The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-24

Since we have been freed from the NUS
ance OF fence rows and are able 70 piOw to
the line, cultivating the land that was
formerly harbor for weeds and brlars
unless moved twice a year, we have
learned to appreciate the cost of useless
fences. We can plow to the line of the
highway, turn in il and not on the grow
ing crops, and by running mower along
the sides of the road every few weeks it
can be kept neat and slightly. Owners OF
adjoining farms set rocks or locust posts
at points on the line and then pillow and
plant up TO the line. and often paSser-by
can hardly tell the divisions between two
wheat or grass fields. When a neighbours
field viii be very little injured by tramp
ing, every one drives across the line
with the cultlvatOr and turns without
tramping down his own crops. The great
flood in this valley settled the fence ques-
ton for US, and | believe some other sec
lions of the state would be richer if such
a solution could be found for the question
with them Useless fences abound, and
do not earn the rent of the room they
take up, much less pay for their main
tenanCe, but it is the habit to keep farms
fenced and to allow stock to run in the
highways and so no one want to be the
first to make change and incur the ill
Will of those who pasture the commons.
Then, again, one neighbOr thinks he may
need fence around a certain field some
day, and the neighbor on the other side
thinks likewise, and so agriculture is
taxed to maintain a tremendous mileage
of useless fencing.
OF course fencing is need, but the ques-
ton arises: What mortal right has any
man to ask another to help him take care
care of his stock 2 If he wants to keep
stock on certain portion of his farm
should he not pay the cost of it, unless
perchdnCe his neighbor needs a fence on
his line to keep his own stock in an ad-
| joining field. If a man owns stock he
should care for it. If his neighbor needs
fence and they can form a partnership,
| that is mutually helpful; but if the neigh
| Dor does not need the fence, he should not
| feel compelled by custom or neighborly
! regard to contribute of his income to help
! another care for stock that pays him
naught. 1t is possible that is purely
| stock sections of our country road fences
are needed, hut it is my observa tion that
| stock drOvers take cattle along our un-
| fenced highways more easily than they
can in many professedly fenced regions.
! Such stock learn to take the roadbed for
their path where there are no fences, but
if there is fence, they will watch for
every open gate or broken gap. They are
just human enough to want to do what
they think is forbidden, and the open gate
is an opportunity they never let slip, but
they will travel on unfenced highways
without any great trouble.
The public does not need fenced high
ways in an agricultural region. A loose
COW is seldom seen running at large in my
township, as men who formerly used the
roadway as a pasture ground now know
that their stock can wander in any direc-
ton, and so provide pasture at home. Our
plan works well. The titled fields are
! pleasant to cultivate. The pasture land
is kept fenced. There is no temptation
to pasture the meadows or tramp the
land with stock, and the saving in cost OF
! fencing is a big item on each farm. 1t is
safe to say that the useless fences of the
| United States cost the farmers millions OF
! dollars year-yes, tens of millions II
we do as we would be done by, we would
| take care of our own stock unless a part
nership fence is profitable to our neigh.
bOrs as well as US.