The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-10-04

information from those present regarding
the best fence from the standpoint OF
utility and economy, not merely with
reference to first cost but taking durabil-
ity and the cost of maintenance into con-
sideration. He stated that in conversa-
ton with MIR William Oldield the latter
had told him that the wire fence, such as
he put up along the Churchville road,
cost from fifty to sixty cents per rod
complete, and that he preferred to use this
fence even where he had abundant fencing
material on his own property. Other
members gave the results of their eX-
pericnce with different fencing materials
and the post and rail, the wire bound
pailing fence, and the all wire, woven
wire. and old-fashioned worm fence were
all brought under review. The only ad-
vantage urged for the barbed wire was
that it made a poor resting place for the
hire men, i'll all other respects this bar
barOuS invention was condemned. The
majority of sentiment seemed to favor the
post-and-rail fence. In discussing the
different posts to be used with this fence
the opinion was that where it was posi-
BILE to obtain yellow locust it was poor
economy to use any other for the reason
that the labor of construction being so
large a part Of the whole cost and the
life of the locust post being so largely i'll
excess of either oak or chestnut, it were
better to buy locust posts at twenty-five
| to thirty cents piece than to use the
shorter lived timber One fact that many
sought to impress was the great adj
| vantage accruing from the use of we'll
seasoned material and numerous in
stances of this were cited as also the eff
feet of charming the part of the post to be
sunk in the ground.
Next in popularity to the post-and-rail
fence came the old-faShioned zigzag or
worm fence;in fact this fence about equally
divided honors with the poet-and-rail
1t was advised that in getting out the
rail for this fence they be hewn of large
size for the reason that the rails lid not
rot but gradually wore away and large
rail was serviceable for many years long
err than a small one In this connection
it was stated that the price ofrails today
of forty to fifty dollars per thousand is
only about one-half of their cost fifty
years ago. This came in the nature of a
surprise to many of the younger men,
bers who looked upon fencing material
| today much more costly than i'll former
times. The reason for this however was
not given. Another fact brought out
was that hewn posts and rails for some
reason resisted atmospheric conditions
| better than sawed ones.
| Mr.. Moores said it was better to use
the material one had on the farm than to
go outside to purchase it.
Different kinds of wire fencing found
favor with some of the members for
specific purposes. The greatest difficulty
with these fences is the weight, which
tends to draw the staples from the post
where it is a woven fence. Mr.. Oldield
was quoted as saying that to whitewash
the post tended to lessen this trouble.
Ribbon wire fence was condemned as
utterly worthless, being much more
dangerous to stock than barbed wire al
though much more innocent in appear
| ance.
Summing up all that was said it would
seem to be another case of the survival
of the fittest and that the old-fashioned
post-and-rail and worm fences which
have so long served the double purpose
of beauty and utility will continue in
favor upon the farms ofHarford. Ifthey
are superseded by more modern inven,
tions, their passing away will be slow
and we may look for their picturesque
lines upon the landscape for yet many
| years to come.