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1st, — That every farm of 100 acres, divided in the usual manner will have about 

 1,200 rods of fence thereon. 



2nd, — That one of the best and most economical fences now coming into general use 

 is a straight one, made of cedar rails and posts. It is usually built five rails high, the 

 ends of the rails being inserted into augur holes in the posts, which are set firmly in the 

 ground, in line, 1 2 feet apart. 



3rd, — The cost of such a fence for a farm of 100 acres will be about as follows : 



8,250 Rails at $52 per 1,000 .• $429 00 



1,650 posts at 18 cents each 297 OC 



Digging holes and setting posts at 10 cents each 165 00 



Boring holes in posts at $1 per 100 holes 82 50 



Cutting and turning rails, at $1 per 100 82 50 



Setting up the rails at 10 cents per length of 5 rails. ... 165 00 



16 Gates. Hung and painted at $6 each 96 00 



$1,317 00 



or about $1.30 per rod. Such a fence is estimated to last about 25 years. The gates 

 about 10 years. 



4th. — The annual charge for permanent maintenance of such a fence will therefore be : 



Interest on (say) $1,300 at 6 per cent $78 00 



Estimated average annual charge for repairs and for per- 

 manent maintenance at 6 per cent 78 00 



Extra, do. do. for gates, 10 per cent 9 60 



Rent of land, lost by fence 6 feet wide — 4.36 acres at $5 



per acre 21 80 



Total $187 40 



The foregoing estimate has been made with the assistance of a thoroughly practical 

 farmer in the Township of East Whitby, and we are of the opinion that although the cost 

 of such a fence must necessarily vary much in different localities, the cost of material and 

 labour here submitted may be regarded as a fair average for the whole Province. 



5th. — Your committee are of the opinion that the kind of fence as usually constructed 

 in the back country involves a much greater annual expenditure than the one here des- 

 cribed. A common snake fence of the same length will require about 26,000 rails, which 

 are usually made of basswood, pine, elm, ash, &c., &c. Supposing these to be hauled a 

 distance of one mile, they will cost about 



$30 f)er M., or $780 00 



Labour in setting up at $4 per 100 rods 48 00 



Preparing and setting 16 sets of bars at $2 per set 32 00 



$860 00 



Such a fence is estimated to last about 10 years, the bars about half that time. The 

 annual charge for such a fence would therefore be ; 



Interest on $860 at 6 per cent $51 60 



Estimated average annual charge for repairs and for per- 

 manent maintenance 15 per cent., or 129 00 



Extra, do. do. for bars 20 per cent 6 40 



Rent of land, lost by fence 12 feet wide — 8.72 acres at $5 



per acre 43 60 



Total $230 60 



