Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-07-26
THE FENCE QUESTION.

The following article on the fence question,
from the pen of Mr.. j. Hunter, of Mecklen-
burg county, N. c., is another strong argu-
ment in favor Of the proposed change. Mr..
Hunter writes from his observation Of the
practical working of the no fence system in
his own township.
MEcKLENBURG, N c., July II, 1877.
DIR. A. P. CAMpBELL-Dear Sir You
write, requesting me to give my opinion on
t. e operations of the "stock law" or as we
sometimes call it, the mo fence law
We have been under the workings Of this
law in Sharon Township, in which live, for
two or three years, and I feel safe in pro-
nouncing it real blessing to the people.
When l say people, mean all classes en-
gagged in the cultivation Of the soil. The
land owner is exempt from considerable
outlay in fencing up his farming lands, and,
besides, be can preserve his forest timber for
more important purposes. The soil on every
farm is growing richer every year by the
undisturbed falling and decaying of vegetable
matter and exemption from the treading of
domestic animals 1t benefits the poor man
in enabling him to live comfortably on a
small tract of land, even though he has but
little timber. l know a man in this county,
who has small tract of good land, but hav.
ing no timber he was unable to settle on it.
Now, that the mo fence law" has carried in
that township, he says be is going home.
No tenant here is without as good pasture
as his landlord unless he is unwilling to assist
in keeping up the required fence: Common
sense teaches every man that be who purchas.
es piece of land should not be compelled to
fence it at cost equal to its clear profits for
years, merely to keep his neighbors' stock from
grazing on it.
The large amount of land now cultivated,
and the difficulty and cost of getting and pre-
pairing timber to enclose it, is the strongest
argument in favor of the law under considera.
ton. Every farmer should aim to cultivate
every suitable acre of cleared land on his
farm, and improve it at the same time by
system of intelligent management, with green
crops turned under, or in some other way.
But this is totally impracticable under your
present system of fencing. Since our redemp.
ton from that burdensome system, we are
making great advances in that direction.
Hundreds of acres are now successfully cult.
waited that could not be cultivated before, ow-
ing to the cost and Inconvenience of fencing.
Acres of meadow lands are now producing
good crops of natural grass that could not be
Utilized before. Not only the utility of this
law, but the beauty of its workings are at
tractive. How it would delight you to ride
along some of our roads, where we once had q
fence on each side, doubled and twisted with
grape vines and bushes; but now, corn, cot
ton, wheat and oats growing to the very track
of your buggy, and some times even under it,
if the roads be little muddy.
When farmer here wishes to haul his hay,
oats, or corn from the field, he is not COMPEL.
ed to place Johny at this gap, and Harry at
that mo, he drives unhindered and unobstruct.
ed all over the premises, provided he has
skilfully arranged his turningrows before
hand. Every farmer knows how laborious it
is to keep up fences across streams, and also
how injurious fences are in stopping bitches
on low grounds but carry your "stock low"
and you will have none of this trouble.
When this law was first agtated with US,
there were many sensible men opposed to it.
They could not see how man could live out
in the United States, and have his crop out
there too, without, in some way, suffering
damage. But do not know land owner in
our township opposed to it now.
Gates are great annoyance to travellers,
and think from what experience l have in
travelling in your State, that you have your
full share of them. Just adopt the stock lao
and you will give them as deadly blow as
you did the carpet.baggers and thieves
short time ago.
Since the adoption of this law in our town.
ship, five times the amount of clover and the
various grasses are sown that we're before
enabling the industrious farmer to have an
abundance of nutritious food for his stock.
There is also decided improvement in the
quality of the stock, considering the short
time the law has been in operation. l am
decidedly of the opinion that the profitable
workings of this new, but excellent law, will
become more and more popular until it will
root up the very thorn.hedges and remove the
to make way for the more prof.
liable productions of the earth.
Our ancestors, you know, in Old Mecklen-
b,rq, we're the first to declare their indepen.
dence from British domination. And is it
not little strange, as we'll as praiseworthy,
that we, their descendants, are the first to set
at naught and defy that old usurper, Fencing,
which demanded our labor for that which
was not bread. You asked me to write in
haste. When you read this, you will see that
7 oheved ORDERS j. HUNTER.