FARM BUILDINGS, FENCES, GATES 157 



lightning. Eight years' investigations in Iowa show $4000 worth of dam- 

 age done to rodded buildings as compared with $340,000 damage to 

 buildings having no rods. In Canada and Michigan investigations show 

 similar results. Professor Day, of the Ontario Agricultural College, states 

 that out of $1000 worth of damage by lightning to unrodded buildings, 

 $999 would be saved if the buildings were properly rodded. 



Effective lightning rods for a barn may be installed without much 

 cost. The expensive copper rodding and elaborate system of points and 

 insulators formerly used by lightning rod companies are not necessary. 

 The essentials of a rodding system are metal rods of any good conducting 

 material, sufficiently large to carry a heavy charge of lightning. These 

 should have good contact with moist earth at all times. It is, therefore, 

 well to have the lower ends buried to a depth of three feet or more. On 

 the ends should be a coil at least a foot in diameter. The rods should 

 extend one up each side of the building and over the roof, connecting 

 with a horizontal rod extending along the entire length of the ridge. There 

 should be perpendicular extensions to the horizontal ridge wire at intervals 

 of 15 to 20 feet. These need not be more than 18 inches in length and 

 should be sharpened at the upper end. A terminal point should extend 

 above each cupola, ventilator and chimney on the structure. 



No. 3 and No. 4 double galvanized iron telegraph wires make good 

 lightning conductors. The wire may be fastened directly to the building 

 by staples or by means of small wooden blocks and screw eyes. Blocks 

 \]/2 inches thick, 2J^ inches wide and 4 inches long may be nailed to the 

 side of the buildings and roof at intervals of ten feet or less. The wire can 

 be passed through the eyes screwed into these blocks. The vertical wires 

 and terminals may be connected with the horizontal ridge wire by means 

 of galvanized T's. 



The quality and type of rodding system should conform to the nature 

 and character of the building. An attractive system of rodding adds 

 much to the appearance of the building. 



Fences and Gates. The need for farm fences is probably less than 

 formerly. The chief purposes are for the confinement of stock and poultry 

 and for ornamentation. The extensive use of farm machinery and the 

 adoption of systematic crop rotation have reduced the number of fields 

 on the average farm. The increase in the price of land has reduced the 

 acreage used as pasture. As a rule, highway fences, except where pastures 

 border the road, may be omitted. Nothing mars the appearance of a 

 farm more than an untidy fence grown up with weeds. The farmer is 

 benefited and the appearance of the farm improved if unsightly fences 

 are removed and the fields cropped to the border of the road. 



The type of fence selected depends much on the service to be rendered. 

 A hog-tight fence is cheapest and most effective when constructed of 

 well-galvanized woven wire. The posts should not be too far apart and 

 the bottom wjre should be fastened close to the ground at intervals suffi- 



