Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-07-05

have kept this up to seven or eight
rails to the panel, The question was
how to use these rails cheaply, and
fasten them so they could not be carried
off. l think have found the plan,
and for the benefit of the many who
have similar difficulties to contend with
or have dilapidated worm fences, which
need rebuilding or replacing, will
describe the wired rail fence
Set good hardwood posts 8 feet
apart where your rails average 10 feet
in length, placing no sap-wood toward
the side where the rails are to be fasten.
ed. These | have had set D feet in
the ground for % to 3 cents each.
This is for digging the holes aud set
ting the posts firmly. Posts of honey
locust, sassafras or white oak cost me
6 cents each, delivered. Get good
galvanized wire of the size of telegraph
wire, and cut it into lengths of s or 8
feet, according to the size and number
of rails to the panel. If cut too short
it can be easily spliced, With a claw
hammer or Ratchet bend one inch of
the wire into loop, and with galvan>
lied wire staples fasten one about 2
inches from the ground, to all the posts
bending the wire back from the line OF
fence. One man does this, while a
second follows, LAYING the first course.
The first rail is laid for the first pan
ell, on the wires. The wire at post
number one is pulled upward, hams
mered to fit the rail closely, and driven
to the post, stapled there, and bent
backward again. The rail for the Sec
ond panel is then placed, the end com.
ing on top of the other rail at post
number two, the wire is drawn up,
hammered in closely and stapled firmly,
so as to embrace the two rails, and
then bent backward. At post number
three the same work is repeated, and
so on throughout the course. One sta
pie answers for the two rails on all the
panels save the first. The other course
of rails is only repetition of the first,
and is carried by the second man, who
has finished stapling the wires to the
posts long before the first course has
been laid, By using the smaller rails
at the bottom the fence will turn pigs.
The upper rails may be raised SO as
to leave openings of any width desired,
by strapping the wire to the post twice
once to hold the rail already in posi-
ton, then hammer the wire close to
the post, then put in staple A to 6
inches higher up; bend back the wire
and the next rail will be held A to 6
inches above the one below. Six rails
will make legal fence here, but l put
a barbed wire 5 to 6 inches above the
top rail. -Four rails and two barbed
wires will turn anything larger than a
sucking pig. When the posts rot of
at the ground drive down a good stake,
and wire the top and bottom of the
old post to this. When the stake rots
off set post or drive another, and
wire them together in the same way.
When rail rots or gets broken, re.
place it and wire it to the sides of the
posts, as you cannot drive the staples
in the face on account of the other rails.
Where the rail is a little short, the
wire can be stapled to the side of the
post, and staple put into the rail
where the wire embraces it. The rails
need not be trimmed unless very large,
though neater and closer fence can
be made by trimming the larger ends.
This fence will last longer than any
post and rail, Stat, or plank fence, and
is built and repaired more cheaply. ]
wire on poles and Stats in the same
way, and they hold better and last
longer, because there are no nail holes
to rot out, and staples hold in hard
wood better than nails. Fifty pounds
of wire and ten pounds of staples will
put up 100 panels, six rails high, and
two men can do the work in a day
with posts set and rails on the ground
This is from, 900 to 1000 feet o.
fence, and each one can make the cal
culation of cost. find it the cheapest