OCR Text |
Show RAILS AND WIRE FENCING. Old Style Fencing Giving Way Slowly But Surely to the More Modern Mod-ern Method. Much of tho old mil fence Is still in uso In many sections. Though not so neat and attractive as tho wlro or board fence, It has some points of advantage ad-vantage over other kinds. Tho rnll fence, can bo easily opened to pass through from field to field with binder or other machinery. Also rails make handy cross fences or hog lot fences, being easily taken down and put up again, bo ns to change size of, or subdivide lota or fields. About tho itrst rails made were split out of whlto oak and many of these, nftor 40 or CO years' uso, aro yet sound. Tho Bame may bo said of ehcutnut rnlls, but thoso mndo of black oak nro not so lasting. Stock, especially horses, are seldom hurt by rnll fences, yet many are ruined or blemished for llfo by barbed wire cuts. Tho barbed or woven wire fenco Is n necessity in places whero little other material Is to bo hnd, and oventually, when the wooden tnnccs have all rotted rot-ted down, we must uso tho wire, which la neat, looks well, tnkea up little room and fowcr posts than the rnll fence. It will stand up longer and better ngalnst wind and proves an effcctlvo barrier to passage of farm Btock or somo wild animals. As fast as needed supplant rails with woven wire about 37 Inches high of nine atrnnds. Two lnchea nbovo It stretch a barbed wire. This will turn horses, cattle, hogs and sheep, but nnother wlro eight Inches higher makes it safer for horses or unruly stock, says tho Farm and Home. Poets ahould bo placed about eight feet apart and nlternate ones need only reach to top of woven wire, and these might bo of old rails cut five feet long. Long posts should be of heavy whlto oak and six and one-half to seven feet long, Inserted two to two nnd one-hnlf feot In ground. Stretch nil wlrea tightly tight-ly and anchor end or corner posts well with heavy braces. Such a fenco with two barbed wires will bo about 48 Inches high nnd cost for wire nnd posts from 30 to 35 ccnta per rod. |