Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-11-11
FIG. IA WE'LL BRAoED CORNER POST.

FIG. IA WE'LL BRAoED CORNER POST.
with two or three barbed wires on top.
This makes n fence that will turn any
kind of stock from pigs 10 horses.
There is little danger of a horse get
ting into such fence and getting cut.
Where much stock is kept it will pay
to have the entire farm fenced with
this or some other kind of fence that
is hog or sheep tight. 1t is not ques-
ton of whether you can afford II or
not; il is a question of whether you
can afford not to do it. 1t will prob
ably not be possible to fence all the
farm in one year, but the work should
be done as rapidly as possible. The
extra feed the hogs and sheep will
pick up will pay the entire cost of fenc-
ing in a very few years.
Cement Posts.
The first part of the fence to be put
up is the posts. The time for putting
up cheap posts that will rot out and
need renewal in three or four years is
past There are two ways of secur-
ing lasting postS-making them of ce-
ment and treating wooden posts with
creosote. Cement posts are not hard
to make. The first step is TO make
wooden mold of the proper size. About
six inches square at the bottom. taper
| ing to four at the top, is a very good
| size. Three cornered strips should be
placed in the bottom of the molds 10
make the corners of the posts rounded.
| A number of molds can be built side
by side. so that several posts can be
made at once. The best mixture for
cement posts is one part portland ce-
ment. two and one-half parts clean.
sharp sand and FIVE parts gravel. The
! sand and cement should he mixed dry.
Then add water and mix 10 thick
| mortar. After this is well mixed
spread it out i'm thin layer and spread
the required amount of gravel over ii.
Mix the whole mass well by shoveling
over several times.
The inside of the molds should be
creased with soft soap to keep the
cement from sticking. Spread about
one and one-half inches Of concrete
over the bottom and lamp 1t well.
| Near each corner lay a steel wire
lengthwise Of the post. These re-en-
| forcing wires should be fairly heavy,
but will not need to be galvanized. as
the concrete will keep them from rust
ing. They should be looped at the
end to prevent slipping. Now add
concrete up to within an inch Of the
top of the mold. tamp again and put
! in two more reinforcing wires. Fill
J the mold TO the top. lamp and round
/ off the upper corners. Long staples
| with the points bent "a little to keep
them from pulling out should he stuck
into the cement at the places where
the wires are TO be fastened. After
the posts are set the wires can be
fastened 10 these staples by small
piece OF soft wire twisted through
them.
o After The cement has partially set
IL should be covered with sand to
keep it from drying out too rapidly.
The posts should be sprinkled at least
once n day for week. when they may
be taken from the molds and stored
away in moist sand to cure. 1t takes
sixty days for a cement post to cure
properly. and II should not be set be-
fore that time. In the meantime the
sand should be kept moist by occa-
sional sprinkings. The cost of ma
terial for cement posts the size men,
toned and seven feet long is not
more than % cents a post. not count
ing the labor. When once I'm place
they will last practically forever
The method Of treating wooden fence