Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-01-23
Fencing and Fences.

This important subject comes home to
every owner of farm or OF village lot
that requires enclosure. At meeting of
New Hampshire farmers, several gentle
men publicly offered to sell their farms for
lesa than what the existing fencing on
them hal cost. In recent address at an
Agricultural Convention, Mr.. A. w. Cheev-
er, editor of the "N. Z. Farmer" said he
had carefully gone over the statistics Of
farms, animals, crops, and cost of fences,
and found that: 1t takes, on the aver
age for the whole country, $l.74 worth Of
fences TO keep Sl,65 worth Of stock from
eating up $245 worth of crops"
Nine years ago the statistics gathered at
Washington showed that the fences then
in existence, had cost 81. 747, 7,549,93l. The
additions since have raised the cost OF the
present fencing Of the country to fully So,
000,000,000. \ million dollars is Il pretty
large sum to count, or even 10 conceive OF,
1--WE cannot count one million in the work
ing days of Il month, counting one a second
and 10 hours day., but here are two
thousand such millions. The interest and
repairs amount to over 5000, 900, 900 year,
| and the rebuilding Of decnying fences
nearly as much more, making our annual
fence tax lar more thUn the entire cost of
| the Army, Navy, the General Government
expenses and Pensions, together with the
interest on the public debt.
In n. Y. State, for example, there are
some 10000 miles Of roads requiring 150-
900 miles OF fencing, costing over $40,.
! 100000, and the total fencing in this
single State has cost not lcss than $780,.
100000
During SO years past The american Agi
culturol,st has had not lite to say MS tC
the u'elessness of good deal of the tenC.
ing. But much will be needed wherever
live animals are kept, and we propose now
to direct some effort to reducing the cost oi
fencing generally. If this one item in the
United States can be reduced only one
fourth, the saving will amount to $500,
900, 900. In the older States, there are anav
erage OF about two miles of fencing for eacl
l00.acre farm, costing about 81 rod, ol
S640. Ii. in building rev fences and re
placing old ones, we can erect them ut tC
I the cost OF the present fences, and have
those that will last two, three, four or NOR,
times AZ long and require but small annu
al repairs, the average value Of farms vii
be enhanced some hundreds OF delars a
least. If narrow effective fence can TAX
the place OF the ordinary "worm fence,
there will be great decrease in the pro
duction of weeds and foul plants. Tw,
miles of such fence on farm, occupying
a strip st feet wide with its projecting COZ
ners, wastes two full acres of ground, wort
$3.50 or more. The cost OF Iron, and re
Gently of Steel are greatly reduced, an
they have come into very largely increase
use in building, house building, elC
Why should they not take the place c
wood in all varieties of fencing, both fo
posts and rails? Such change is alread
rapidly taking place.
More than 1O0,0 miles OF BdrJed Wir
Fence have recently been erected. Whetl
er this style Of fencing is best, or desirable
: whether II IS too bar-baroUs or not, for geI
eral adoption over our vast, ti@berless pri
res at the West, and what forms can
, adopted in our more ihickly settled region
: foi highway fences, for village lot enclo
ures, etc, will be examined and discusse
in future papers. -Amsricda AgrieahSri'
| Jan l.