124 THE YOUNG FAKMER ? S MANUAL. 



STKAINING- THE WIRES. 



154. Let the ends of the wires be firmly secured in the strainers, 

 after having greased them with a little lard to make them turn 

 easily, and draw them up as tight as possible without breaking the 

 wrench or the strainers. About ten or fifteen rods from the 

 straining-posts let a man step on the wires, and spring up and 

 down on them ; and if they stretch any let them be drawn up 

 tighter. In warm weather the wires should be drawn up tight, 

 as they expand in warm weather and contract in cold weather, 

 about one inch in a hundred feet. As the cold weather comes 

 on the wires may be loosened a little, as there is some danger of 

 their breaking by their tendency to contract. There is but little 

 danger, however, of their breaking by contracting. 



155. "When wires' pass through the posts, some fence-makers 

 prefer to drive a pin into each hole to keep the wires from ren 

 dering when anything presses against them ; and when they are 

 fastened by staples, some prefer to drive the staples tight on the 

 wires. The most advisable way, probably, is, to fasten the wires 

 at posts nearly a hundred feet apart, and then, if it is necessary 

 to loosen or tighten them, it can be done at less expense than if 

 they were fastened to every post. 



156. The top board (see Fig. 46) may now be nailed on, and 

 if desirable, the tops of the posts may be sawed off and a cap board 

 put on. Or, what would be still less work, le*t a scantling about 

 three by three inches square be firmly nailed on the tops of the 

 posts. It will add very much to the durability of both wires and 

 boards to have them well painted with paint or coal, tar, or Japan, 

 especially where they touch the posts and where the wires pass 

 through the posts. By using a very small brush, paint can be 

 worked into the holes on each side of the posts. 



157. When posts are more than eight or ten feet apart, stay 

 wires may be used to prevent an animal from thrusting his head 

 between the wires of the fence. For this purpose No. 12 wire 

 is sufficiently large, but should be well annealed before it is 

 used. It is attached, first, to the top or bottom wire of the 



