The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-03-07
Ghe farmer.
FARM FENCES.

important considerations demanding the
attention Of the farmers; and it is wonder
full that they should SO long submit to the
want Of proper Legislation in their respec-
tive States, which would relieve them from
this expensive and unnecessary burden.
An impression, almost as old as our
country itself, seems to exist that public
roads are public property, and that grass
which grows upon them is the common
property of all the inhabitants, upon which
their cattle may be turned to pasture.
This is great mistake, and one which
requires immediate correction, if for no
other reason than that it is very expen-
siye one to farmers. Public roads are, to
be sure, public property, but only for
special purposes. While.the public have
the right to pass and repass over them,
they have no other right than this, which
the law gives them, and no more substan-
tial claim to pasture their cattle upon the
road than upon the other side Of the fence,
in their neighbours field. The law allows
the public to use the land occupied by the
road to travel over, and whenever they
cease, either by operation of law or other
wise, to use il for that purpose, It again
becomes the property Of the owner Of the
farm through which it passes His is the
fee-simple right, 1t is very unjust that
either he who owns no land, or, owning il,
prefers to use that Of bis neighbors, should
be INDUCED in so manifest wrong. Il
is the duty Of the Legislatures Of all the
thickly settled States to protect the agri-
cultural interests of the country, providing
that cattle shall not run at large, but that
every man shall be compelled to take care
of and feed bis own stock, instead of turn,
ing it loose upon the highwayto depredate
upon the possessions Of his neighbor.
Money expended in fencing against
these depredations of strange cattle Is
sometimes disbursed so gradually that the
farmer does not actually realize how great
is the loss.
In the thickly-settled States, where the
farms are divided into ten or fifteen acre
fields, the cost Of fencing is enormous
Here there is used either wire, board, OIL
post-and-rail fences, and their cost varies
in different situations in proportion to the
cost Of materials, and these differ IN quail
ty. / have made an estimate Of the cosl
Of fencing in the interior farming district.
of Pennsylvania with the purpose Of show.
ing the comparative cost of different kind,
and qualities Of fence, as well as to point
out how enormous the cost is Of making
and keeping up either kind; and the cal
culation is equally applicable to most o.
the settled States Of the Union. And i
may be remarked, too, that this expens,
is annually increasing with the cost ant
scarcity Of material.
The estimate is made of the cost o.
eighty rods of fence, which, of course, vii
be modified and altered by the circum
stances which surround each particular
locality.
Eighty rods, locust posts and ehestnu
rails, viz; 1872 posts, mortised, at 10 cts.
s92.40; 655 chestnut rails, pointed, at l j
cents, s72.05; setting 1872 panels, at II
cents, $3.50; hauling and distributing
materials, 81. Total, slss.25.
A like fence made with oak or chestnut
posts would cost s59.4O less, the differenc,
being in the expense Of the post.
Board fence, the two lower boards bein,
six inches wide and the three upper onel
five inches wide, and fat on top four in
ches, each post stripped four inches wide
viz: l60 locust posts, at 20 cents, s32
3,733 feet inch boards, at s22, sS2.12
setting so panels, at Is cents, si2; nails
81; hauling and distributing, "a. Total
sIl2.34.
Eighty rods Of wire fence, the wire be
ing No. galvanized, 165 feet to the ID.
/ viz: 2 large braced locust posts, at 50; 7s
T locust posts, at 20 cents, 1880; 16O strips
+ 4 feet long, 1x3 inches, SO; 400 pound
galvanized wire, at 10 cents, $40; 40t
wire staples, at II cents, 50; setting post
and putting up wire, So; hauling and dis
tributing, a. Total, s7760
The two strips Of pine in each pane
serve the purposes Of stifening the fence
, preventing the cattle from runningagains
, il, and, il notched at the corners, win keel
the strands Of wire in their places.
The farmer who cultiyates one hundre,
acres Of land must have at least one thou
} sand rods Of fence, according to the pres
! emit system. This fencing, if of locus
posts and chestnut rails would cost 81,
1912; ofoak or chestnut posts, 81 ,6l0.62
| Of locust posts and boards, sl,676.5O; 0
galvanized iron, s970.
If the annual interests Of these sums b
computed, and the estimation be made tina