120 THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



Strips one inch by two square are sufficiently large ; but if the 

 posts should be square, they should be about as wide as the posts. 

 But the best way of fastening the wires is, to bore half-inch holes 

 through the posts for the wires, and, if thought best, pins of hard 

 wood may be driven into each hole, which will hold them firmly. 

 A little care and skill are necessary in boring the holes, in order 

 to have them straight with the wires. If they should be bored 

 crooked, or not in a line with the wires, the wires will bind on 

 the sides of the holes with so much force that it will be very 

 difficult, in straining them, to bring them up to the desired 

 tension. 



147. A pair of pliers for holding the wire, and a pair of pinchers 

 for twisting it, are indispensable in putting up the wires, and a 

 triangular file to aid in separating them. 



148. Staples can be obtained at the hardware stores much 

 cheaper than they can be made by hand. In driving them, if 

 the posts are. very hard, holes, a little smaller than the staples, 

 should be bored in the posts, about half the length of the staples ; 

 otherwise the posts will be split, or the staples " stove up " be 

 fore they are half driven in so as to hold the wire. 



149. The size of the posts is another very important matter. 

 It is not necessary to have posts for wire fence as large as they 

 are for a board fence, providing they possess equal strength. 

 One very common defect in wire fences have been posts that were 

 too small. It is necessary to have posts which possess as much 

 strength for a wire fence as for a board fence ; otherwise a fence 

 will be very deficient in fair proportion and symmetry. Many 

 farmers have recommended posts for wire fence only two inches 

 square. What a lack of common sense ! Half a thrust by a heavy 

 horse or ox, unless such posts were of the very best timber, would 

 break them off at the surface of the ground ; and, more than that, 

 posts but two inches square are too small on the score of econ 

 omy. It is true, that the wood of a small post may not decay 

 sooner than a large one ; but, allowing that they decay alike, 

 when a half-inch or more of the outside of a small post is gone, 

 there will be but little remaining ; whereas, a half-inch of the wood 



