FENCES — HEDGES. 457 



lands, particularly on meadows where the crop is carried off. 

 All manures saved on the farm should be devoted to this pur- 

 pose. Where convenient it should be applied directly after the 

 hay comes off, or in the Fall, and brushed in with chain drag. 

 Cultivated lands can be kept up at less expense with clover 

 than with manure. 



FENCES. 



I formerly used for fences four plain wires to keep out cat- 

 tle and protect crops. For hogs, calves, and sheep, two or 

 three boards and two or .three wires are sufficient. Since 

 barbed wire has been introduced, which is a great saving over 

 posts, I use that. The first principle of a good wire fence is 

 that the end or corner post shall have a boulder as large as a 

 good team can haul. I drill a hole two inches and put in a peg 

 to fasten the first post to. There will be no trouble in coming 

 up with wire or frost. I use two barbed wires, and one plain 

 wire in the middle. My posts are two rods apart, with a slat 

 between. This makes a good fence against cattle and horses. 

 I prefer burr or white oak posts, as they hold nails and staples, 

 and will last from eighteen to twenty years. Several parties 

 have tried to introduce the iron post. They are a good fancy 

 post, or a movable one, but the interest on an iron post would 

 keep me in wood posts and permit a renewal every six years. 



T have had some experience in fencing, as my farm is divi- 

 ded into sixteen fields, surrounded by seven miles of wire and 

 board fence. I never find any trouble from the stock being 

 cut with wire fence, as they are well educated in its uses. 



HEDGES. 



I have planted several miles of Osage orange fence. I 

 took immense pains and had very poor success, as climate is too 

 severe and kills it out. I have about a mile left where it was 

 protected by a grove, but it is rather unsightly. I have tried 

 hawthorn, which mildews badly and dies out. I have also tried 

 several miles of white or gray willow, and have succeeded in 

 making a fence, but it grows too rapidly and costs more to keep 

 it trimmed than to keep a barbed wire fence in repair. And if 



