Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-06-29
Fence Posts.
Western Wis Farmer.

Since the advent Of the barbed wire
fence, and the advanced price of lum-
Der for fencing purposes, no question
remains as to the fence Of the next gen.
eration it will be iron, supported by
wood.
But the question of posts is one to be
considered noao; for the next generation,
they must be largely grown from the
ground, and may be OF two classes.
LIST, The he fence post, for which no tree
is more suitable than the white ash,
and next the larch, European or Amer.
lean, then the white pine, arborvits,
red cedar, and all the list of evergreens,
which, when once established, grow
rapidly, are long lived, have no sprouts
to interfere, and have no diseases nor
insect enemies to injure them. Then
we have butternut, the maples-white,
soft and agundo-and at last the cot
tonwood and willow, and not least the
native plum and Siberian crab.apple.
Indeed, in some cases we would plant
the last named at the head of the list
for olive fence post"
| 1t should be observed that the pres
ence of iron in the staple or wire will
not injure any tree, and all these NAM
ed may be 'headed back" in the future
if too heavy topped or occupying too
much space. The second class and
most wanted is some durable timber
for posts. This we find often in sound
heart rails from some old rail fence
that have stood the weather for twenty
to forty years perhaps, which, if yet
sound, will be good for another zen or
twenty in the ground.
No fast-growing hardy timber we can
grow equals the European larch for this
purpose. Red cedar, white cedar,
white ash, locust, and where hardy
enough the catalpa, are all good trees
to grow for this purpose, and the sooner
they are planted for this object the
better for the country where the native
timber is not in plentiful supply. These
can be grown cheaper than transported
one hundred miles, to say nothing of
first cost.
But two things should be observed
here, 1st. Never set an unseasoned
post and I'd, Thoroughly saturate the
lower portions with hot gas tar before
setting. Even soft pine stick may be
made almost everlasting by this pro-
cess. Timber for durability, should be
cut in August and September, or just
at the completion of the years growth.
| If growing rapidly, the best time may
be in October, but not when frozen, nor
in the spring. Pertinent to this sub
ject, f. C. Bennett, in Ioaca Homestead
says;
There is no other fence so easily
built and yet so Ii tie effected by storm
and fire and the tooth of time, as a
barb wire fence. The desideratum is
an indestructible post. Iron posts have
been tried, but are too expensive to Sc
cure general introduction.
A problem that needs to be solved
land one our professors at the sgricul-
tural college are endeavoring to solve)
is how to arrest decomposition IN
wooden fence posts. The end is
preservation. The means are u to
exclude moisture, or ~ to change the
chemical constituents. A thoroughly
seasoned post outlasts a green post be-
cause the albuminous portion is chang
d.-hardened and more or less firmly
fixed. Larch posts contain venice
turpentine, and in seasoning, this sub.
stance combines with the albuminous
portioa and makes a quiet stable com
pound. The Catalpa seems to have
the property in some wy to absorb the
sappy portion and throw A. of and thus
proves very durable.
The man who finds cheap chemical,
easily applied, which will change the
albumnious portion of our common
timber will be a public benefactor.
There are different processes which will
do this. but their application is difficult
and expensive. Till then, perhaps we
can do no better than TO grow willows.
The post of wire fence is easily re
placed, the willow is quickly grown,
and it is about as durable as much OF
our native oak timber. Fences we must
have,-more of them, and posts aud
wire fences, the most OF them will be.
We regard this as settled for many
years at least. There IS no cause fos
delay in building them as fast as we
can.