Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1879-09-27
FARM TOPICS.
Farm FENCING.

/" How shall we fence our farms" Most
farmers are out of rail timber, and we
may conclude that the days Of the Nir-
ginia fence are numbered. We need
not regret it. for while it has served
good purpose and was the best fence, all
things considered, for the pioneers, it is
hardly suited to this age Of advanced
ideas in agriculture. What shall we
substitute for il? is the question. Shall
il be hedges, wire or boards? After
twenty years experience with hedges,
/ am not inclined to advocate that they
he planted 10 much extent. A hedge
fence requires too much labor to keep
it in shape, and that labor comes at the
busiest time, when crops are demanding
all attention of the farmers. 4 limited
amount of hedge on line fence is admis-
sible, but for division fences it is entire
ly unsuited All division fences on the
farm should be moved every few years,
so as to pillow up the old fence
row, and Is il takes about five
years 10 grow hedge, so as to make a
good fence, when il is grown it must
stand. have had over % years expe-
rience with hedges, and have now a half
mile of good hedge, nearly 30 years old,
on my farm, but would not take as
gift-all ready TO turn stock-another
half mile; nor, with my present knowl-
edge, would plant rod of il if | had
none. believe that the use Of wire for
fencing is destined 10 increase largely in
the future, although there are some OBJ
iections to it, but have not had expe-
rience enough with it either TO recon-
mend or condemn it. Ii is probable that
boards will, for many wears 10 come, be
the material from which the bulk of our
fences will be made. If this is the case,
We need to make the matter of board
fences study. 4 good board fence is
As economical fence as can be built,
but, if made of >appy oak posts, and
beach or sycamore boards, ii will prove
the most expensive and least satisfactory
Of any. 1t is an objection to board
fence, when used TO divide fields, that it
can not be moved. Waldo Z. BroUn, in
Cincinnati Gazette.
PRESERVING VEGETABLES.
Now that the root harvest Gncluding
potatoes among the roots) is near, il
preserving them in the best manner
while there is time for preparation. Po-
iatoes should not be left in the ground
long after they are ripe, lest second
growth should occur, by which they
would be injured. After having been
dug, they require 10 be dried by few
hours exposure on the field, but not
more than that, after which they should
be covered from the light in as cool a
place as possible. No other place is
better for keeping potatoes than a root
cave; pit in the field comes next in
usefulness to the cave. A cave may be
easily made in hillside which is dry
and slopes TO the south. An excavation
may be made large enough TO contain
the crop, but rather than make very
large ones it will be cheaper to make
several of moderate size The max
imum size would be l6 feet wide and %
or so feet long. This would give about
400 square feet of floor, holding 400
bushels for each - feet in depth, or 500
bushels in all. The room required for a
crop may, therefore, be calculated on this
basis. The cave is dugout two or three feet
below the lowest level of the ground.
in place where the slope is greatest, or
even where the ground is level, having
the floor level with the doorway. This
has the advantage Of perfect and secure
drainage, and freedom from flooding by
backing up of water from snow, or any
other accidental obstruction. A number
of split logs, planks, or slabs. are set in
the excavation. in the form of a letter A.
They may be pinned or spiked to a ridge
piece at the top, but this is scarcely
needed ii the top joints are well made.
The timbers are covered with bark or
marsh hay. and the earth which has been
dug out is then thrown back upon the
building. covering il with n mound.
which should be sl0ped considerably and
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