AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 269 



of the farming interests, and the augmented population of the rural 

 districts. 



Solon Robinson. — I have for many years been an earnest advocate of 

 reform in the law, and the custom, which is stronger than law, governing 

 farmers in relation to fencing, I have no desire to argue the question, 

 whether it is more economical to soil or pasture cattle. I am for letting 

 every one have his own way. It would hereabout be considered a very 

 wasteful, slovenly sort of farming to set the hogs to gather a corn crop. 

 Yet I have seen a thousand fatting hogs turned into a cornfield as soon as 

 the ears began to glaze, and I am well satisfied that that was the very best 

 mode of harvesting the crop. If it had been picked by hand, and husked, 

 and put up in a crib, the market price would have been ten or fifteen cents 

 a bushel ; or else it would have been fed from the crib in a more slovenly 

 way than if the hogs gathered it for themselves, and, with all, would not 

 have produced any more money, if as much, losing all the labor of harvest- 

 ing ; and the stalks and shucks are not, in such localities, of value enough 

 to pay for gathering. Now, how ready farmers in this section of this broad 

 land are to cry out against such waste. But they are not yet quite ready 

 to see the worst system of waste they are practicing. What can we do to 

 enlighten them ? How can we convince the owner of a stony farm that 

 the very worst use that he can put those stones to is putting them into 

 stone walls ; frequently in this and the New England States, cutting uj) 

 the farm into four acre lots. The only way to convince men of the folly 

 of fencing is to show them the advantage of having no fence. But this 

 the law and custom of the people both oppose. In short, because any 

 neighbor choses to build stone wall, he would compel me also to build stone 

 wall. If he does not come over upon my farm, armed with the law and 

 its officers, to compel me to build interior fences — to cut up my land into 

 what I conceive to be most inconvenient little inclosui-es, he does come 

 along the line that divides our land, and insists that I shall build a fence 

 to keep his cattle out of my crops, because he chooses to pasture his ani- 

 mals, and I do not. But this is not the worst iniquity of the fencing sys- 

 tem. For I am compelled to fence the sides of the highway to keep the 

 miserable, half-starved brutes of my neighbors from coming vipon my land. 

 This is the most iniquitous feature in all American jurisprudence. It is 

 even worse than Virginia justice, as meted out to poor old Osawatamie 

 Brown and his deluded followers. Then there is the excuse which malice 

 and ignorance always can give for acts of folly and wickedness, while no 

 man living ever could give any reason why he should compel me to fence 

 against his cattle. I don't care what system of farming my neighbor 

 chooses to pursue ; he may let his cows run in pastures, or his hogs in his 

 cornfield, if he likes ; but I do care that he should insist upon my pursuing 

 the same course. Let me illustrate ; and as illustrations are always most 

 forcibly made by reference to an actual state of facts, let me illustrate by 

 my own case. I occupy a little farm of eight acres of the rough but costly 

 land of Westchester county, a few miles out of the city. It is bounded 



