Year: 1875

1 Fencing.

 Is it not possible to do some thing to save our farmers from the enormous expense incurred by our present mode of protecting our crops?

 It has been asserted over and over again that the fences of the U. s. have cost more than all the buildings including those in the cities. 1 do not voGoh for the truth of this, but am far from de- nying it. At all events fencing is J se-liDle burden to the agricultu- ral community. Now in some parts of the world fences are dis pensed with altogether, as in France. In some states of the union ssstock laws" are in force and every man is required to take care of his own stock. In others small animals such as hogs, sheep, goats, and cattle under two years of age are not allowed by law to run at large, and there is no need of a tight expensive fence. This ques- ticn, like the fence itself, has two sides, Cor more) and l am merely writing now to call the attention of the community to the subject, hoping some plan may be adopted whereby the expense of enclosing our lands.may be materially les sened. For one I am of the opin- ion that it would be better to re- quire every man to take care of his own stock and hold him re- sponsible for all damage done by them to his neighbors. This would be a radical change but would be followed by beneficial results, amongst which would be a great improvement in the quail ty of our stock, because few per sons would keep up such worth less long shouts, razor backs, lean kline Indian ponies, mustangs and other worthless creatures. It would save thousands of law suits and much i'll blood. The law now requires a five feet fence but there are not ten farms in Pope county with legal fences around them. As a consequence bad fences make bad or "breedy" cattle. Browns cattle get into Blacks s field and Black sends word to Brown to take care of his stock, and Brown replies that the other B. has no fence--then Black swears like "our army in Flanders" and threatens to shoot the "dog oned old cow" Finally getting out of patience he shoots sure enough and then suit and Brown and Black are enemies for life.

 If we are to submit to the old fogy plan of spending all we can spare after paying taxes to keep up so many millions of miles of fence, let us try to build more durable fences than the old tum- bledown worm fence. Let us try ditching when practicable and hedging and good post and plank fence.

 But here let me caution every body against the Boisd' arc hedge, for it is unfit for the purpose, as it is not a shrub but a tree and has constant tendency to run up and leave hog g-holes near the ground. Besides, the Boisd' arc or osage orange occupies too much land with its long roots. The land ruined and the labor required to cut back the hedge amount to ten times the worth of the hedge.

 It is devoutly to be wished that some one wiser than the writer claims to be would take up the knotty subject and study and suggest and finally hit on some plan to save us from this mon- strous evil. T.

 HARD TIMEs.-The farmer who owns his land, is free from debt, and has tolerable Improvements, cannot comprehend the full mean ing of the term "hard times" Hence, farming is the best and surest vocation for the mass of the people; as general result it does not lead to wealth and luxu- ry, but it may certainly insure competence and even abundance. ,ro thn indod nm nfortnnato nnnno