Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-01-11

IT. la WE'LL BhaCbD COhNE fOSls
with two or three barbed wires on top.
This makes a fence that will turn any
kind of stock from pigs to horses.
There is little danger of 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-
tion of whether you can afford it or
not; it is 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 he entire cost OF fenc-
ing in u 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 a
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 to
make the corners of the posts rounded.
A number of lnolds 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 be mixed dry.
Then add water and mix to thick
mortar After this is well mixed
spread it out in a thin layer and spread
the required amount of gravel over it..
Mix the whole mass well by shoveing
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 lay 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 Topped at the
end to prevent slipping. Now add
concrete up to within an inch of the
Up of the mold. lamp again and put
in two more reinforcing wires. Fill
off the upper corners Long staples
with the points bent 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
piece of soft wire twisted through
them.
After the cement has partially SCI
it should be covered with sand t.
keep it from drying out too rapidly
The posts should be sprinllled at leas
once day for week. when they ma,
be taken from the molds and store,
away in moist sand to cure. 1t take
sixty days for cement post to cur'
properly. and it should not be set be
: fore that time. In the meantime TIL
sand should be kept moist by occa
Y sional sprinklings. The cost of ma
A terial for cement posts the size men
). toned and seven feet long is no
J. more than % cents a post. not count
:. ing the labor When once in plac
they will last practically forever
The method of treating wooden fence
posts WIN creosoIe is very slulpie an
Inexpensive Any kind of post is sui
:, able for use with this treatment-il
: deed. the poorest soft wood posts la.
!. the longest after being properly trea
4 ed. The apparatus needed consists
two small metal tanks, one OF whic
I is arranged so that Il fire can be bui
$ under il. Both tanks are filled tw
q thirds fun OF creosote. which can
! bought by the barrel at reasonab
rates. The creoSote in one of the
> tanks is heated almost to boiling, al
the posts. which must be well Sc
v soned, are placed in it and left f
about six hours. Usually only the pa