FARM FENCES. 569 



the upper angle thus formed, to admit of the top board of the panels fitting it well. A board 

 is nailed across the support near the bottom at such a distance that it may be inserted in the 

 space between the two lower boards of the panel, the lower side of which is cut out to fit 

 them in such a way that they cannot easily be pushed out of place. The panels, or main 

 part of the fence, may be made of inch boards about sixteen feet in length and of any width 

 desired, and placed nearer together towards the bottom than the top, if designed to confine 

 small animals, such as young pigs or lambs. These panels may be made by placing the six- 

 teen-feet boards at the desired distance apart (about four of them being required for a panel, 

 if the boards are about six inches in width), and nailing a board across the middle and near 

 either end, to hold them in place, leaving the ends of the boards to project from six to eight 

 inches. This forms one complete panel. When properly constructed and set up, the bottom of 

 the top board of each panel rests on the top of the support, and the bottom board of the panel 

 goes under the cross piece of the support. By digging a little for the posts of the supports, 

 it forms a very secure fence. This fence can be opened at any place, simply by raising up 

 the ends of two panels. 



By the exercise of a little ingenuity, various kinds of portable fences may be constructed 

 at slight expense that will prove of great utility on the farm, and a desirable substitute for 

 many of the permanent fences that are now in use. They are especially useful where it is 

 desired to feed different portions of a field crop, such as clover, turnips, peas, etc., in succes 

 sive order by stock. 



Flood Fence. It is frequently desirable to construct a fence across the bed of a 

 stream that is subject to floods after heavy rains, or to put across sloughs when too wide for 

 a flood-gate. The following, from the American Agriculturist, describes two methods of 

 making a very convenient and easily-constructed flood-fence: &quot;Logs on which the fence rests 

 are the trunks of straight trees about eighteen inches in diameter, which are hewed on two 

 sides; posts are morticed in each of these logs, and on them planks are firmly nailed. The 

 logs are then linked together with inch iron rods, and the first one connected by means of a 

 long link to a tree, or post firmly set in the ground upon the banks of the stream. The links 

 must all work freely. When high water occurs, the fence is washed around and left on the 

 bank ; after the water has subsided sufficiently, the logs may be dragged back to their places 

 by means of a horse hitched to a staple in the end of the log.&quot; 



Again: &quot;Posts are driven or otherwise put down from three to four feet, with the tops 

 about one foot above ground. The other posts, that the planks are nailed to, are bolted to 

 the top of the inserted posts, and a wire is placed over the tops. The ends of the panel that 

 connect with the post on the bank are slightly nailed with cross strips near the top, so as to 

 be easily broken loose when the flood comes. There are also temporary braces bearing up 

 stream, put in to prevent the fence from falling, but are easily washed out when the fence 

 falls down stream, and logs and other obstructions pass by readily. As soon as the flood 

 goes down, the fence is easily raised, a panel at a time, to its proper place.&quot; 



Wire Fence. The post and wire fence is quite extensively used at present, and seems 

 likely to become in time the common fence of the country, especially in those sections where 

 timber is scarce. At first the plain single wire was employed for fencing purposes, but failed 

 tc give entire satisfaction, being defective in some important respects. The single wire con 

 tracted in cold and expanded in heat, causing the fence to get out of repair easily, while it 

 did not repel unruly animals. Improvements were effected which have resulted in the use of 

 barbed wire; the object being to secure durability, strength, and a protection against all 

 intrusion from animals, or trespassers of any kind. That most commonly employed is made 

 by the Washburn & Moen Co., Worcester, Mass., and consists of two twisted steel wires, one 

 of them having inserted at short intervals of space a firmly-twisted barb. 



