122 THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



feet long, fitted to the square end of the strainers. When the 

 wires are sufficiently tight let the strainer be driven into the 

 square hole, and the wrench taken off. When a wire is to be 

 loosened, drive the strainer a part of the way out, and let it un 

 wind. 



152. Set an anchor-post firmly at the other end of the fence. 

 The anchor-post and straining-posts should never be more than 

 forty rods apart. In making a long line of fence, straining-posts 

 should be set every forty rods, in which case they will answer 

 for both anchor-posts and straining-posts. They should also be 

 well braced. Let them be set perpendicularly on the work side. 

 Set one post about six rods from the straining-posts, perpendicu 

 larly, and then stretch two lines from this post to the straining- 

 posts, one at the top, and one near the bottom, and set the posts 

 by these lines. By having two lines, a workman will be able 

 to get the posts more in a line than when only one line is used, 

 with the plum rule (see Fig. 105) to keep them perpendicular. 

 When all the posts are set between the anchor-post and straining- 

 posts, let the top wire be attached and strained in part, or nearly 

 as tight as it can be. The aim of the workman now is, to strike 

 a line on the sides of the posts near the tops of them, which shall 

 be parallel with the surface of the ground, were it even and 

 smooth, and free from depressions and little knolls. If the sur 

 face of the ground is level, there will be no difficulty in doing it ; 

 but when the surface is undulating, it will require a little skill to 

 do it in a workmanlike manner. Let the workman stand at the 

 straining-posts, and look forward along the posts to a point where 

 the ground begins to rise or descend. On the post which is 

 nearest that point, raise the wire or fence line as high on that 

 post as it is at the straining-posts, and support it with a nail. 

 From this post cast the eye forward to the next point which de 

 viates from a direct line, and support the line or wire on a post 

 there with a nail. Let the top wire be adjusted after this man 

 ner throughout the entire length of the fence. Let the workman 

 go back, and where the wire does not seem to be parallel with 

 the surface of the ground, let it be adjusted by sticking a nail 



