Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-19
CEMENT AND CONCRETE FENCE POSTS
CEMENT FOUND 70 Be VERY SATISFACTORY SUBSTITUTE ron WOO
BY H. M. Banner
AND H. B. BoNEBRIGHT.

The average life of the best wood
fence posts that have not been spe
cially treated is from twelve to fifteen
years, while the poorer ones often last
but from three to five years. Good
wood posts are gradually becoming
harder to secure and the cost of them
is increasing each year. The cost If
maintaining the farm fences and espe-
cially the posts is great one when we
consider that they must be replaced so
often
The cheaper and poorer grades of
woods used for fence posts can ne
treated and thus made to outlast the
pest grades of untreated timber. The
cost OF the untreated posts will vary
from 10 to Is cents each and the cost
OF treating them according to expert
mental data at hand will add from 10
to Is cents each to the first cost, thus
making the total cost of the treated
post from 20 to 80 cents.
with the present enormous and in
creasing demands made upon our for
ests Tor all classes of lumber. shingles
pulp wood, cooperage stock, mine tim
bers, lath, wood for distillation. poles
and fence posts, there is no wonder
that Inc prices for these products are
becoming greater The cost of the av-
erage fence post is almost double what
II was quarter of century ago and
IN another quarter of a century there
is no doubt but that it's cost will he
double that of the present.
iron fence posts cannot be senera1;y
used as substitutes, as their cost is
prohlbltive Stone posts are usad N
some localities, but they do not give
general satisfaction and thew cannot
be proftably shipped.
cement and concrete posts are beine
manufactured and used as substitutes
and there is no doubt but that thav
VIII become more generally used. #
Is true that they may be considered
as expensive, but they are lons-lived
present a good appearance and can he
mace by the farmer, providing the nee
essary materials are available. Ru,-
ietln NO l4S of the Colorado agricul-
tural experiment station, Fort Collins.
Col, shows how to make the posts. to
determine the best forms, mixtures
wire fasteners, cost and general prac-
ticability.
In cement fence post construction it
is desirable that the post be made as
usht ana as strong as possible and
rnus lt is practical to use nothing but
the best grade of Portland cement.
TO many people the idea of mixiny
the concrete by hand appears to be an
unnecessary task. But the price of a
modern concrete mixer is so large that
1t would not be good economy to pur-
chase one for what little mixing is done
on the average farm.
The ingenious farmer will find that
suitable mixer may be constructed ot
home with little expense and work
All that is necessary is the ability 70
put few pieces OF old machinery to-
gether In such way that the barrel
or box may be turned upon an axis
and stopped at the desired time, This
is very easy in case. the power is FIR
nished by hand, but in case of . mower
driven mixer more ingenuity is ra-
CURED.
There are two general classes of mix
lures which may be used in the con-
struction of posts, the poured and the
tamped. In the poured mixture enough
water is used in mixing to make it thin
enough to pour from pail or scoop
almost like water. The mixture is
poured into mold and allowed to re-
main in it until it has set, which 10