164 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



July 



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propagation of plants, and making the hedge, in the 

 March number of the Farmer, for 1849. 



Messrs. Editi^rs : — I intend to emigrate to tlie " natural 

 gardens" of Illinois, this fall, where fencing materials are 

 scarce, I write you, hoping some of your subscribers who 

 have have had some experience in making wire fence, and 

 who have tested its value, will inform me through your val- 

 uable paper, or otherwise, the best mode of making, and the 

 comparative value of, wire fence. I think of using No. 11 

 wire ; posts of common size, firmly set, ten rods apart ; 

 making the fence four strands high. I shall place the first 

 wire two feet from the ground; the second, six inches from 

 that; the next, eight inches; then ten inches — making a 

 fence four feet high. After the wires are properly stretched, 

 I shall drive from ten to fifteen stakes bctw-cen the posts, to 

 which I shall fasten the wires by means of staples or hooks 

 made of the same w'ire. Under the wires I intend to make 

 a ''stone wall" of sods and dirt. 



In tlie volume of the Genesee Farmer for 1849, are several 

 articles on wire fence, from Mvron Auams of Kast Bloom- 

 field, T. C. Peters of Duricn, and U. Kingman of Ridge- 

 way. What has become of their fences? Does the wire 

 fence meet their expectation ? Will a fence made after the 

 above style answer the purpose 7 Any information on the 

 subject, from them or others, will be thankfully received by 

 II. G. SKi::^st:ii.— Praasf>urgli, N. Y.. June, 1851. 



We believe most of the \yire fence constructed in 

 this sect' jn, and to some of wliich our correspondent 

 refers, .vas put up in too cheap and fragile a manner. 

 Wire fence may be the cheapest fence it is possible 

 to make in some places, and yet it can not be made 

 in a durable manner as cheap as it was at first sup- 

 posed. Wire fence with a post every ten rods, can 

 not bo substantial, and unless the intermediate 

 stakes are almost as substantial as post.?, we fear 

 our correspondent's fence will fail. The best we 

 have seen has a good post every twelve feet, and 

 a board at the base. Another, constructed in the 

 same manner, has a board both at top and bottom, 

 the one at the top being quite nr.rrow. This is as 

 durable and as pretty a farm fcryce as one would wish, 

 though we can not vouch for its cheapness. In an- 

 other page will be found an advertisement of J. B. 

 Wickkhsham, of New York, who is manufacturing 

 wire fence of difTercnt patterns, for farms, gardens, 

 cemctrics, k.c. The specimen in the engraving 

 costs $1 per rod, onc-(iuarter inch wire, with bolls. 

 Sic, complete, with the exception of the posts ; and 

 it would jjrobably be more economical for most farm- 

 ers to ui^e wooden posts. 



Fig. 1, a, the straining pillar, or starting post, neces- 

 sary for the extreme ends of the fence, for the purpose 

 of making the wires tight — made of iron or wood ; 

 commencing from a tree is recommended, as it is 

 absolutely nccesbary to have firm posts at these points. 

 b, the manner of inserting the prongs or feet of the 

 post in wood, for permanent fence, c, the manner 

 of inserting the prongs or feet into the ground, for 

 moveable fence, e, intermediate screws to tighten 



the wires, necessary every 300 feet ; with a rod pass- 

 ing through the center of each, locked at the top to 

 prevent persons loosening the wires. 



Fig. 2. 



Fig 2, g, sectional part of the posts, showing the 

 manner of securing the wire in the posts, the bolt 

 passing through the eyes of the rods, f, the bolt 

 and eye on the ends of each rod. Length of rods, 12 

 feet — making the distance between each post 12 feet. 



L. G. Morris, of Mt. Fordham, N. Y., has had a 

 quantity of this fence put up on his farm, and we 

 should be pleased to have his opinion of its advan- 

 tages over other fences. We intended to visit the 

 farm of Mr. Morris, when in New York a few 

 weeks since, but could not make it convenient to do 

 so. We however saw specimens of tlie finer kinds 

 of this fence in Greenwood Cemetery, and they were 

 the most beautiful on the grounds. 



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OR.VAMKWTAL WraE OATB. 



The above is one of the patterns of the ornamental 

 fence, and also a gate, wove in iron wire, and they 

 are very neat for village garden fences, making a 

 very beautiful appearance at a moderate cost. 



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