Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-10-22
OUR FENCE SYSTEM.
From the Agricultural Editor fhe Bal
timore american.

Ever since Nick Biddle, We believe IL
was. made the calculation which proved
that the cost of the repairs Of the fences
around farming lands in the United States
was more than the interest. or perhaps
principal. Of the public debt. the auestion
has been agita,ed as TO the propriety of
such a change in our public system as
would do away with a large portion Of
this expense. and yet We appear to have
made but little advance towards the ac
complishment Of Sc. great reform. The
main difncuIry uas been thar VIC S..pa mo,
to the Legislature who are moral towards
or arraLt demagogues, and fearing TO give
offence to that large class to be found in
every community. who have votes to give
though n" taxes to pay. no measure can
be adopted by legislative bodies to induce
every owner Of a hog or cow to fence in
their stock from running on their high
ways. or searching out the weak spots in
their neishbors' fences. by which thew are
enabled to get into their fields of grain or
grass which look So inviting to the half.
starved creatures. The same evil has
been felt iu regard to the innumerayIe
army of dogs running at large, which
must not be touched for fear that the
owners, who in most cascs are not able to
feed them, to keep ,hom at home. and
thus they are permitted to invade the
shecP-folts Of their neighbors. because.
torsoosh. tie oyners of these worthless
ours may not be willing to cast their bal
lot at the ensuing election for him who
shall have faithfully performed his duty
in abating the nuisance.
These evils must DO corrected, and will
be. VIC are confident. in due time. Bu,
as for the former. the laws in existence
are already sufficient to meet the case, IL
properly carried out. The law of the
State. as decided by some Of our courts,
and the decision is carried out in Mont.
gomery county. is to the effect that stock
! has no right to run at large upon our pub.
lie roads turnpike or county;) that in
taking from the landholder the quantity
of land for the public highways. the righ,
alone is parted with that the original own
crs enjoyed Of securing to the objects OF
the road the free and unrestricted use o,
the bed thereof for the purposes of travel
by the public. And any disuse and con.
demna,ion of the same. for such public
purpose. entities the original proprietor "a
resume his entire ownership thereof; in
the meantime he has everJ other right to
the premises. with the exception named
and the Pasturage aud other privileges
belong to him alone.
A case was tried in one of our courts
not long since By which a turnpike com.
pany attempted to eject wheel wright
from the premises included in the mum.
bcr OF feet claimed BY the company. and
which was used by the mechanic for the
storage of the vehicles brought to his
premises for repairs. And the decision
was IN accordance with the views above
stated.
In Georgia the people are to be called
upon this fall 10 decide uron this fence
question. And General W. NJ. Brown.
vice Presiden, Of the State Agricultural
Society. has written q long letter upon
she suhjec, in compliance with the reques,
OF several leading farmers in Clarke couu-
.y. where he resides. in which the follow
ing starving facts are presented to the
consideration of the public. lie says thai
ir that county there are ffy thousand
miles Of i,nce. making. at eight feet ts
the panel. thirty-three million panels,
eostiug. at 30 cents per panel. Sl3, 20O.,
600. and. as fences have 10 be renewed
every seven years. involving an annual
outlay Of 81. .SS5. .1l4. and all this to keey
out Of the crops few cattle. sheep aud
hogs. worth. At the outside. $500. .O00.-
The fences Of this country are valued Al
nearly s2.o00. GOO, 900.
In Illinois alone $4,000, 900 will hard.