The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1910-02-03

ZIG, Ia WE'LL DRACED CORNER POST.
with two or three barbed wires on top.
This makes q fence that will turn any
There is little danger of u 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 it or
not; it 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 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 very good
size Three cornered strips should be
placed in the bottom Of the molds tC
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 &C.
ment, two and one-half parts clean,
sharp sand and five parts gravel. The
sand and cement should be mixed dry.
Then add water and mix to a thick
mortar. After this is we'll mixed
spread it out in thin layer and spread
the required amount of gravel over it.
Mix the whole mass we'll by shcyeling
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 it well.
Near each corner Jay 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. lamp again and put
in two more reinforcing wires. Fill
the mold to the top, lamp and round
off the upper corners. Long staples
with the points bent 4 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
After the cement has partially set
it should be covered with sand to
keep it from drying out too rapidly
The posts SHOULD be sprinkled at least
once a day for a week. when they may
be taken from the molds and stored
away in moist sand to cure. 1t takes
sixty days for cement post to cure
| properly. and it should not be set be-
| fore that time. In the meantime the
sand should be kept moist by occa-
sional sprinklings. The cost of ma
terial for cement posts the size men,
toned and seven feet long is not
more than % cents post not count
Ing the labor. When once in place
they will last practically forever.
The method of treating wooden fence
| posts with creoSOte is very simple and
inexpensive. Any kind of post is suit
| able for use With this treatment-in.
deed. the poorest soft wood posts last
| the longest after being properly treat.
ed. The apparatus needed consists OF
| two small metal tanks, one of which
| is arranged so that a fire can be built
under it. Both tanks are filled two
| thirds full of creosote. which can be
bought by the barrel at reasonable
| rates. The creosote in one OF these
tanks is heated almost to boiling, and
the posts, which must be well sea
soned, are placed in it and left fol
about six hours. Usually only the par
of the post that is to go into the ground
is treated.
After remaining in the hot creosote
for six hours the posts are taken out
and Immediately placed in the cold
creosote. The sudden reduction Of
! temperature causes the steam in ths
pores Of the post to contract. making
a partial vacuum, and the air pressure
drives the creoSote into all parts oil
the post. This treatment costs only
about 10 cents a post The treated
posts will last twenty years or longer