The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-03-24
THE FARM.
FENCES AND FENCING.

rail fence with rails nailel to posts. l
like a post-and-rail fence when made
secure, but | fail to see how it can be
made secure enough by merely mailing
the rails to the posts. In the common
board fence, where boards are placed
horizontally, nails do we'll enough if
plenty are used, but then the posts are
only six feet apart, while in one with
rails they are nearly 10 feet apart;
besides, if either your rails or posts are
of hard wood, it is no easy thing to
drive nails in or through them without
first boring. and that takes much time
and patience.
Now the way we do is to drive a
stake beside the post, and wire together
| both top and bottom, putting the rails
| between post and stake. This makes
the most secure fence [ know of.
Owing to scarcity of timber, the old
"Virginia worm " is being done away
with, and straight fences are taking
its place. Here we have a great variety
shown. On the n hand we have
patented wire and rail fences, built
with or without the stakes being driven
into the ground. They look well,
| handle solid, and will last a long
time in some places, but are Of no use
| where exposed to high winds. l have
at three different times seen some forty
rods of it blown over at once. 1t CON
sists of one upright and two brace
stakes crossing each other between top
and second top rail. The rails are
fastened copyrights stakes with wire, but
| their weight hangs on the brace stakes,
at hepoint where they cross; the whole
thing frightened and top rail fastened,
by means of q bOOm-pOle. 1t IS pat
ented, and the right to build costs IS
per hundred acres, Or they will build
and furnish their own wire for II cents
per rod.
There is another kind of fence in
which little or no wire is used, but
nails in place thereof, 1t consists of
two upright stakes wide enough apart
for rails to go between, and two brace
stakes nailed on each side Of upright
stakes, SO as to cross below top rail.
The upright stake should be wired at
the bottom, or a narrow strip Of wood
| can be nailed across. The trouble is
that, through time, or with cattle or
hogs rubbing against them, the nails
give way, and the whole thing is
done for.
Another kind-and counting cost it
is the cheapest and best-is one in
which upright and brace stakes are
all driven into the ground, the former
wired together above the bottom rail.
The latter are not placed in position
until all the rails are placed except the
last row, when having driven them
until solid, they IRE then wired together.
Just here lies the most important thing
In getting it done so as not to allow the
uprights or rails to have any play.
The wire is passed once around II
brace stake, the wires passing each
other on the outside of stake. The
longer end is then passed around out
side of upright stake, and then once
around the SSOther brace stake and on
until you meet the other end, and are
fastened by being twisted together
until they are taut. This may tighten
only one side; if 50, catch wire on other
side and twist as before. Now put on
your top rail be sure and have it fit
right and tight in between upright
stakes.
Here, where we have lots of stones.
we pile a few along each side, which
make it more solid. We sometimes
build stone fences with cedar Stats
built IN to help hold together. They
stand we'll on land that is high and
dry, but are of no use on low damn
land, as the frost heaves them so that
they soon tumble down. They are a
bad fence for sheep, any way, as they
soon learn to climb them. These OBJ
jections apply equally well to that
mentioned in your issue Of Jan. 1, page
10, where lower part of fence is built
Of stones.
Wire fences are a nuisance, besides
beng dangerous and ugly. Frosts will
heave the posts and break the wires, or
the wires will sag and animals will be
tempted to put their heads through
but are not 20 careful in taking them
out again, and often cause more injury
than anything else.
We have had agents spouting about
the advantages of willow, thorn, osa re
orange, &c, for hedges, but that was
about all there was in them. Cedar
makes a nice hedge for ornamental use