FUR-FARMING IN CANADA 29 



The corner posts need net be anchored when a purline is used. The 

 purline is made with one-inch boards, four inches wide, or of straight 

 poles. These are securely nailed to the posts to brace them and 

 support the meshed wire on the upper side. They also support the over- 

 hang wire. 



The overhang wire is usually from 18 to 24 inches wide and is laid 

 on brackets nailed at right angles to the posts and purline and then 

 stapled to them. It is usually made of No. 16 galvanized wire having 

 a two-inch mesh. 



The fence is composed of two-inch diamond meslied wire fas- 

 tened to the purline with staples and hung on the outside of the 

 post. If several rolls of wire are used the selvedges are laced 

 with a soft No. 16 wire. No. 16 galvanized wire is strong 

 enough for the upper part of the fence and No. 14 to No. 15 galvanized 

 for the lower part. The wire is stretched at each corner with second 

 class levers passed through the meshes, the post being used as a ful- 

 crum. All corner posts must be perpendicular and care must be taken 

 when the whole area is not perfectly level that the wire is pleated or 

 gored when a change from one level to another is made; otherwise it 

 * buckles.' This occurs at corner posts on sloping land, and at changes 

 of slope in the fence. 



The exterior fence is frequently built of boards 6 feet or even 10 

 feet high. The upper four feet are usually of wire with an overhang 

 to prevent the foxes from climbing out. On the ground, inside, is a 

 carpet wire — three feet wide, and made of No. 15 wire having 

 a two-inch mesh. It is laid on the ground and laced to the selvedge of 

 the fence at the ground level, or stapled, if the fence is of boards. The 

 other selvedge of the carpet wire is stapled to stakes driven in the 

 ground. As he almost always begins to burrow close to the fence, the 

 carpet wire will prevent the fox from burrowing under it. 



The most durable wire yet used has been imported from Great 

 Used Britain. It is specially woven with an extra twist — and has 

 a selvedge of three wires. In the smaller sizes a triple turn is 

 made. The galvanizing, which is done after weaving, practically solders 

 the joints. It comes in bales of 150 feet length and is of various widths. 

 The best wire will last only from eight to twelve years underground. 

 It is of interest to note that the aggregate sales of one of the largest 

 hardware firms supplying this wire in Prince Edward Island have 

 amounted to over 250 miles of wire, of an average width of four feet. 



The following list gives the prevailing prices of British-made dia- 

 mond mesh ranch wire. They are from 10 to 20 per cent, lower than 

 the prices of ranch wire of United States manufacture : 



