FENCING 



235 



Wire attachment. There are several methods used for 

 attaching the line wires, but the method usually preferred 

 is the following (Fig. 197): A tie-wire in the form of a 

 long staple is straddled over the line wire and both ends 

 passed through a hole left in the post. An end is then 

 brought to either side of the post and twisted around the 

 line wire. 



This system insures a solid fastening, and, in case the 

 tie-wire breaks, another can be put in place. If holes 

 have not been left in the post, the tie-wire should be looped 

 tightly around the post, and the end twisted around the 

 line wire. 



Metal posts. Posts of 

 iron or steel (Fig. 198) 

 are used to some extent 

 for farm fences. They 

 can be made light and are 

 easy to set in the ground. 

 In loose soils they are hard 

 to keep in place -unless 

 concrete is poured around 

 them. They may be bent 

 or broken off by stock 

 shoving against the fence, 

 though this objection can 

 be overcome by proper 

 construction and if the 

 wire is kept taut. The 

 price of iron and steel 

 posts in the past has been 

 such as to prevent their 

 general use on the farm. 



Fig. 198. A steel fence post 



The advantages of metal posts are the ease and rapidity with 

 which they can be set and the fact that they serve to ground 

 electric currents and thus tend to lessen the danger to 

 stock from lightning. 



