The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-29
For lie Farmer AID Mechanic
The wake COM. Stock Law.

The stock Law passed by the
Legislature at its recent session seems
to provoke considerable discussion, as
well as bitter feeling.
DO not know who are the opponents
or advocates Of The law. But, by your
permission, | propose to submit state
ment for the consideration Of those who
are directly Interested. / Will preface
my statement BY saying that my work
IN the L. S. Department Of Agriculture.
for the two years. has bocn in the Bureau
of Forestry, which has enabled me by
hard study, close application ans com
parisOn to get q pretty far idea Of con-
dition Of the forests IN each state and
Territory, and | DO not hesitate to say
that the action Of the Legislature in pass
iuo the Stock Law, was a step in the
interest Of progress. How many far
mers in Wake county have a lawful
fence around them? How many far
mers in the county have timber enough
to make a lawful fence:
The benefits that would accrue in the
saving Of timber reproduction of the for
ests by keeping the stock off, are sub
jects of sufficient importance for another
communication, which | may write in
the future.
| propose now to notice the cost Of
buiidiRg and rcp0irjng fences IN Wake
coa1ty, and there show a comparative
statement of a county which has the
Stock Law in force.
The census returns for 1880, show
that the cost Of the fences in Wake
county for 1879 was $G3, l34 90. There
were, 10y the same reports, 1881 farms
and lGl,272 acres OF improved land in
tine county. The average cost per acre,
OF improved land. to keep up the fences
is 39.I cent per anum. The average to
each farm is $I4.4l.
Now, while it costs the farmer who
has but 10 acres only 1871 a year to
keep up the fence around his farm, it
costs him who has 100 acres $3.50 Il
year. There are l26 farms in the county
containing from 3 TO 10 acres each -;
containing from 10 to 20 acres I,585
from 20 to 50 acres $50 from SO to 100
acres and 1875 from 100 to 800 acres.
BY way OF comparison, take the u
ty of Mecklenburg, which has the Stock
Law in force. In this county, for the
census year, there were 2,645 farmers
and l4G, 243 acres of improved land.
The cost OF keeping up fences as reported
Is $6,2l6. The average cost per farm is
SOS, and the average cost per acre is
30 cents. In Mecklenburg it costs the
farmer who has but 10 acres, II cents !;
in Wake it costs $2.9I, a difference of
&3.49. In Mecklenburg, the farmer who
has LOO acres pays $40, while the
Wake farmer pays 1910, a difference
OF 43l so. 1t costs Wake county $G3,-
10000 Oh annually, aud it cost Meckleu-
lenburg $6,2l5.00; a difference of $50
1890.
1t occurs to me, sir, that this state
ment and comparison alone, (there are
several other important points which
would benefit the farmer and the coun-
ty,) IS a strong argument III favor Of the
Stock Law.
The wOlc number Of acres of improv-
land III the State, as reported by the
census, is 6,4Sl, l9l. The annual cost
or fences is 1850, 654,00 per acre. TAX
ihg the cost per acre in Mccklenburg,
for comparison, the cost Of the fences in
the State, were it under the operations
Of the laws would be but $272,2I0 which
would be m annual saving of $780,
444.o0. This would give every man,
woman and childn the State s 90 each.
The day is coming when it will be
more generally adopted, than it Is now
ROBERT W. BEST.
Bureau of Forestry, Dept. Of Agt.
NNoSLiprton II 4 Anil y fSZ