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Fencing Necessary. 



It is not reasonable to expect that a cow brute will recognize 

 a forest reserve monument or a boundary notice, and of her own 

 free will keep out of a forest reserve. It is therefore absolutely 

 essential to fence a forest reserve boundary whenever there is 

 a possibility that cattle may cross the line and get into the forest 

 that requires protection. It is not merely necessary that a meager 

 barrier be erected but quite positively essential that an absolutely 

 stock-proof fence be constructed and that it be maintained 

 constantly in good repair so that it is always effective in turning 

 stock. 



A hungry animal will put forth great efforts to get through 

 a fence when there is luscious feed on the other side or a large 

 bull traveling at great speed will not stop short of anything in 

 the way of a barrier that is not absolutely stock proof. The im- 

 portance therefore of building fences that are effective can not 

 be over-emphasized and, like a chain, the strength of a fence 

 will lie in its weakest stretch. 



Character of Fences. 



The Division of Forestry has adopted a standard fence which 

 consists of 7-foot redwood posts set 2 feet in the ground 20 feet 

 apart. To these are attached five No. 6 specially heavily gal- 

 vanized smooth wires which are stretched by three intermediate 

 Douglas fir spreaders. Up until recently, when costs have ad- 

 vanced so enormously, such a fence could be built in an average 

 mountainous situation for $500 per mile. 



On parts of Hawaii where posts of native woods are abundant 

 it is customary to use posts of large diameter and set them 8 

 feet apart in the fence line without the use of spreaders. In 

 some places the Division of Forestry has been using concrete 

 fence posts on account of their greater durability, but it has 

 been found that in wet ground they do not hold up as well as 

 wooden posts of greater diameter. In all fence building it is 

 very advisable to use the most durable wire obtainable, for a 

 little extra expense at the start will more than cover the cost 

 and labor of replacement later on. 



Fences Built. 



Up to 1904, when the Division of Forestry began active work, 

 over 200 miles of fences had been constructed by private parties 

 to protect forest lands. During the 14 years since the setting 

 apart of the first government forest reserve up to the end 

 of 1918, through the efforts of the Division of Forestry, by 

 cooperation with private owners and by fencing clauses in 

 leases of government grazing lands, 42 miles of new fences have 



