The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-07-14
The Cost ST Eencino-

In n recent lecture Hon. Richard
L. Jacobs offered the Foll5winu re-:
marks upon our expehsiRg system Of
fencing out otller peoples stock. in:
stead Of recurring every owner I'd
fence Ills own in! fN
''I ~ohld briefly CHI the attention
of the Grange to the enofnIotis ioss
and expense to the farther by tho
present laws in regard To the retain:
ing of stock. You have TO fence
your whole farm in order t6. protect
your crops, Whereas; If tie law con:
strained each pers6n to take care of
his stock, there wotild be nS nteessi-
ty to fence but a small portion of
the farm. You can form no concep:
tion of the enofihous Expense of the
present system of fencing out stock:
and the great loss to the country III
the continued encroachment .upoii
the greatly depleted forostss in order
to keep up this vicious system: It
takes about twenty miles of fence td
fence q farm which contains CAD
acres, or 4 square mile. To fence d
mile, it takes eco paiiEls, and at td
the PANEL, G,G0U rails, and twcnfV
miles of ftn6e Aohid take 1872 .OOd
rails, and DIT fotir cents panel. it
would cost S26 to the mile for tho
rails, and 1t would be too small SUM
to have the fence pitt up for $50 that
would be $500 per mile, twenty
miles to the square mile would cost
$4,000. The interest on Sc. 600. at
ten per cent, would be $500 per
year on the outlay on 610 acres, and
you might safely add another hum
dred dollars per year To keep the
fences on that nuiiiber Of atres in re:
pair, SiA tliohsand dollars being the
cost of fen6ing for one square mile;
it would cost $6UU, U,U0B;UCU; and com.
putting that only aboit half Of Ken:
lucky is fenced, being 20, uO0 suuar6
miles; the cost Bf that amount OF
fehcin5 w6uld be $12O, 900, 900, and
you may safely add $2,000.000 moro
to keep the fgntEs iii rep5it:: I9nor-
m6us a. this sum of S12O, 900, 600 is, It
10 totally exhausted in from twenty t6
thirty years. Now add the interest
and repair for thirty years, #ould be
$420, 1000. 900; would be s54O. 600, ,0Od
completely lost and stink eyery thir-
ty years in the state of Kentucky:
Is there any wonder that tic Farming
interest 10 at SO low an ebbwhon this
ENORMOUS drain is constantly going
on? Nor Is tliis this Only 1885, u
is thdt dttl6t1ht bf thluabls tiiiibeF Ia:
ken ff6tti tie sev6Fal arts wllicH
would greatly add to tile int6me OF
the farm and the country. Tie whole
OF this enormous outlay and constant
expense can be saved by simply
making eaElf pgrson take eafE Of bis
own stock. Fifty acres. or less;
wonld be simply sufficient to fence
for the stock ordinarily Used on G
farm Of $40 acres or 81 stiuare milo.
and tie farffier not Being forced TO
fence against every one, could afford
to rhake that of less perishable mas
berial, OF he could resort to sOiling;
and in that case ten acres Aould he
ample, and he would then not only
restrafn His stock, but he would be
sertAinfy addffg rich material to the
ehfiching Of hts land. I'M
Ter tifis system, if ones stock en-:
ifpon his nefghbor. he would
1e forced TO pay the damages, and.
hat %6tild soon teach him tie art OF
,aking care Of his own, without detri:
nent TO his neighbor. / could add
much in regard 10 this shhsGct, butt
lave not the time. AT some future
ime l may dwell upon it.