The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-08-16

ness has been sacrificed for fashion in
this instance, which. il followed up,
as it rapidly is, I have no doubt that the
future rich Jersey will be beet, not but
ter, as it was London agricultural Ga
zette. tr< a s 4ifaaiI fl
ABOUT ORCHARDS m IowA.-The
curse of the west is scarcity Of fruit.
This is the effect of another cause, which
is scarcity Of fence. We have the tree
peddler in all his phases. We also have
the nurseries in abundance. We see
nice samples of fruit, we listen enrap-
tured to the agent and believe his Cos
pei, get enthusiastic and purchase trees.
In April they come to US twenty; miles
| from railroad station or nursery on q hay
rigging, the roots frozen the night be-
fore. thawed out to-day in the bright sun
shine and drying wind. We take them
| in hope, plant them, thinking we will
fence the orchard this fall. Autumn
rolls round, we have no fencing pre-
pared; think we will watch the cattle
away this winter. In the spring those
| that survived are browsed or broken of.
describe the experience of ten thousand
farmers in the west. But we have hopes
OF better days. The fence question is
approaching solution. It is being
demonstrated that iron is to be the fenc-
ing material of prairie countries. Many
| years ago farmers experimental with
wire fence, and, owing to defect in con-
struction, it was condemned. Now we
are building wire fence Of four strands,
No. 9 wire, that will resist anything but
a stampede Of Texas cattle, and come
nearer restraining them than any wooden
fence we can build. This wire costs
now in Chicago 5 cents per pound, and
four pounds makes one rod of fence. We
plant posts thirty-three feet apart. The
wire is fastened to posts with staples
. made of the same size wire, costing 10
! cents per pound. The staples are not
driven in far enough to prevent the wire
, from slipping. We fasten stays every
!, six feet, the lower end Of the stay reach
.. ing three inches below the lower wire,
which is fastened to the post twenty
inches above the ground, the next space
ten inches, the next eleven inches, the
,, last twelve inches, making fence more
, than four feet high, and costing for ma
! terial not over Sc cents per rod. The
.. wire is stretched by winding on two inch
4 pins, Win square ucdu, VI WuACu
wrench will fit. Forty or even eighty
rods on level ground can be drawn tight
: and loosened in hard freezing weather e
d allow for contraction. II halfthe money
r wasted by destruction, of trees, &C., had
9 been invested in fences to protect the
/, remaining half purchased, Iowa woult
r now be rejoicing in plenty of apples. A
9 bounty to stimulate orchard planting
IS our State exempts from taxation $50 fol
}. each acre planted, and 800 for each acr'
l. planted in forest trees. We must d
8 better in future. Procrastination, tn
i thief, not only steals time-we Nigh
e forgive that-but he steals fruit. and rob
It our lives of half their solace. In behal
, Of thousands OF discontinued, homesicl
8 wives, who are looking back east, think
IF ing of the orchards bending with dell
4, cious fruit. exhort all farmers to plant .
a orchard. and your children will rise ri
o and call you blessed.-S. D. G., Alton
20 Iowa.