1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



257 



FENCES. 

 We do not often feel at liberty to exclude arti- 

 cles from our columns that question the right to 

 patents or improvements that are claimed, when 

 they are written in a kind spirit, and with an ap- 

 parent intention to subserve the cause of truth 

 and justice. With these views we published the 

 note from our "South Amherst" coiTCspondent, 

 believing that Mr. Smith would be able to defend 

 his interests if unjustly assailed. His statements 

 may be found in the letter below. 



naverliill, N. H., May 5, 1852. 



Deak Sir : — I read with some surprise the 

 communication from the South Amherst man 

 about my fence. As I wish to have the matter 

 fairly understood by you and the publishers of the 

 Farmer, I take the liberty of again writing you, 

 that strict justice may be done to all concerned, 

 and trust you will excuse the frequent use of the 

 personal pronoun, which may occur. 



In the first place, I will not deny that two per- 

 sons, distant from each other, may devise precise- 

 ly the same improvement, but this is not likely to 

 happen. 



In justice to myself, I will say that, with the 

 exception of three years, my life has been spent 

 on the farm I now occupy ; and for many years, 

 fences, and the improvements of them, have oc- 

 cupied more of my thoughts, by day and by night, 

 than any, if not everything else. I do believe I 

 never dug a hole in the ground and put a post of 

 wood in it, since I came to years of reflection, and 

 felt right about it, or satisfied in doing it. Dur- 

 ing my absence from home, as a teacher in Vir- 

 ginia, my thoughts were constantly running upon 

 improvements in them, and while there, I planned 

 two or three kinds, which I determined to try 

 when back again on the farm. To be brief, eight 

 or ten years ago, I tried the kind you have on 

 your farm, without the grooving or the wire hold- 

 fasts, and the first words I uttered, after nailing 

 on the braces, were, "It is a triumph !" This fence, 

 with the improvements, was exhibited at the New 

 York State Fair, (too late for a px'emium,) and 

 pronounced much better than any other. It was 

 shown at the Vermont and New Hampshire State 

 Fairs, and at each drew both premiums and di- 

 plomas. It has been built, (as at first,) on my 

 own farm, by the sides of the main thoroughfare 

 through this valley, and seen by thousands for 

 eight years, and never, but in a single instance, 

 has my claim as to its originality been denied, and 

 that was by a man who had to leave town for steal- 

 hig at a funeral ! He said he had helped to build 

 the same thing on the railroad. I asked how 

 they did it ? He replied, they laid down a sleep- 

 er, spiked the foot of the post to it, and nailed 

 boards for braces, a la mode Vandermark ! 



In one word, the fence, from top to bottom, is 

 in every sense my own, as much as the able essay 

 upon the value and uses of Swamp Muck in the 

 Patent Office Report for 1856, is yours. 



When at your place, you will recollect I showed 

 you Munn & Co.'s letter about my patent. After 

 stating the claims allowed, they say, "It is certain 

 no one can build the fence with braces on both 

 sides," and also, "We think you have got all you 

 want." 



I have MTitten to a friend to investigate the 

 South Amherst fences, and when heard from, wish 

 to send an article for the Farmer in reply. My 

 model was with Ex-Com. Burke more than two 

 years before I would let the application be made, 

 (wishing to perfect the fence,) and from that, or 

 the fences here by the roadside, I think the South 

 Amherst farmer got his fence ideas. Mine have 

 been got by an immense amount of study and ex- 

 periments, with some failures, and the theory is 

 before the farmers of New England, with every 

 claim as honestly and fairly mine as any work 

 done during my lifetime. c„arles R. Smith. 



FAKRAK'S PATENT ADJUSTABLE HOOK 

 LADDER. 



It is often said that it is the little things of life 

 that go to make up its great sum. This truism 

 applies especially to articles which are patented — 

 as it usually is articles that are small and cheap, 

 but those that are used by millions, which are 

 really the most useful, and that best reward the 

 genius and labor of the inventor. This adjustable 

 Hook is one of them. The inventor gives the 

 best account of its usefulness, and we will stand 

 aside and let him speak for himself. He says ; — 



The inventor is aware that ladders have been 

 furnished with hooks permanently attached to 

 their sides. But hooks so attached are in the way 

 when the ladder is used for other purposes than 

 of ascending the roofs of buildings, and workmen 

 are often obliged to carry a hook ladder to their 

 places of business, or else go with an uncertainty 

 as to finding one. 



The object of this invention is to obviate these 

 difficulties, and to furnish a hook which may be 



