AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 463 



destroys our turnips, the turnip flea or haltica — harbors in these 

 marginal strips of wilderness, from whence they cover the field 

 just when the tender turnip leaf is suitable for them; and it has 

 been found that in large and clear fields, these little crea- 

 tures cannot reach far enough, nor can they stay in the field. The 

 last advantage believed to be gained is duration. For while we 

 find posts and rails sound for a lifetime out of the ground, we 

 find the bottom in the ground rotted in the tenth part of the time 

 that the rails or the bodies of the posts do, and again when the 

 tops of the posts are as common left about squai-e, water settles 

 and injures the body of them. 



William Lawton of New-Rochelle — What a glorious improve- 

 ment would this plan be ! While our chestnut rails last a life- 

 time, and actually w^aste slowly away by rain, storm, heat and 

 tempest, and by often being bored into by the bumble-bees who 

 live in them; the posts rot in the ground and we tui'n them end 

 for end and then they ai-e rather too short. As for the cost of 

 the post rail fences, the New-Haven Railroad Company made 

 theirs in most places for one dollar a rod, six years ago. 



Mr. Clapp, from his long experience argued with those who 

 applauded durable and cheap fencing, for it is truly stated that 

 oui- United States fencing is of vast expense unnecessarily, for it 

 can be made many times more lasting than it has been made for 

 several generations. 



Professor J. J. Mapes mentioned the very good plan of Mr. 

 Coleman, which w^e had before us some time ago, that is making 

 posts, rails, and round pickets rapidly, accurately, and cheaply, 

 by machinery, and out of unseasoned wood, with benefit. The 

 holes for the pickets are bored through the rails, and at such 

 angles as are suitable to the variable surfaces of ground, so as to 

 keep all the posts and pickets vertical, and moreover when a 

 picket is inserted in the holes of unseasoned timber, they are 

 held firmly in place as the rails become seasoned, or are held in 

 place by a single nail driven through the rail into the picket. 

 The Professor recalled the very good fencing adopted and carried 

 out by Pennington, of New Jersey. 



Solon Robinson spoke at some length against the wiiole system 

 of fencing, as a foolish, useless, old fogy fashion, highly com- 

 mending the good sense of Massachusetts, where beautiful gardens 

 and large fields may be seen by the roadside entirely free of fence 

 or obstruction of gates across carriage drives. If fencing is to be 

 used until all means of inclosing land are exhausted, then I com- 



