The Republican journal., 1885-06-25
Maine Fences.

SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES OF THEM USELESS.
YEARLY loss TO FARMERS OF S6O00.o0O.
A RADICAL REMEDY FOR THIS UNNECEs-
SARI EVIL.
The subject of farm fences Is no trivial one.
1t is matter of greater magnitude and impor-
tance than would appear at the first blush. Ac-
cording to the best estimates. there are g.
000.0oo miles of farm fences in the United
States, the original cost of which is over $1,000
900 900. This amount is nearly equal to the
national debt on which interest is paid, and as
much a. the estimated value of all the farm
stock IN tile country. Ia many states the fences
on farm cost more than the buildings stand
Ing on it: ana this in states where lumber is
plenty. Few are aware of the immense outlay
of labor and money in building and repairing
fences annually. winch i Just so much taken
from the productive industries of the country.
In 1873 the total expense of building and re-
pairing fences in the nited States was SIS,
G29. o09 In New England the cost was Maine.
Sti53 UGA; New Hampshire. S334.4lO. erm0nt,
SGU1 ,9G3 Massachusetts,, SGlS .4}3; Rhode Is
land. ; l3O ,l1j Connecticut, S643.315. Fencing
is prescribed by law and custom. 1t has come
down To US from the past. Shakespeare wrote
OF ~ shetp-cOte fenced about with olive trees"
in l463 Sir John Fortescue, an eminent Eng
li>h Judge and writer on the law, declared that
the importance of having the land incloSed is
generally admitted" During the reign of
Charles IL. the English fence system under the
inclo>ula acts was inaugurated. In 1852, the
y 4""''" 0o'oni's III S'Ne u tne
- - " " i' it,: " w ~ "
t.'" " i"'l'%es ~ Vl"f,s ny h'le, :" ine 5oa's:
upon his acres without inclo.ure but at his per-
il. In lcl9. in a meeting before the American
Institute Farmers Club at New York. Mr.. Jos
cph Blunt said The farmers in this country
VIZ e"u,',F" ui''i .io st,tVin ~ iehten ,. "a
y ~ III iV"""'" "l"" 'ne ho.l0ii 'il' :" man -
.''"ilu 70 llV"'. ny " oita .! tN"oiuS o"l
the N"Tiu' 'Hd' ne ~" h"> no power tnt'
-th'iI respect i"i lhe
RIGHTS or PROPERTY
b,. ma >ist,,,.. ,,,t thai ,,,, must fence. ant
III i,tru,l4rs 4nL u,.rd vntr r,ronertl Win
,,..,lI. .,,.4 f.,,e4. if ,-,n >irs II, ,,uinI il a.
,,l,r nvvn INC v,trl,. svst.n, i fn,ntip,i ul,nn
a., lrronen,,. uotio,, 1'he law tinn. ,.rnt,i.,
,,,.,,,' ,r,,,,ar,,. III. r..,l axtut .,d H. ,roi
not. 4r. III .nJ tb4v H.. un.jer rho ,,rottctinp
,f +t, lam, ath.,, t,a,,.oI nr ,,,f4,,.a4 :,
Nost f ,,,,. \a,y EnnI.,i f,,,,,s .,.., ;n,.Ios,l
vim fu,.es tr.i.,ht ,rnol..l anJ irrar,,l.,.
,r.,nI h4d .,ud in1lftf;.rent In frct th,-,aa i
7,..,r'.ly " farm hmt what i. diyid@d a'1a suh-
,,i,iIj M fl'.. g th.,I !, ,...,,t,I.s NAL
80, h,,, trhn i,,l,,.',r,.s ,.r,,,,.n.. tbo .ltnrs
II ID .,b,I io1.', ,., ,,,;,i, '.i,o
ilJn ,r.,tj.,, h.. j;Tn,aT j., 7I,,,rt ,,r,
tLir, 97oe,Hl fannai rha iirI ,f f4,,ne. ,,;d
10. of Ea N
.t.,, In NJ I,Ii.,,. ,,-, f,.,.a ,I, yir,ri,i,
lui fence. which Is the pioneer fence, where
there i plenty O1 TIMBER. Iheu there Is the
ipS fence, stone wall, stump fence, rltch pole
lrhce, worm renee ahd the post ana fii fence
he aWfhl Ithct Is hol lt>s ihah follr lett h'gh.
In Maine ANA MASSACHUSETTS stone wall Is Inc
man lehcg' or. a. aiI events. more general!
ulstllpuirut IN MaIit IN" ran renee comes
'At, ihIn ih" hoAfu renee, Ul Nhlcll mere are
many dlntl"ht xmas, lhti 'hf hi>h 1ehte. etr.
fali fences are me cheapt>t' ana require less
>hill 10 bullu mem llan any olheT hlhd. GOOD
fences are made put "i tle roofs anu >lulnps OF
ii'2t iletn 81 up tdst WIS., on llle Sroulld. me
Stone wall Nhth Wen hu'l' VIII la>l forever;
Nut ~ a general thing II Is poorly bnlit, and the
>Ione wall /, an un>ishtll object when grown
W 10 lli>tles, gotden-rod and weeds generally.
ihc stone wall a. commonly built whether sin
q" OF double, l. very good TO keep out OF IN all
Kinds "f stock except sheep. As Il matter OF
economy It Is contendcd by some that instead of
utilizing the large stones found IN a lleid. for
fences. II would be cheaper 10 dig Il deep pit
and burl them. The smaller stones could be
gathered and thrown INTO a trench for stone
drain. In either cas-" II has been estimated
that il would cost less To dispose of them in
The ways named than to USE them for a stone
wall. The ether day your correspondent was
talking with an intelligent kennebec farmer
about
yIlF st.rIE.~r oI- Ft\rrs
"ho NAG 9N'i' IL >l'tti'l con 'ut htioh. N'oo4
iFh.VSi n"li ~ Hl'A7 S1N'i iit iSn2Vls s'li'
uoh peIGfe III 'ueih' II ! hto my way, 1
Wou'un l'iNe " lthrt On LUZ laiih. III tng