212 



INVISIBLE IRON FENCES. 



Fig. 86. — Invisible Iron Fenct. 



to the 100 feet, in order to make the wires 

 tight and straight. In my woods, I have 

 ran over the fence with coal tar ; upon my 

 lawn, it is painted grass green. Where 

 stone is plenty and wood dear, as in Eng- 

 land, the former material may be used at 

 about the same cost ; supposing your stone 

 cost you nothing, by using an old wall, for 

 which you substitute this wire fence. The 

 blocks of stone should be about a foot 

 square, and have one flat side. The holes 

 could be drilled for 4 cents each ; and it 

 would require 1 lb. of lead, at 4 cents, to 

 set the uprights, which, in this case, would 

 need to be inserted only 3 or 4 inches in- 

 stead of 9, as in wood. About 2 cents 

 would thus be saved on each upright. 

 Without paint, which is a mere trifle, we 

 may estimate this fence at costing from 6 

 or 7 cents a foot, up to 13 cents. In woods, 

 where no uprights are required, there is 

 simply the cost of the wire and staples and 

 labor, in securing from tree to tree. The 

 cost then increases as you get out of the 

 woods, and the number of trees to be used 

 as supports diminish, until in a clear field. 

 Where all your uprights and supports are 

 wire or wood, it becomes the most expen- 



sive. There are, however, few ornamental 

 places where the trees cannot be well 

 worked in. I should add, that after the 

 fence is put up, each upright is secured to 

 the wire by a little wedge of wood, or a 

 small nail, which renders it much firmer 

 than merely straining it from the two 

 ends. 



Too much has been already said and 

 written upon the subject of wire fences, to 

 require any remarks from me upon their 

 beauty and economy. Even upon farms, 

 they are cheaper and more durable, and 

 vastly more economical, than anything else, 

 since no ground is lost on either side ; and 

 the plough and the scythe can be used im- 

 mediately up to and under them. Upon 

 ornamental places, especially of any size, I 

 consider them almost indispensable to high 

 keeping. 



The great fault of our places in America, 

 is the want of a proper termination to the 

 ornamental grounds ; or, rather, some in- 

 telligible division between the ornamental 

 and practical. I say intelligible, because 

 we all keep under the roller and scythe, 

 every two or three weeks, a certain quan- 

 tity of lawn, say from 100 feet to an acre 



