WINTER MEETING, 1877. 47 



If ill the placo of our fences all the roadsides and the dividuig lines between 

 all fields, or division of ownership were lined witli rows of everi^reens 20 to 50 

 feet high, it is probable that we should hoar no more of winter-killed wheat, or 

 very little. The cxi)cnse would be small in the first in.stancc compared with 

 fencing; ten evergreens to the rod would be sufficient, and would cost fifteen 

 cents, the labor of planting about as much more. 



But how about the cattle? AVoll, that is a rpiestion of considerable magni- 

 tude. It is our opinion that tiiey should never be allowed to leave tiie enclos- 

 ures provided for them about the barns and sheds. It is not likely that many 

 here will live to see the day, yet we believe it to be not far distant, when there 

 ■will be no fences in Michigan c\'cc[)t those provided to keep animals away from 

 the fields, rather than to contino tlieni in them. Fanners themselves, severely 

 as they feel the weight of tlieir expenses for fences, are, as a rule, unaware of 

 the enormous burden of them, and how much it costs to perpetuate the incum- 

 brance. 



I have taken some pains to ascertain the weight of this load, as it rests upon 

 a single township, which may bo Troy, or Farmington, or Oxford, or any other, 

 so that it is in an old settled part of the State, and is six miles square, with its 

 thirty-six sections of land. 



In such a township there are 23,040 acres, which is divided into 288 lots of 

 SO acres each. If we suppose one-half of these lots are under fence, that is 144 

 of them, which is I think much below the real number, and if these are cross- 

 fenced into twenty acre lots, which also includes the idea of much less fencing 

 than is actually used, then we find that at $1.25 per rod for board fence it will 

 cost §900 for each eighty acre lot. I am, of course supjwsing that the original 

 rail fences ai'e going out, as is the case in the older towns, and the board fences 

 must replace them. The 144 lots thus fenced will cost at $900 each, $129,600.00. 



The interest on this money at ? per cent, is _ $9,072 00 



Eepairs annually as much more — --. 9,072 00 



Fencing will not last more than 20 years, therefore add l-20th 



annually for wear . . - G,480 00 



Making the cost per year $24, 624 00 



Now as the only use of these fences is to restrain cattle, let us see how many 

 cattle the farmer will have to keeji at a profit of ten per cent, above all cost in 

 money, labor, and feed to meet this expense. We find that the annual cost of 

 his fences in the one township supposed, $24,624.00, is ten per cent upon $246,- 

 240.00 worth of stock, this would make it necessary to have 



1,000 horses at $100.00 each $100,000 00 



4,000 cattle at $25 each - - - . 100,000 00 



15,413 sheep at $3 each 46,240 00 



$246,240 00 



Seven horses, 28 cattle and 107 sheep to each eighty acre lot, a clear profit of 

 ten per cent, on which must be made to pay for the fences alone each year. If 

 it shall be said that farmers do not raise stock for so small a profit as ten per 

 cent, clear, it rnay be also said that sometimes they don't get as much, and that 

 it is also true that I have given them credit for much more stock than they 



