Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1886-04-14
Frlccs and Fencing.

Each spring the frost has brought
to the surface crop of stones that
must be cleared away before the
land can he titled, and the easiest
way to get rid OF them is to make
them into fences. But outside OF
these localities, where the Virginia
rail fence has almost exclusively
prevailed, fences and fencing pre-
sent important economic problems.
Fences. so statistics show. arc the
most considerable item of expense
TO the farmer. The farmers OF this
country have more invested i'll fell
ccs than they have in live stock,
and TO maintain these fences Is
more expensive than to keep the
farmers supplied with implements
and machines.
We have much more than the
really necessary amount of fencing.
We fence, not to keep our own
stock III, but to keep everybody
clSc'S out. This is contrary to the
old English common law, and to the
eariv law in this country, regard
ing fences. In England and the
colonies it WAS the law that each
man was to confino his OWN stock,
and that only. Hit escaped and
did damage, he was responsible;
ard if his neighbours cattle tres
passed upon the land, fenced CT un
fenced, he could recover damage
The change in the law in this coun
try. which has become well-nigl
general. arose when the valleys OIL
the Ohio and Mississippi were set
tied. Then the nnnccupied land
presented such fine grazing thai
the temptation to turn the stock
out upon the ranges and to compc
each man to guard bis own crops
was too CREATE be resisted. 1t Is
probable that it is more conven
icnt and juStitiable TO require cact
man to fence against the stock u
others as well as his OWN, ;lS lous
as unoccupied land is in excess ol
The titled land; but us the country
settles up and the relative proper
lions OF titled and unoccupied lands
are reversed, there is no reaSoll fol-
this law, but every reason why VIZ
should return to the old law com
peliing each man to restrain his
OWL stock. | am glad to note thai
a return to the old law is being CT
fec,ed in many localities. II vii
REFUGE the necessary amount OF
fencing fully eighty per cent. III
stead of it being necessary to fence
every field, Only pasture fields need
DC fenced.
Except in the States which are
now being settled, only the poorer.
Snit'lless class can reasonably ol,-
pose the leversion to the old law.
All others have very solid tnan-
cial Notwithstanding in
the aggregate to hundreds of mil
lions OF dolarS-to favor it. Only
those who desire to pasture the
highways and weedy commons can
ask that all their neighhorS fence
against their stock; and if they
are too poor to provide other graz
ing tor that stock, it would be bet
ter for them and more economical
10 their thrifty nelghhors for these
nelghbors to hire pasture for them.
TO hire tie pasture would cost far
less than 70 maintain the fences to
keep their stool, out; while that
stock would fare better than when
feeding on weeds and dry grass
and made the sport Of all the mis-
chievous boys and vicious dogs Iii
in the neighborlood. Byall means
pass stock lawsiequiring each man
to restrain his OWL animals. in
some localities such a law will be
opposed by some; but l venture The
assertion that where it iSonce tried
for three years it will never be re-
pealed.
The days of the Virginia rail
fence are fast passing away. The
material for its construction is be-
coming too costly; yet this is not
the only item of expense wherein
it compares at d great Gisadvan'
tage with ORR fences. 1t occupies
strip of land at least eight feet
wide; hence every mile of this fence
takes from cultivation one acre OF
land. This land is not rendered
useless. 1t grows weeds to seed all
the adjacent land. These weeds
may lie kept cut down, tits true,
but this requires considerable labor,
and there will always he careless
nciehborS who will allow then
fence corners to grow up With
weeds to seed your land as well as
theirs. These corners covered with
rubbish, and especially the spaces
under tie rails, afford convenient
harbors for mice, rabbits, AMI
moths, some OF which are becoming
serious pests in all parts OF the
country. The space that the Viz
ginia rail fence condemns to worse
than worthless uses, rather than
he cost Of constructing and main
tanning it, condemns ii, though the
latter alone would he sufficient, cX
ccpt in IL few favored localities
where timber very plcnty.-lIome
and Farm.