irj D lie THE GENESEE FARMER. ^^' 



would bi'eak it, and so get through. It not being perfectly satisfactory, I the next spring had it all 

 taken down, and rebuilt in a manner which made it a perfect fence against all cattle, horses, calves 

 and sheep. And now, from this last experiment, I will give a plan for a cheap and durable fence, 

 which in most localities, will be the cheapest that can be built equally serviceable. 



The posts should be six and a half feet long, three inches by four inches square, and well sharp- 

 ened, and of cedar wood ; they should stand in the ground two and a half feet, and be ten feet 

 apart. The sections should be twenty rods long, and the posts at the ends of them should be 

 four inches square, and well braced by scantlings bearing against their top ends, and the bottoms of 

 the posts next to them. The wires should be eight in number, of No. 10 annealed, and be drawn 

 in and stretched in the manner before described. The first wire should be three inches from the 

 tops of the posts, and Jill six inches apart. The last passed summer, thirty rods of fence constructed 

 after this plan, divided a field of grain from a pasture in which a large dairy stock ranged daily, 

 and it fulfilled its office perfectly. 



With the posts and rollers and wire prepared, two men can easily build fifty rods of it in a day, 

 and it can be taken down in one half the time. A person of ordinary ingenuity will soon learn to 

 handle the wires, so as to facilitate the work much. The tools required after the posts are made, 

 are an iron bar, a sledge hammer, a strong pair of pincers, a bit-stock and bit, a line, and a wrench, 

 which is best made of a piece of strong iron about a foot in length. 



Every spring the fence should be looked ^o, and the wires tightened, for the frosts of winter will 

 loosen them. A little attention given promptly when it is needed, keeps such a fence in order 

 cheaply. Among the good qualities of such a fence are these: — The space it occupies is the least 

 that a fence can occupy ; it harbors no weeds, mice, or snakes ; it does not cause snow banks ; the 

 wind never breaks it down ; it confines the most unruly animals ; it can be put down or taken up 

 easier than any other, and whenever by great force it is broken it can be mended in a few moments. 

 There are many places in snowy countries, where this fence would be serviceable indeed ; as, along 

 the roadsides, to prevent the banking of onow. 



Hoping that many will be induced to try my plan, I will leave the subjeci W. R. Manlet. — 



Bvffalo, JSr. Y. 



•»-o-« 



Culture of Carrots. — This important part of agriculture has been very much neglected by far. 

 mers generally. Very few know the value of a good crop of carrots till they have raised and fed 

 them to their stock during winter, or know little of the profits of an acre till they have had the 

 opportunity of turning a crop into money. There is no crop the farmer can raise that pays so well, 

 or yields so much good feed for stock. The tops may all be fed to cattle at harvesting, and the roots 

 stored in the cellar for winter«use. For M cattle they are the very best roots that can be fed. For 

 milch cows they are almost invaluable. They keep the cows in good condition, and the milk is 

 rich and the butter is of good color and flavor, entirely free from that disagreeable taste caused by 

 feeding ruta bagas, turnips, &e. Horses are very fond of them and will work well when fed on 

 carrots and keep in good flesh without any grain. Some wrltei-s say tliey are equal to oats for 

 horses ; I put them at half the value and make good profit raising them at that. Store hogs winter 

 first rate on them and water alone, and will show- good keeping in the spring. I feed tliein whole 

 to horses and hogs, and cut them for cattle. Fat hogs will eat them when they have plenty of corn, 

 and I think them beneficial, for the reason tliat hogs shut np in a close pen require something green 

 to satisfy nature. A yellow chestnut loam well manured, say 20 to 40 loads of rotten yard manure 

 per acre, makes a first rate soil for carrots, but they will grow on any deep rich soil, and produce 

 well. The soil should be thorougldy pulverized with the cultivator and harrow on the top before 

 plowing after the manure is spread. Then plow deep and follow with rakes and rake the top of 

 the furrow and the manure, if there is any left in sight, to the bottom of the furrow, and continue 

 in this way till tlie piece is prepared, which leaves the ground level and clean on the surface. Four 

 hands will foHow and rake as fast as a team will plow. The subsoil plow I think could be used to 

 great advantage. I never have tried it, but intend doing so tlie coming season. The ground should 

 be sown while moist, soon after it is fitted, in rows 12 or 14 inches apart an<l lialf an inoli deep. 

 The soil should be pressed on the seed by ti-eading or rolling, to ensure its vegetation. If sown by 

 hand tlie usual quantity of seed is four pounds per acre; if witli a machine, two pounds is sufficient. 

 The seed should be soaked in warm water forty-eight liours or more before sowing, then mix with 

 -1 K plaster till tlie seed will separate. Sow as early in May as the season will allow. The ground may \ r 



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