The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1876-02-09

Hho ''i'o W oic IiiuOcf tScu, must
of course be likewise considered:
1t may bo that in many instances,
owing to the distance from market
and to other causes, the wood used
is Of no immcdiato Snluo in dollars
and conts.", Tho validity of any
argument that might be drawn
from this fact is at once destroyed
whenIt is remembored that thete
arc other roasons for attaching a
greater valuo to a well wooded tract
than that it furnishes d good supply
Of timbor, both present and pros
pcctivc, for fences. The prosol>t
system can therefore atld'n not a whit
to the worth of lands tlrrt are now
woll-woodcd. But q change of the
law would materially, thhanco that
of lands now almost worthless.
There arc'dos,bticss' many tracts of
lana'ih South Carolina, With a>good
market easily accessible, which are
now q positive oucunbrnnce to the
owners. Tho trouble md expense
of foncins, my, tht 'impossibiiity of
procuring tinlbor, Constitute mn in
surmountablc obstacle to the Suc
ccssful cultivation Of such lands,
nnd tho ownor must content him
self with furnishing pasture to his
neighbors' cnttle. NIoantime taxes
and interest upon tho capital thus
buried run on, and the useless land
sbon comes to cost moro than it
Fwas worth With all its original
forest. Wo are not in possession
of data from Which to state the
cost, in actual dollars and cents, of
keeping ZIP fences upon given
acreage /: indeed, wo do not rcmom-
ber cvor to'hayo heard ain accurate
and authoritative estimate made.
Bu6 that tho present system is OK
pcnsivc, md that tho expense is
constantly increasing, wo havo not
tho relnotcst doubt
A further ol,jcctiuh 'to'6hr pres
ent fence law is that it IS n most
fruitful sohrco'of annoyance ind OF
vexatious disputes. .Alnun Who has
worked in,lustriously till within Il
fow days of "laying-by time" and
then hats his field invaded by {,
ncighbors cattle, to the great in
jury of his iino growing crop, III
not ]iknly to be in tho best of
humors wlicn Ito ascortaiMs what
has bcfallcn him. And yet this is
OF constant occt:rronco all over
South Carolina. "a repetition Of
such dcprcdations lodtls, IN many
instances, to personal quarrel or
II troublesome lawsuit-both OF
which are worry disugrceablc. At
tho recent TORN of the circuit court
thero were several Gases Of plnsccai,
ton for different misdcniranbre
which had thoir rise at lcust in.
directly; in tho Workings OF the
present fcncc~law. These tlisputes
like tic other disadvantages of tho
system, arc likely to lhcrcast more
and more, the longer the law, as il
now stands, Continues Of force.
1t is needless to repeat hero what
WAS sail in q ao,'dvio1a article upur
this snhjtct:-.tlat repeal of the
present foncc'law would 40 great
service to large majority of tho
people of Fairfield county Cattle
raising locrivcs but Small share
Of tho attention of.thc farmors, thcil
labors being devoted Almost
exclusively to agriculture proper
And if it shall be found profitable tc
devote moro attention to cattle
raising, it will DO no difficult matter
for ono SO cngagod to fcnco his stocl,
out of his noiShbors' 6clds instead
OF compelling them, as ho docs I'm.
der tho present systom, to fence
their growing crops from tho ravn
gcs Of his pots.
The grand jury, at their recent
mooting, urged in their frtsrnt.
mcnt tho repeal Of the obnoxious
law, anl wo trust that something
will he done i'll the right direction
before tho legislature ndjo,irns.
ThSre need be no arbitrary or
sweepiFg chaitgo made in tho lnw rs
it ro~ ENnds: Lot there be simply
s,tch ,ho,liiicatiol{s MS will adapt it
to tho chahg6d condition of the
farming comm,itiity, md pitt ati end
to II great attd growing ntisaE}co
Fire hrrangemont:
Tho radicals in tho legislature;