712 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



ciently frequent to prevent hogs from springing it and crawling beneath. 

 Woven wire 36 inches high is sufficient to turn the hogs. If the fenced 

 field is to be used for cattle or horses, two barbed wires may be placed 

 above the woven wire. With a little additional expense, a fence 48 or 52 

 inches high may be secured which will turn all kinds of stock. A single 

 strand of barbed wire, three inches above the top of the woven wire will 

 prevent horses reaching over and stretching the fence. 



The top wire of a 48 or 52-inch fence should be of No. 9 wire. Wires 

 below this may be of No. 10 or No. 11 material. Perpendicular wires 

 are sometimes even smaller. The lighter wires are less durable and more 

 easily stretched and broken; consequently, it is economy to pay more for 

 the fence and secure a heavier wire. This is especially true if the fence 

 is to be permanent. For temporary fences to be moved from time to 

 time, the lighter wire is more easily handled and stretched. 



Stone fences, plank fences and hedge fences, once thought desirable, 

 are now seldom advisable and will not be discussed. 



Wooden posts will probably continue to be extensively used, but are 

 being replaced to some extent by metal posts and reinforced concrete 

 posts. Metal posts should be set in concrete. Both metal and concrete 

 are somewhat more expensive then wooden posts and have not been used 

 sufficiently long to determine extent of their durability. Much greater 

 durability is claimed for them than for wooden posts. The chief advantage 

 of the wooden posts is in the ease with which the wire may be fastened 

 to them. 



Red cedar posts are to be preferred, chiefly because of their straight- 

 ness and long durability. Next to red cedar comes the black or yellow 

 locust, catalpa and white oak. Many other kinds of wood may be used. 

 The kind to select depends chiefly on the cost, together with the feasibility 

 and cost of treating the posts to increase their durability. For permanent 

 fences, the best posts are usually the cheapest. Posts of short duration 

 must be replaced frequently, and this adds much to the upkeep cost of 

 the fence. 



It generally pays to treat the bottom ends of posts with creosote. 

 The material for this purpose will cost from four to eight cents a post, 

 depending on size. The outfit for treating consists of a metal tank suffi- 

 ciently large to hold a number of posts, under which a fire may be built 

 and the creosote heated to about 220° F. The well-seasoned posts should 

 remain in the solution two or three hours, after which they are put into 

 cold creosote for an hour or two. Only the lower three feet of the posts 

 need be treated. Posts decay most rapidly at or just beneath the surface 

 of the soil. Such treatment is claimed to add ten to fifteen years to the 

 usefulness of ordinary soft wood posts. 



Every farmer should have a wood lot that will supply posts for the 

 farm. Trees cut for posts should be cut the last of July or during August. 

 .Trees felled at this time need not be cut into posts at once. In fact, it 



