166 THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



concerned, to have posts large ; but, on the score of economy, 

 it is not best to have them very large. It is much better to 

 have them too large than too small. A post six inches square 

 is much better, and will last longer, than one four inches square ; 

 but it would not be an economical manner of working up tim 

 ber to make ordinary posts six inches square. For ordinary 

 fence, sawed fence posts may be about four inches square at 

 the lower ends, and two by four inches at the upper ends ; 

 but some prefer to have them sawed five by five at the lower 

 ends, and five by two or three inches at the tops. For a high 

 fence, like Fig. 39, this last size would be better- than a size 

 smaller. In splitting fence posts, when a portion of a log is 

 rather large for two posts, and too small for three posts, it is 

 much better to make them a little too large than too small. 

 It is much more economical to have posts sawed out than to 

 split and hew them, when a saw-mill is not more than two or 

 three miles distant, providing the timber is large. It is not 

 practicable to split as many posts out of a log, even when it 

 splits well, as can be sawed from the same amount of timber. 

 By sawing the lower ends large, and the upper ends proportion 

 ally smaller, there is always a saving of timber, and the posts are 

 of a much better form. If timber is very small, and will split 

 good, it might be best to split them out, instead of sawing them. 

 Sometimes, when small timber is winding, four posts, worth fifty 

 cents or more, might be sawed out of a small log which could not 

 be split into posts, and which, if not sawed, would make only one 

 post. 



218. Another thing, which seems almost superfluous to men 

 tion, is, the kind of timber for posts. Red cedar and mulberry 

 are, perhaps, more durable than almost any other kinds of timber ; 

 yellow locust, oak of different kinds, butternut, red elm, red beech, 

 and many other kinds not mentioned, will make good posts. The 

 butt-ends of trees, when the trees are sound and healthy, are 

 usually more durable than cuts near the tops of the trees. It is 

 always very poor economy to make fence posts, and especially 

 gate posts, of perishable kinds of timber, such as sugar-maple, or 



