Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-11-06
The Decline and FAN Offences.
From the Springfield Republican.

From the Springfield Republican.
| With the advent of the lawn now
er, those hideous necessities of a rud-
er civilization, picket fences, and in
deed dooryard fences of every kind
except the very simplest and most
inconspicuous, are gradually disap-
pearing. 1t is q good movement in
the interests both of beauty and econ
omy. What a waste of money, lum-
Der, and paint, unless one desires to
conceal a slovenly dooryard from
public view, to stretch a fence before
his house! If absolutely necessary
for protection from stray cattle-but
cattle should be out of the question
in any well kept street OF dooryard-
let the fence be just as open and un-
obstructive as possible. A low iron
fence, indeed, Of handsome pattern,
mounted upon well-faced stone curb
is good thing, since it does not OBJ
struct the view, and harmonizes very
well with tasteful surroundings.
But if your old wooden fence is
getting shaky-and the expense of a
new one in these hard times gives
opportunity for reflection-in the
first place remove the old fence, trim
the walks, remove the sprawling and
choking rubbish of trees and shrub
berry which a fence is apt to harbor,
and then see how you like it in few
days. After that, if you find that the
cattle have made no ravages, and
even the boys respect your conf
dence, all temptation to their jump
ing and climbing propensities being
removed, begin carefully to study
what possible combination of pine
lumber and paint can be any addition
to your lawn and flowers. You will
not desire anything so peculiar ag-
gravating as a picket fence, nor any
massive bulkwork which seems to
say''all persons are hereby forbidden
to look into these grounds" nor any
fussy and pretentious device Of car
pentry to be painted glazing white,
and put the tender grasses and mod
est flowers entirely out of counte-
nance. By the time you have studied
your new fence sufficiently it will
grow beautifully less in your esteem,
and save handsome consideration
to your purse. But if you have re-
Gently invested heavily in new
fence, of course you must revenge
yourself by maintaining it and de-
Tending it against anv secret convic-
tons, to get your moneys worth and
justify the outlay. A particular alb
surdity is the partition fence or imper-
vious hedge which often separates
neighboring grounds. If your neigh
Dor be slovenly and his surroundings
offensive, there is an excuse for shut
ting off the view, but if you both
have beautiful and well kept grounds,
why not double the enjoyment of
them, and even more than double it,
by the ampler prospects and breadth
of view?
1t is not so easy to give up old no.
tons, however defenseless, but we
predict that in our more cultivated
towns and villages, the old wooden
fences will not be renewed IN any
thing like their former bulk and pre-
tentiousness. They either will give
way to the lightest, simplest and
openest form which maybe necessary
for protection, or to the simplest curb
stone or low hedge for demarcation,
or, which in very many cases is about
as well, as no fence at all. 1t has
been tried at Williamstown, the col
lege fences and most of those con-
nected with private residences having
been removed, to the manifest inn
provement and enhanced beauty of
the village. Longmeadow is trying
the experiment, the fences having
disappeared from before some of the
handsomest residences, with surpris-
ingly pleasant results. One Of the
most charming manufacturing vii
lagos inC Connecticut, Cheneyville, has
no fences to mar its beauty, and the
cottages of Vineyard Grove owe
their garden-like and inviting look,
in large degree, to the absence of
the various eye-sores with which the
customary variety of fences are wont
to detorm the landscape.