42 



THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



A NEAT BOARD FENCE. 



at the left. The slot to receive an inch board should be one 

 and a fourth inches wide, so that the panel can be lifted out 

 without binding. A pair of good stakes should be driven in the 

 ground at each end, to prevent the panel swinging back and 

 forth when the wind blows. 



Where a board fence is built along the front of the farm, 



and it is desirable to make 

 a neat, tasty fence, it will 



add to its appearance to 

 put two three-inch strips, 

 i| crossing each other as shown 

 in the cut. A fence made 

 in this way, of dressed 

 lumber, and well painted, will by many be preferred to a paling 

 fence, which will cost much more money. 



"Wire Fences are now fast superseding all other kinds in 

 many parts of the country, particularly in the prairie States. 

 The barbed wire fence has its advocates and also many who 

 oppose it as dangerous to stock. There is no denying the fact 

 that valuable animals have been ruined by it, and I would ad- 

 vise that there should always be one board used with the wire, 

 as this will enable the stock to see the fence and they will be 

 much less likely to run into it than if wire alone was used. As 

 an additional precaution, introduce your horses to the fence be- 

 fore you turn them out. Lead them up to it and let them feel 

 the barbs, and their natural instinct will cause them to avoid 

 it. I think one runs a great risk in turning a playful horse 

 out where there is a barbed wire fence without taking this 

 precaution. 



There are two facts connected with wire fence which make 

 it very much cheaper than post and board fence ; these are that 

 the posts may be much farther apart, and that a cheaper quality 

 of posts can be used. It is very difficult to use 'crooked posts 

 in making post and board fence, as the boards will need to 

 be cut to different lengths to fit them, but for wire fence a 

 crooked post is as good as a straight one, and it can usually be 

 bought for half price. I am hardly prepared to state what is 



