Year: 1872

More than thirty years ago, the writer oil
a paragraph in the Philadelphia Public
Ledger listened to an agricultural address
delivered by the late Nicholas Biddle, at
the annual exhibition of the Philadelphia
Society for the Promotion of Agriculture.
We were particularly struck with two
things he then enunciated. One was that
fences were made 10 retain cattle within
the particular premises enclosed, and not
to shut them out from such enclosed prema
ises. The idea. though seemingly a very
simple one, was new, and against the al


most universally received opinion of farm


ers and the public as to the purpose of


fencing. 1t was believed up to that time
| that the highways were public pasture


grounds, on all of which any one and
everybody were free to Craze their stock
| at pleasure, and, indeed, on the adjoining
premises, unless the owner thought fit to-
protect them by legal fencing, for statute
law prescribed their height and character.
Even then larger privilege than this
was accorded the pastures of what used
to be called .'the long farm as the high


ways were sometimes designated. Ac-


cident or death resulting from the wan
dering of this stock at large was not at the
risk of the owners, hut at the cost of the
railways whose tracks might be invaded
with damage to the rowing herd. The


price of the injured or killed cattle


was considered SO equitable a claim


that it was paid invariably without
question. From the date of this men,


orable address, delivered by Mr.. Bid


die from a rude platform of rough boards,


to company of intelligent, sunburnt
| farmers, the sentiments to which he then
/
only all over this country, but all over the


world and are now the recognized law of
the courts as well as of the highway. The
cost of fencing is not to be borne to keep
cattle trespassing upon the public roads,
from tresspassing also upon private prop
erty, nor is the penalty upon the railway
companies when cattle roaming at large
are injured or killed. The loss is the
owners, and in some instances the courts
have gone farther, and put penalties on
the owners of the stock for the damage


done to the property of the railway COM


panies and their passengers ,'by throwing
the train Off the track, 1t is wholesome


and most equitable change, and we can
now but wonder that the old custom was
so long endured. And yet this great and
important revelation in public sentiment
was first publicly started by man made
eminent by his learning and his position,
it is true, but before comparatively few
and unnfluential citizens. The other
startling fact made by Mr.. Biddle was the
very large proportion of the farmers capital
that was invested in his fencing. In the
State Of Pennsylvania alone, he said,
careful estimate showed that at least hum
dred millions of dollars were invested at
that time in fencing, Much attention has
since been given to this branch of the then
new thought, and great economy has been
effected; but still the amount OF capital is
greatly beyond the estimate of any one
who has not given the matter special at
tention. Cheaper material for fences has
been found. and movable fences for the
necessary division of fields are common.
In addition to this, instead of laws passed
by the Legislature prescribing the height
OF a fence to turn outside cattle, we have
now statutes which protect the farmers
premises in certain localities from inya-
sion in the absence of all fencing. Fem
ces cost enough in cities, but that cost
bears small proportion to the charges
for them in the country at large. When
city people 90 into the country they see
little to admire in the post and rail, the
worn fence, the rough stone walls, the
sliSnt-struhS Wiie, vi eNeH tnc "nlte par
ings of the villages. The fence is an
American institution and habit, and a
costly one it is. Illinois is said to have


ten times the fencing of Germany, and


Duchess county, New York, more than
all France. These marks show that these
brown and dingy division marks, over
grown with briars and thistles. are an
enormous tax on the industry of the coun-
try, and all to keep stock from trespassing.
Some of these days, under the careful
tillage of the old wcrld, fences will dis
appear, and land boundaries will be
marked with fruit and shade trees, or
neat hedge rows, and the country win
present a much improved appearance


Chester County (Pa) Republican.