ALL ABOUT FENCES. 343 



posts to keep them upright ; set them firmly at the start, 

 aud then set the gate properly and there \vill be no trouble. 

 Let the toe of the gate rest always solidly, either when 

 shut or open, on a stone or block; with this simple arrange- 

 ment the gate will not "draw^" the post, nor sag; without 

 it, it will, no matter Avhat you do to the post; then, by 

 putting the latch or fastening near the top, the gate is 

 prevented from ever getting that side twist that is so un- 

 sightly in the majority of gates. 



And now, in closing, a few words about preserving the 

 posts : 



*' Many farmers believe that fence-posts set top end down 

 last longer than those set butts down. Professor Beal, of 

 Michigan Agricultural College, in a report of his experi- 

 ments in post-setting, says that the average results are not 

 in favor of inverted posts ; in a word, he found on a fair 

 average the results the same, whether set top or butts 

 down. Small or medium posts, other things being equal, 

 last longer than large ones. Red cedar is the preferred 

 timber for posts ; yellow cedar also endures well. Catalpa 

 has of late years been largely employed for posts. Farm- 

 ers w^ho have soft timber to deal with try various processes 

 for preserving the same wdien used for posts. Coal-tar has 

 proven effective in many cases for preserving the post be- 

 neath the ground and crude petroleum above the ground. 

 Petroleum penetrates the pores of the wood freely. A good 

 preparation is to soak the posts thoroughly with petroleum 

 and then hold it by an exterior coat of coal-tar. Charring 

 the surface of the post has been practiced with satisfactory. 

 effect, first covering the post with hot coal-tar sufficiently 

 high to reach a few inches above ground. Coal-tar alone 

 applied to that portion of the post immediately above 

 ground does not seem to do much good. The action of the 

 weather appears to neutralize its preservative effect." 



