FARM IMPROVEMENTS 



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for stock. The loss to farmers through disease and death of stock 

 exposed to raw weather in severe climates is considerable and 

 could be avoided by providing windbreaks and good shed 

 rooms. 



Fences. The kind of fencing used by the farmer will depend 

 largely on his natural surroundings. In wooded sections, where 

 there is plenty of timber, rail fences and plank fences abound. 

 In many cases the farmer may have a forest close at hand where 

 he and his helpers may split and make all the rails needed at a 

 small outlay. When this is the case, the outside fences and cross 

 fences are frequently of rails, while the lawn will be inclosed with a 



Second floor plan of a barn. 



plank fence. The front yard will often look more inviting with- 

 out any fence. The poultry yard should be surrounded with 

 a high paling fence or a regular poultry wire fence. 



When the fence rails dry out and get somewhat old, farmers 

 frequently utilize them in building what is known as the Ferguson 

 fence. In this arrangement posts are set in the ground and the 

 fence rails are attached to the posts by means of fencing wire and 

 staples. 



This is usually a very economical fence, not only from the stand- 

 point of materials, but also on account of the saving of space in 

 the fence row. The teacher will find it a very interesting and in- 

 structive exercise to have the pupils calculate the amount of waste 



