The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-08-17
THE Farm.
Farmers, Gardners, Horticufturists,
Dairy and Stochmen are requested to
WYite for this Department.
Fences.

No one can get the fence question
fairly before him who is not in the
habit of reading one or more of the
agricultural papers published in the
great farming regions of the county
Here he will get the various opinions
of the hedge, the wire and different
make of wooden fences from all shades
Of farmers. Barbed wire is almost un-
liversally detested but almost as univer.
sally used. AS dealer in barbed wire
remarked there is no alternative. It is
the cheapest of all fences for imme-
diate use and farmer can better af-
ford to lose horse severy year than
attempt to use other material for fenc-
ing. The time has been reached in
our farming when, as between dead
wooden fences and wire, there is no
choice. Wire is the only alternative.
No farmer is able longer to incur the
expense of wooden rail fences.
The solution to the fence problem
lies in the hedge as soon as farmers
master the principles which underlie a
perfect hedge. Fence building and
care must become specially; as much
SO as house and barn building on the
farm. The farmer employs a profes.
sional carpenter to erect and keep in
repair his buildings. The work he
attempts of this kind with his farm
hands proves sorry job, and consumes
much time in its doing. And so it will
come to be with his fences. He will
be compelled to employ professionals to
do this work. He and his hired men
cannot do it in a manner that will
prove satisfactory or economical. The
sewing machine which has come to be
SO Indispensable piece of household
economy could never have been utilized
as it now is, had not specialists been
used to introduce the machine and give
instruction in its use.
So it will be with the wire and hedge
fence. Singly they are both full of
objections. Combined they make the
most economical, most useful, most
beautiful and most effective fence in
the whole catalogue of fences. But the
ordinary farmer cannot build and keep
in order this fence, any more than the
ordinary house keeper could have in
troduced and managed the patent sew
ing machine. The hedge and wire
fence is, like the sewing machine pro-
teeted by patents, which prevent,
quacks and frauds from swindling farm
ers and destroying the fence for all
usefulness, and specialists have it sole
ly in their hands whose interest it is to
do the work in the best and most dur
able manner, as we'll as keep the fence
in order afterward.j
The hedge and wire fenc will get
out Of repair like any other fence if
not attended to, but it costs, annually
a mere trihe, if it is kept trimmed by
an expert who understands the business
and who, with the proper tools can do
twice as much, and that twice as we'll, /,
as an awkward, unskilled hand. There.
fore, the fence of the future will require
specialists to build, and specialists to
keep it in order, who can trim the
hedge at the very nick of time it needs
trimming at penny rod, which is
cheaper than zigzag worm or post and
rail of the old time order of fence ever
was kept up. The farmer in the busy
season can attend to the legitimate
work of caring for his crops, while his
fences are scientifically trimmed, hun
dred rods for dollar, twice a year.
Two dollars year will not keep in
order one hundred rods of any other
fence for 20 successive years-wire
possibly excepted, which will damage
stock in that time an unknown guam.
tity. The farmers grain is cut and
threshcd largely by specialists because
he can have it done by the specialist
for less cost than to do it himself; and
when he is convinced that he can have
his fences built and cared for at less
cost, by the specialist than he can do
the work himself he will adopt that
mode. Hence we say the fences of the
future will be built and kept in order
by specialists.