The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-02-23
FOR THE FARMER.
A Subst itutc for Cedar Wood WANT
ed to support Barbcd Wire
in Farm Fences.
a Scheme for Importing Lean Amer
itan Cattle Into Great Britain.
New Requirements in Farming
Growing Market Lambs.
THE MATTER OF FENcE-rosTs,

THE NATTER on
II seems certain that steel or iron
barbed wire wi in the future super
sedc boards for making farm fences.
The objections TO it are few and are
gradually diminishing rs animals be-
come accustomed to it, The advant-
ages of it are many 1t is cheap, easy
70 transport. durable, and convenient
to put in position. Prairie fires do not
burn it and violent winds do not blow
it down. A fence made of it does not
harbor vcrmin or provide place for "A
nursery OF weeds and bushes. 1t does
not occupy the space of a Virginia rail
fence or "A stone wall. II does not tres
pass on the ground or injure growing
crops like the roots of hedge plants. 1t
is easily removed if it Is no longer
wanted in tho place where it was first
erected. Barbcd wire has obviously
come to stay 1t is likely that it
will be improved and cheapcned, but
it is not likely that it will 90 out OF
use. There is now an excellent oppor-
tunity for inventive talent to lind
substitute for the ordinary material for
farm fence posts. Cedar is fast becom-
inc scarce and high The largest trees
are used in the manufacture OF cooper
are and for various fancy articles. The
tallest trees are employed for telegraph
poles. A vast amount OF cedar blocks
are now used for paving the streets.
Numerous large cedar forests have
been destroyed by fire during the past
few wears. There are few or no cedar
trees within easy reach OF the territory
that is now being settled up. Chest
nut, which furnishes the best substitute
for cedar, does not grow to any con-
siderable extent in the west. Some
varieties of oak that grow in the west
make very good posts, but most OF them
do not. The southern pitch pine and
cypress make good posts, and 1t APP
pears strange that they are not more
generally used for this purpose.
Much has been written during the
mast few wears on the advantages OF
employing living trees for supporting
boards or wire employed for fencing.
The appearance OF farm is greatly
improved by having it surrounded by
stately trees. If these trees could be
used for the purpose Of supporting
fence-wire they would be both useful
and ornamental. Great trouble, how
ever, has been found in attaching wire
to them. As the trunks expand they
grow over the WIRE cause it to rust,
and finally to break. Of couI Sc 1t Is
impractical to remove the wire after 1t
has become imbedded in the wood OF
the growing tree. A correspondent OF
an eastern paper suggests boring holes
through the trunks OF trees and pass
inc the wires through them. This plan,
however, would not prevent the wires
from becoming imbeddcd III the wood
on the sides of the trees, while the in
Jury done to the center would he likely
to cause the trunks to decay. better
plan would seem to be to put piece
of iron tubing, like gas pipe, through
the aurur hole. This would exclude
the air and allow an opportunity to
stretch the wire when it became neceS-
sary or to remove 1t altogether. In
some of the eastern states granite fence
posts have been in use for more than
century. They are heavy to transport
and are liable to be broken by having
carts run against them. They are not
liable to decay and of course can not
be injured by ordinary fires. There
are machines for drilling holes in them
for holding nails or staples, and the
latter can be fastened in place by the
Use of molten lead or su pnur. In may
parts of the west are deposits OF lime
stone that would make excellent posts.
1t is easier worked than granite and
lighter handle. In n few instances
posts of earthen and concrete, as well
A. OF artificial stone have been used.
Iron is so well protected that The pros
pect of using it for protecting fields APP
pear to be very poor.