293 STATE BOAED OF AGRICULTUKE. 



The inconvenience to a horse of an ounce or so of increased weight in each shoe 

 is not worth a moment's consideration compared with the discomfort to him of 

 traveling upon a hard road with a bent shoe on his foot, straining the nails and 

 making an unequal and painful pressure. 



The following volunteer paper was read by Mr. John T. Blois, on 



FENCE POSTS. 



Very few things of equal importance receive so little attention as the proper 

 time of cutting and the proper preparation of fence posts. As a general thing, 

 upon the durability of the post in the ground depends the durability of the fence 

 itself ; for after the post has once rotted off, the fence boards are rarely ever fit 

 for another fence, while a fence rarely gives out as long as the posts last. 



Many persons, especially in farming, do things without any reason other than 

 the practice of others, never thinking of the philosophy of their acts, often con- 

 sulting mere convenience in preference to philosophical rule. This may do for 

 a novice, but when there are differences of opinion, the operator should always 

 have a reason for his acts. Why set a seasoned post in preference to a green 

 one? Why with the butt up instead of down? Why cut the tree for it at this 

 season in preference to that? Why, in pruning, the first of August instead of 

 spring, and the like for clearing off underbrush for tillage ; in short, the ope- 

 rator should always ask himself the reason for all his acts. 



For reasons stated below, about the first of August, in the latitude of 42°, is 

 the best time for cutting down deciduous trees for timber in Michigan. It is 

 generally conceded that the red cedar is the most durable for posts in its natu- 

 ral state. Of deciduous trees, hard and fine-grained woods, as the locust, swamp 

 oak, burr oak, white oak, and some other kinds of wood, have been found pref- 

 erable, while thriftily growing and with due preparation. Tlie tree should be 

 slashed down about the first of August, and, as soon as convenient, and before 

 the wood borer attacks it, taken to the saw mill and sawed into posts suitable 

 for the fence to be built. Five inches square, or five by six inches, or other 

 dimensions may be found convenient, but never saw them "heads and points," 

 as is usual, otherwise one-half the posts will have to be set with the butt down, 

 and the other half up, and be sure as one very important observance to have 

 some mark or designation by which to know which is the butt end of the post 

 before it is treated and set. After being sawn they should be piled and thor- 

 oughly seasoned through before preparation. Then the portion to enter the 

 ground, and four to six inches of the wood above the ground should be 

 Kyanized (this word is derived from Kyan, the name of the person who 

 discovered the process), and to make the post still more durable by isola- 

 tion of it from all ground moisture, a thick coat of coal-oil tar should be applied 

 to the Kyanized parts. Be sure to Kyanize and apply the tar, and set in the 

 ground the end opposite the butt of the tree. These directions, if faithfully 

 followed, will make the posts impervious to ground moisture, and as proof 

 •against decay as the red cedar. I have oak posts, bought in market (not know- 

 ing when cut), ti-eated by Kyanizing alone, set sixteen years ago, each as sound 

 and perfect and firm in the ground as when set, and I believe they are good for 

 sixteen more years at least, while I have a neighbor Avho built an eight-doUar- 

 per-rod fence, with what he thought first-rate posts, and the posts rotted off in 

 three years. If posts are cased, as for a picket fence, they should be Kyanized 

 and tarred the whole length, especially at and above the surface of the ground, 

 as casing has a tendency to dry-rot the post under the casing. But better still, 



