148 [Assembly 



A worm rail fence cannot be made permanent on bleak places. 

 A post fence will not retain its position on wet clay or swampy soils 

 in the northern States, as they will " heave by the frost," and the 

 pressure of large bodies of snow upon their sides, &c., &c., all 

 of which difficulties I think I mitigate in part, and some I nearly 

 obviate, as the description I shall give of mine will amply prove. 



First. I use in every instance iron posts; these posts are so con- 

 structed, and weighing nine and a half pounds, have sufficient strength 

 to resist a draught from the top, of 300 lbs. These posts are placed 

 in a block of wood or stone; if in wood, the block is laid transverse- 

 ly, (in line of the fence horizontally in the ground,) the top being 

 even with the surface; the same if in stone, thus obviating the diffi- 

 culty of frost, as it is well known that any substance when laid in 

 the ground and even with the surface, cannot be moved by the frost 

 except and only as the frost expands, which is only upwards, per- 

 pendicularly, and as a natural result, when the frost disappears, the 

 same position is still retained by the frost in the stone or block of 

 wood. Thus an iron fence post is substituted for wood, and the ac- 

 tion of the frost is obviated. The pannels to be attached to these 

 posts are made of all wood or part wood, and part iron or all iron, 

 on one and'the same principle, and without the use of pins, nails, 

 bolts or screws of any kind. When the pannels are of all wood, 

 two bars of suitable wood of any required length 2 by 4 in size, are 

 used, and wood turned pickets are inserted perpendicularly through 

 holes bored through the bars; these holes are bored tapering, that is, 

 larger at the top than at the bottom of the bars, and at any required 

 size or distance. This fence may be put up permanently, or used as 

 a hurdle fence. If the bars are of iron, suitable holes are cast for 

 the insertion of wood pickets. There are a number of varieties of 

 the above kind, either with iron or wood, bare or without, ornamen- 

 tal or plain. If all iron and ornamental, the same principle is ob- 

 served, and the pickets may be made of cast or wrought iron, or iron 

 wire may be used. If an all iron and hurdle or field fence is re- 

 quired, the posts are inserted as above described, and placed at the 

 required distance, and iron rods or common wire is suspended from 

 post to post, the rods being previously properly bent and shaped to 

 be inserted through holes cast in the post for the purpose, and se- 

 cured by a rod passing through the bend into the rods on the oppo- 

 site side of the posts. There are also several varieties of this fence 

 made. All the different styles are made of any required height or 

 size, according to the uses which may be required, from the size of 

 heavy and strong yard or field fence to the lightness of a verandah 



