Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-12-05
AGRICULTURAL.
ar-r.,p AND CHEAPER Frxcr5 coMma.

2Crr-R AND CHEAPER FENCcS ruMiS@.
IL. thousand million 1.-TWO bilGoni
dollars. would not cover the cost of the
fences now III us, and soon To- lie required
Ua the farms Of this country. Indeed, il
would cost nearly or quite that sum to
bald simple post and board fences enough
to cut into 40-acfe fields the timberiess
regions between the Mississippi river and
the Rocky Mountains. If better, cheap
er. and far more desirable fences can be
used. the saving viii be an immense sum
and they are at hand. In all the oder
settled States between the Mlsslsslppi
and The Atlantic, cut up. as they are, INTO
farms. lots, and small plots, the amount
expended upon line and division fences
amounts 10 au enormous sum. \ farm
of 100 acres, divided say half Of il into
IO-acre fields. and hall Of it into 5-acre
fields. requires !, $50 rods. or over A.
miles Of fencing. costing S12J.u0 at 80
cents 4 rod. or Se}62 80 at - cents 4 rod.
The wooden fences hitherto in use are an
nually going to decay and requiring con
slant expenses for renewals.
This Is 4 subject that comes home to
every proprietor Of farm, how ever small,
and 70 every village lot owner US we'll In
tins gse Of iron, or of steel rather. it is
not surprising that great attention is be
ing turned to this material as substitute
Tor wood-on account of its durability,
its strength, its cheapness, and its beauty
even. Recent inventions have developed
. variety CT forms Of cheap but effective
steel fences. Plain iron wye has long
been used or tried, but it has proved
quite unsatisfactory, and almost useless.
Cattle and other animals run against it, or
through ii, or break it down.
In 1850 an Iowa blacksmith attempted
10 render wire fence more effective by at
taching 4 kind OF baTbs or points along
It, at frequent intervals. He bent com
mon horseshoe nail around the wire
closely, leaving the two ends projecting
As barhs on each side. As the nails work
el loose by the expansion and contrac-
ton Of heat and cold, he tried to fasten
them by winding 4 small wire spirally
around the largg main wire IL bind the
nails m place From this beginning has
sprung up great variety of forms of
single, double, triple, and quadruple |
Jart5, on single and double wires, straight |
and twisted together, and on straps or
fiat strips Of steel, both straight and
twisted. The AWPfioNJ IgricuifUrist
tor December gives engravings and de
scripi!ons showing the exact form and
mode cf construction of no less than
jra.hJ-2H- dBcFoat. .io.ras oftarbod scice |
and barbsd strips for fencing, and the |
Editor speaks Of half n dozen different |
forms he has seen but hes not yet had |
samples af iar sketches, which will be il |
iHstIats} hereafter.
A strong objection 70 many forms Of |
these horhal irac.s Is iheiy ii4bi!ilv to /
pierce, tear, AMI iniure animals. ycr over .
10000 niles Of such fencing have been /
recently erected. However well adapted /
for thc large western fields, they Irc too
b1sj-srlus for uSe, at least around small /
lots. or where animals are very valuable,
or for the sides Of travelled highways
and especially for line fences around VII
l5gs l3t5.-facricaa dQricVHFrist.