The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-08-20
A MODEL FENCE.

LIE progressive duu uuluduC ldl ucl
of the northwest has felt for several
years that some substitute for the
barbarous barb-wire fence must be
had. 1t is, at best, miserable thing
to have around, and is always stand
ing menace to cattle and horses on &C.
count of it's sharp and poisonous talgs.
Many good horse has been ruined,
and the number of animals carr ing
scars which have reduced their mar
ketable value from one-half to two
thirds, caused by being cut on barb
wire fences is simply countless
Board fences in this country, to any
considerable extent, are out of the
question on account of the heavy eX-
pense to construct them and the large
annual outlay required to keep them
in repair. Therefore, while the barb
wire is neither attractive nor desira-
BILE it has come into T5ry general use
on the farm because of it's cheapness
when compared with the board fence.
But the unsightly and dangerous
barb-wire can now be done away with
and the great expense of board
fence need not enter into considera-
tion, for fence is now being intro
duced into Minnesota that combines
the elements Of great beauty with
cheapness, of the protection of stock
from injury with abso2ate durability.
This fence is what is known as the
sweet honey locust hedge, and it is as
beautiful as it is proof against inVa-
sion by any kind of stock. Through
the courtesy of Mr.. j. T. Morris, of
Minneapolis, general manager for the
Minnesota Hedge and Wire Fence
company, delegation Of Blue Earth
county citizens was given an oppor-
tunity to inspect section of the
fence at Slayton, Murray county, on
Friday. The party was made up of J.
G. Wise, Peter Lloyd, G. N. Boynton,
M. o. Sundt, H. @. Burgess, L. P.
Hunt, of Mankato; B. o. Killmer,
Amboy; Duane Rasdall, of St. Clair,
and DR.. Ira Bishop, of Mapleton. Col.
Sam Johnson, now of Minneapolis,
formerly of Kentucky, and the gentle
man who has introduced this hedge
into various sections of the country
for the past seventeen years, and who
is an expert in it's propagation, was
also one of the party. An investiga-
tion of the hedge convinced all that it
is everything that the company claims
for it, as will be seen by the open let
ter addressed to the public and found
elsewhere in this issue. The hedge
inspected is about six years old, stands
about three and one-half feet high,
and is so thoroughly interviewer and
massive as to be even rabbit proof.
After the plant is three years old four
plain wires are run crosswise of the
bush, about eight inches apart, the
trunks or stalks are bent to an
angle of about forty-five degrees
and the wires, tightly stretched,
are stapled firmly to the stalk.
With each years growth the fence
becomes stronger and more impreg-
nable, and is SO thoroughly united as
to make it beyond doubt the most
lasting fence that can be conceived.
The hedge produces a long, sharp
thorne that prevents cattle from
browsing or even chickens from crawl
ing through, and in addition to it's
utility, it is thing of extreme
beauty.
AS to expense, it is cheaper than
any other known kind or specie OF
fence. 1t only costs S1.OO per rod and
the company does the planting. The
terms Of payment are made easy, %
per cent being demanded the first
year, Is per cent the second year, and
so per cent the third wear. In three
years the growth is sufficient to turn
cattle, and it is at this age that the
wires are stretched and the trunks
bent. The company also agrees in its
cob tract to trim the hedge annually
for one cent per rod.
There is nothing that will add SO
much to beauty and real value Of the
farms of Minnesota as these beautiful
green hedge fences, and when once
planted the fence question is solved.
There is no cost for repairs other
than the cent a rod for trimming, and
this the farmer can do as well as an
expert after once witnessing the pro.
cess. 1t can be grown at any desired
height, and made to grow to suit the
taste of the purchaser.
1t seems to us that this is destined
to become the fence of the future not
only for farms but as well for the
identifying of residence lawns and
parks.
The committee that visited Slayton
found. besides the hedge fence above
described, thriving little town OF
seven or eight hundred people. 1t
has handsome court house and a
public school building equal to any.