The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-11-16
Statistics of Fences in the u.
States.
Continued.

Statistics OF Fences In the u.
States.
(Continue1.)
Kind of Fences and Mode of Con-
struction.
The replies are necessarily monotonous
from their repetition of details; they
show that the common forms OF fencing
are substantially alike in all parts of the
country, yet varied everywhere to &C
commodate the differences in kind,
quality, comparative scarcity, and cost
of timber; and present the Virginia rail
fence as the pioneer In all timbered dis
tricts, from the simplicity of its construc-
ton, not even requiring nails, but rails
only The tendency to supersede this
form with fence requiring less timber
and occupying less space, while present
ing to the eye more artistic features, is
nanifestly growing.
AS indicated by returns from forty-one
counties, four-ffths of the fence of Vir-
ginia is that to which her name is COM
monty given. Few counties report more
than small proportion of other kinds.
Albemarle, Fauquier, and Culpeper have
90 per cent of post and rail, which is the
field has 60 per cent of post and board,
and Botetourt and Culpeper 20. Rap
pahannock, Scott, Albemarle, and Eau
quier, among other counties, return a
fair proportion of stone wall. In King
George the waiting brush weaving style
in extensively employed, being used for
one-6fth of the Enclosures. In Scott
county black walnut rails are still used,
costing SIS per thousand. Among the
material used are found locust, cedar,
several kinds of oaks, chestnut, poplar,
walnut, cucumber, pine, ash, and nearly
all other woods of the forest The legis-
aature of the State has enacted no-fence
law, subject to acceptance by each coun-
ty, and many have ratified it, and find
no inconvenience in the exemption from
fences, but the change is received with
great satisfaction by the people. The
correspondent in Buckingham says of
those counties which have no fences that
more crops are raised, and nearly as
much stock as before" One correspon-
dent in King George county thus des-
cribes the lawful fence of Virginia:
A lawful fence must be feet higl if made
with stone, and feet high if made with any
Oluer mdIoTldl, anu 80 Close LnaC the BEAST
breaking into the same could not creep through;
or with an hedge feet high upon ditch feet
deep and -eet broad or, instead of such hedge,
rail fence of D feet high the hedge or fence
being so close that none of the creatures afore.
said can creep through
Throughout the Southern States, a sec
ton in every State Of which more than
one-half of the farm area is woodland,
the worm-fence is almost the exclusive
mode, except in the vicinity of the better
class of buildings.
In recapitulation it will be seen that
worm-fence predominates in Vermont,
New York, and in all the States west
and north west of New Jersey, except
Kansas, Nebraska, California, and Ne
vada, and the Rocky Mountain region,
though but slightly in Vermont, Min
nesota, and Iowa. Its proportion in the
former States exceeds that of all other
kinds combined, except Vermont, New
York, Illinois, and Iowa, in the latter
constituting scarcely one-fourfh of the
total fencing. 1t may fairly be ranked
as the national fence, though it is tenn
porary, giving way gradually to kinds
requiring less lumber, and covering less
land, as well as making less awkward
appearance not at all indicative of the
straight forwardness of the American
character. Board-fence is the prevalent
style in California and next to worm in
Vermont, New York, in all the Southern
States south and west of Maryland,
Through the percentage is still small }
and in all the Western States in which
worm-fence predominates, except Min
nesota and Nebraska The post and rail
style is the main fence in New Jersey,
and stands second to other kinds in
Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Del
aware, Maryland, Minnesota, and Ne
braska. Stone-wall is the principal fence
in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachu-
sets, Rhode Island, and Connecticut; and
the next in prominence in New Hamp-
shire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, is
board-fence. For hedges, the Usage
orange stands first, being already in
efficient condition in Illinois, and largely
planted west of the Mississippi; while it
is coming gradually into use in all of the
Middle and Western States south of the
tortieth parallel Of latitude, and, to some
extent, for ornamental purposes in the
Southern States The Cherokee and Nc
Cartney rose (botanically, Rosa laeUigato
and II. Macartnea,) are preferred by
many as hedge-plants in the States Of
mi