ALL ABOUT FENCES. 337 



SO that the families depending upon them for their winter 

 supply were obliged to purchase. 



Let us be devoutly thankful that these two unjust, dis- 

 criminating laws (fire and cattle), must ere long become 

 things of the past ; where they are not actually and legally 

 repealed, public opinion and the rapid, omvard march of 

 improvement in agriculture and in stock will, of themselves, 

 cause their ignominious suppression and disuse. It will 

 not pay to burn one's own fences and trees, nor will it pay 

 to turn costly cattle out to shift for themselves; hence, 

 there will be less incentive to fire the woods or to allow 

 cattle to roam abroad. 



Meantime let us be thankful for another thing that now- 

 adays, in these times of far-reaching improvements, neither 

 the Florida farmer (nor any other) need longer be at the 

 mercy of rail — no, nor even of board fences. 



Having been taught by the most accomplished teacher 

 in the world, Experience, after a goodly amount of lessons 

 no less painful than costly, that the prosaic question of 

 fences is one of great and pressing importance to every one 

 outside of cities, and to none more than to the farmer, stock- 

 raiser, and fruit-grower, Ave have given this subject special 

 attention with a view to ascertaining not only the best but 

 the cheapest kinds of fencing for such purposes. 



It is not often that the " best" and "cheapest" are iden- 

 tical ; but, thanks to the inventive genius of these pro- 

 gressive days, we have succeeded beyond our most sanguine 

 expectations; we have found both combined, and hence- 

 forth it is the settler's own fault if he is longer at the 

 mercy of cows, horses, oxen, fires, or, worse than all, 

 razor-backs. 



Had we possessed a fence of either of the kinds we shall 

 presently point out, in those early days we have referred 

 to, we would not have been harassed, body and temper, 



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