The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1882-08-03
THE FENCE QUESTION.

EDITORS JOURNAL: The approaching
election on the fence law has brought this
question very prominently before the people Of
Cobb county, aud all tina arguments. pro and
con, have been pretty well exhausted by this
time, but it may not be amiss to summarize the
malu points in favor Of the adoption of the No
Fence Law. claim no originality in any
thing that follows, and only desire TO present
briefey and clearly, ii possible, some of the adj
vantages that those who have studied this
question carefully, claim 70: change in oar
existing practice in regard 10 stock.
l. The lesson OF experience. In every
thing that pertains to money making and the
economic aud profitable management of land
aud livestock We can take lessons from our
Northern friends who have bong ago discarded
the use of fences No one will deny that the
Northern agriculturalist is better Off than the
Southern, and that Northern cattle and North
ern dairy products are superior to almost any
thing of the sort raised ia the South. We have
to send North Tor all our improved cows and
hogs, and yet this improvement in cattle has
been made in spite of an inhosptable climate
and a stock-law.
II must also be borne in mind that every
county in this and other states that has adopt
and could not be persuaded to go back to the
old system "lhe proof OF the pudding is in
the eating" and when those who have tried
the law, even those once bitterly opposed to it,
are now its enthusiastic advocates, il seems
that no further argument ought to be necessary
to induce the farmers Of Cobb county to give
il a trial.
3. The cost of fencing. / cannot give any
figures. but it doesn't need figures TO convince
a reasonable man that il is easier and cheaper
10 fence pasture of ten or twenty acres than a
farm of Que or two hundred. As corollaries to
this proposition are:
a. The land now occupied by fence rows.
b. The harbor for weeds that they afford.
C. The saving of timber.
3 The Improvement OF stock. This point
could be argued at length but | shall conhne
myself to a single illustration. A COW that
gives four gallons of milk day costs no more
to feed than one that gives but two, and when
farmers are forced TO keep up and feed their
stock they will be careful TO keep nothing that
is not good. Two twenty dollar cows will be
put into one forty dollar COW, with dlmlnu.
ton of half the quantity of food necessary, and
yet producing the same amount OF butter and
milk. So in the case of hogs, and upon this
will follow an improvement in the quality of
bacon, beef and butter, and an increase in its
value.
Economic management of land. In al
most every large field there are two or three
richer spots that pay for cultivation, while the
remainder does not, aud TO cultivate these por-
tions under the present system requires the
fencing of perhaps FIVE times as much land as
is used, or would necessitate the fencing OF
the spots Uuder the system proposed the
farmers could cultivate all that is best, allow
ing the remainder to rest and improve
s. The saving of manure of course the
keeping up of stock would furnish greater ia
ciiries for saving this valuable product of the
farm, which is now nearly all wasted.
g. The increase of small farms This is, l
think, the strongest argument in favor Of
change and should be considered by the very
class that opposes stock law. The impossl-
biity of dividing up the large farms 30 az TO
give each buyer fencing timber has prevented
the increse OF small farms, but under this law
such considerations will no longer apply and
both seller and buyer will be benefited Let
the colored people who oppose the law think
of this, and they will see how much greater
will be their chances for securing homes and
farms for themselves when it would be other
wise impossible. Many farm in Cobb county
of say two hundred acres that hasn't timber
enough TO fence it, could be divided into hive
forty acre farms and sold or rented TO small
farmers
In conclusion would ask those who oppose
this law to reflect that there is no politics in it;
that those who favor it are their neighbors
and friends, who would be hurt by it them
selves if il were harmful measure, aud must
therefore be honest in their advocacy OF II
and those who favor il / would urge to register
their choice at the ballot box. Let nothing
keep them from the polls. and their children
and the children of those who now fight most
vigiously against this measure will rise up
and call them blessed" Nj.