Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-11-27
THE FENCE LAW.

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THE FENCE LAW.
In York county there are ten townships
All of these, with the exception of three
have, within the last three years, adopted the
plan of fencing the stock and turning the crops
out. This new state of things has been in
force long enough to test its advantages and
bring fully into view all its Disadvantages
What was once only theory, has been SUBJ
mitted to practical test and found to be all
that its most earnest advocates claimed for it.
The practical advantages Of the system Of
fencing the stock, over the previous system
which required the crops to be fenced and
permitted every mans stock to run at large
are many. This has been clearly and most
strikingly demonstrated in those townships
which have adopted the new system.
One advantage is, that by actual trial, it
has been found to cost far less to fence the
stock than to fence the crops, and the end in
view is more certainly secured than it was
under the old system. We need not say that
the object of all farm fences is to secure the
products of the farm. The products of the
farm are the crops and the stock-in York
county, mainly the crops. Since the "no
fence" law, as it is sometimes called, has been
adopted in different sections of the county,
farmers find that both their crops and stock
are less exposed than formerly. Stock sell
dom depredate upon the crops, and, conse'
quently, are seldom exposed to that abuse
which was formerly numerically inflicted
upon depredating stock. Under the present
system, one neigbbor's stock never destroys
anothers CROP and, consequently, there are
no hogs with ears torn off by dogs, nor COWS
with broken legs.
1t has been found that stock of all kinds
that are raised in our county, do better, when
enclosed in pasture, than when permitted to
stroll about from point to point. The owner
always knows where to find his stock, and,
consequently, is enabled to give them an
amount of attention which he could not were
they turned out every morning to 60 at large
during the day. The result is, that in those
townships in which the stock are kept con-
stantly enclosed, the stock are in better con-
dition than stock ever were before in the
same sections of the county.
Another advantage the "no fence" law sys'
tenn has, is, that it enables the farmers to cul'
tivate many acres of ground which they could
not, were they required to fence all the land
they cultivated This is not all. The more
productive spots in each field are cultivated
while the worn out spots are permitted to
grow up with briers, weeds and grass, and
thus, in few years, be made comparatively
rich.
Another, and by no means small advan'
tage attending the "no fence" law system is,
that it husbands time and economies the
means of every farmer. The time consumed
under the old system, in making rails and
building fences, which brought in no income,
may be devoted to making manure, draining
lowlands, and reclaiming swamps. The re,
suit is, that in every township in the county
which has adopted the "no fence" law, hun
dreds of acres of wet and swampy lands have
been brought into cultivation and produce
fine crops of corn. This is not ALL The fact
is now demonstrated that the few cattle in
our county, when running at large, do more
to impoverish the lands than the crops which
are produced. The plan heretofore pursued
was to turn all the stock on the plantation
into the fields, so soon as the crop was gath.
cred. The ground was tramped, literally, to
death, by the stock in searching after what
was left in the field. Without designing it.
the farmer turned his stock into his fields to
make clods with which he would have to con-
tend during the next year.
So far as the practical operations of the
'sno fence" law are concerned, the advantages
are all in its favor. The great majority Of
farmers, who have enjoyed its benefits, wonder
that they did not sooner make the discovery,
In this, as in many other things, no doubt
necessity was the mother of the discovery
In every section where it has been tested, it
has met with almost universal approval
Many, perhaps, the majority of those who op
posed its Inauguration are now its staunchest
advocates. They thought they were right in
opposing such an innovation on time-hon.
ored usage; but the change having been
made, they wisely and conscientiously advo
cate its perpetuation. In fact, in some Sec
tions, nothing less than revolution could in
Aict upon the people the former law which
required the crops to be fenced and allowed
the stock to run at large!
1t is not pretended that even where the "no
fence" law has been productive Of the great,
est advantages and no disadvantages whatev'
er, that it is approved Of by all. There is,
unfortunately, in every section on the globe,
some persons who think they have no rights
unless they are permitted to disregard the
rights of others. There are some persons who
regard it as a grievous hardship, that stock
owners keep constant eye upon their stock,
and guard them from the depredations Of
providers. In fact, every one knows that
there are some persons so constituted that
they oppose everything that seems to be for