The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-09-11
Hints on Penetrating.

kept in view in fence-making-as ap-
pearance. durability, economy and
thorough protection. The first of
these is not of special Importance, ex-
cept where the fence occupies posi-
ton on the road or front of the farm;
and there would take extra pains in
finishing my fence neatly. There are
several ways in which time and mon
ey can be saved in building board
fences, and they can be made at the
same time more durable than when built
in the ordinary way. The first place that
a fence-board gives out is at the end
where it is nailed on the post; and, as
posts often have narrow face where
boards are nailed OH in the usual way.
it is often necessary to nail very near
the end, which increases the danger of
splitting, and, as every board must be
cut and fitted, it makes double work in
building the fence. have for some
years adopted the following plan of
making board fences. :
set good substantial locust posts
eight inches nearer to each other than
the length of the boards, so as to allow
lap of four inches at each end, and
then nail on the boards so that one end
will be one side and the opposite end
the other. To make this perfectly
plain, suppose you are building a line
of fence running east and west; when
your posts are set you begin at the
west end to nail on the boards. The
first panel you nail the west end of the
board to the south side of the post,
and the other end to the north side,
and SO on till you are done. Then 90
back and with a narrow spade or a
long mattock, dig small hole a
foot deep in the center of each panel,
and drive straight stake three inch
es in diameter. The advantage of
this fence is that it is cheaper and
stronger than board fence built in the
ordinary way. We save, first, the dig
ging of half the post-hOles; second, we
can buy three stakes for the middle of
the panels for the price of one post;
and, third, where there is no saving
and fitting, three panels can be nailed
on in the time one would take in the
old way. By setting the posts and
mailing the boards on before driving
the center stakes this fence can be
made quite straight and to present a
good appearance. Another question of
some Importance in making board
fences is the number of boards. I have
long since adopted the four-board
plan, as it saves twenty per cent. of the
lumber, and, if properly made, makes
a fence that will turn any stock-from
sucking pig to a mule-just rs we'll
as a five-board fence. Further than
this, will say that in many locations
a three-board fence for everything ex-
cept young pigs can be so made as to
turn stock perfectly. The trouble with
most board fences is that the first board
is placed too near the ground. On all
level land the first board should be one
foot from the ground. Then pillow a
furrow three feet from the fence each
side, and with shovels throw the soil
up so as to make regular slope from
the bottom of the furrow to within an
inch or two of the bottom of the board.
The advantage of this is that when
horses or cattle approach the fence it
brings them in such shape that they
cannot easily jump, for when back on
the level land they are too far from the
fence, and when near it their hind feet
are some sixteen inches lower than
their front feet. For q three-board
fence of this kind l would make the
space between the first and second
boards six inches, and between the
middle and top boards one foot.
This, If our furrow was six inches
deep. would give a height Of
four and q half feet from the
bottom of the furrow to the top of the
fence, and certainly would never turn
out stock that would jump such a fence.
In fact, this fence might be made with
the lower space four and the upper ten
inches, if desired, and then would turn
stock better than much higher fence
on level land. This ridge would not
only brace the fence, but also prevent
the water from standing around the
posts, and the post-holes need not be
dug as deep as ordinary. As soon as
the grading to the fence is done the