The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1880-04-02

for the discussion Of the Fence Law,
I enclose an article from the Home
and Farm, which I think commends
itself to every intelligent farmer in
the county, and ask it's insertion.
ST. MATTHEWS.
There is considerable interest mani
tested over the effort now being made,
in some sections Of the South, to
abolish the old unjust law whereby
each farmer is compelled to fence his
fields; and to compel instead, the
owners of stock to confine them.
Wherever intelligence becomes wide
ly disseminated, the injustice and
folly Of the present law is recognized,
and tile oppression Of an enactment
by which a farmer is compelled to
build and keep expensive fences to
prevent the depreciation of others
cattle, becomes realized.
In no civilized portion of the world
is the farmer required to protect his
fields against stock and it is sad
evidence OF old fogyism, general igno-
rance and backwardness of agricul-
ture in the South, that such law as
that now in force can exist. When
the country was very sparsely settled,
farms few, and timber very abundant,
the present law was enacted, and, like
many laws and customs, it has out
lived its usefulness and from being
for the greatest benefit to the greatest
number, it has become operative for
their greatest injury.
A few facts regarding the expense
Of the fences will demonstrate the
wastefulness Of the system. The av-
erage size of farms throughout the
seven Southeastern States is about
200 acres, and the yearly tendency is
to further reduce the average size.
Now, the actual first cost of rail
fence around such farm, where good
pine timber is abundant, is about
$3.50, or Sl.25 per acre but where
pine is scarce, and oak is used, the
cost more frequently rises Us high as
So per acre.
The2actual statistics obtained from
every country and published by the
government ut Washington, show
that the number Of acres in farms in
the Southeastern States is about 93,
O28.00O, and the actual first cost of
the fencing Tor these farms was $177,-
0,O0O-an average Of over S1.9O
per acre; anu the value Of all cattle,
sheep and hogs is about S57 900, 900.
From these figures it appears that, for
every dollars worth of stock, about
s3 are expended to keep them out of
the fields.
Many of us have heard of the fool
ish boy who invested ten cents in a
candle to look for threc-cent piece
he had dropped. The annual cost of
repairs to rail fence is known by
all farmers to be about one tenth of
the fence thus the amount spent eve
ry year by the farmers of the seven
Southeastern States must approach
s17,00O,00O.
Now, upon my own farm, which is
situated iu one of the heaviest timber
ed sections OF the South, I find that
the annual cost Of repairs to my
fencing is about fourteen cents
per acre in other sections, where
pine is scarce and oak is used, the
annual expense is doubtless much
greater. Moreover, the extent Of
land wasted under a rail fence
amounts TO two acres ON farm of 200
Or one per cent: equal IN value 10
about ten cents per acre ANNUALLY.
A farmer owning a farm of 200
acres grumbles loudly at being CON-
PEELED to pay State tax Of about
nine cents per acre, but without any
disquietude submits to an annual i'm
position, under the present fence law,
OF an unjust tax equal to not less than
twenty-four cents per acre.
The small farmers pay proper
tionately heavier tax to the fence law
imposition than the large. for it re-
quires more rails per acre to inclose
a small farm than a large one, as is
readily demonstrated by the fact that
while one acre requires $40 feet of
fencing, four acres require, not four
times as much, but only twice as
much, say 1850 feet. Thus, the
poorer the farmer, and the smaller
hia nln nntinO Dnnrutione iba hoo,,or =,