost of ma
terial at the railroad station, including
nails, will be eighty cents per rod. If to
this we add moving to place and labor in
building, the cost will be increased to
one dollarper rod. To inclose a quarter
section therefore will cost 1920. Subdi-
vide this section into forty acre fields and
average fence will need renewal once in
ten years, making the annual cost of
fencing sixty-tour dollars, certainly more
than the weaf and tear On the average
160-acre farm in the West. Id older-set-
fully keep pace with other farm inn
provements, so there is no need of car
rylng the estimate further.
There are, in round numbers, 26,00O, 600
acres of improved land in Illinois On the
basis upon which we have calculated it
would cost $104, 10000 to fence the
farms into fortyacre fields. The valr e
of the live stock in Illinois is greater
than that of any other State in the Union,
New York excepted, being in round nun
bers, according to the census of 1870
$l50,0OO, 600 The annual profit deriva-
BILE from this source may be Sl5,000,00
fence wears out in ten years. If to its
cost we add 10 per cent. on the invest
ment, we have 20 per cent. as the depre-
citation Of fencing per year; this would
make the yearly cost of the fencing in
Illinois about $50, 900, 900, S., OOO, 900 more
than the interest on the investment on
cattle.
Will it pay to fence cattle out in Hi
nois? The Western Rurdi thinks from
these figures it will pay better to fence
them in, in many sections, at least, and,
in others, to modify this system by par
tial herding. If it will not pay in Hi
nos to fence certainly it will not in any
other State. We know that in sections
where the nofence system is in force, in
Livingston County, H., for instance, the
plan works satisfactorily. We have
there seen cattle driven to and fro to pas
ture on roads with cultivated crops on
each side, without serious trouble, and
herded close up to the corn line without
difficulty; for if commenced with in
the spring, they soon learn that they must
not break over the dead line. Indeed
I,,t l. IL. I.
VIII IN the herdsman's task is difficult 1t
is true the farmers cannot afford herds
men and horses for small numbers of
cattle, but in this case it is certainly
cheaper to fence his stock in than fence
them out of his fields
In Nebraska we believe the State law
throws upon the owner of stock the
onus of keeping his stock from straying
upon his neighbors' land or, in other
words, it compels the owners of stock to
fence in their animals, thus obviating
the necessity of building fences about
crops. This gives up large space to
cultivation-no small matter, and one
which we have not taken into account in
our estimate.
In Illinois and in some other States the
law allows townships and counties ~
vote for or against fencing. The State
of Georgia is to decide this fall on the
fence question. We hope to see the mat
ter thoroughly canvassed everywhere,
believing as we do that the fencing in of
farms is an expense which should no
longer be borne by farmers, at least in
prairie counties.
We have taken Illinois as the State
from which 10 draw our deductions, first,
because the stock interest in this State is
greater than that of any other State in
the Union; and while this is the case
she has fair amount of timber 096
per cent? in proportion to her cleared
and prairie lands-within about ) per
cent of the quantity that European ex-
periments have demonstrated as the pro-
portion necessary to the best results in
the tillage of farm crops. Now, what
the farmers Of Illinois and the entire
West especially want to decide is:
Which will pay best, to fence in the
stock, to fence them out, or to abolish
the fencing of fields entirely and depend
upon herding, using only SO much fence
as may be necessary for yards, ETC. This
must be decided according to the circum-
stances and especial wants of localities
Western Rural