242 ENGINEERING ON THE FARM 



A farm fence for all kinds of stock: Line posts of Osage 

 orange, 8 feet long and 8 to io inches in diameter, barked and 

 seasoned, set 3 feet deep in a hole dug large enough to allow 

 14 inches of concrete on all sides of the post; corner posts 

 the same except 9 feet long and set 4 feet deep ; small stones 

 used for filling in with concrete. The concrete furnishes 

 rigidity without the use of braces. The posts are set 16 

 feet apart and the wire put on after the concrete is dry 

 enough to stand the strain. Woven wire is used along the 

 ground 39 inches high; a barbed wire 43 inches high; a 

 barbed wire 49 inches high, and a barbed wire 57 inches high. 

 Staples i}4 inches long, not driven tight so that the fence 

 can give its entire length, are used. The ends of the wire 

 are wrapped around the posts and tied back on them- 

 selves. 



Fence for horses and cattle. For horses and cattle a 

 4 8 -inch woven wire and a barbed wire 5 to 6 inches above 

 make the best fence. Such a fence is rather expensive, but 

 it avoids any danger from wire injuries to the stock. A 

 much cheaper fence can be made by the use of three wires, 

 the lower wire being smooth and placed 22 to 24 inches from 

 the ground. Nine or 10 inches above this a barbed wire 

 should be placed, and 10 or 12 inches higher another barbed 

 wire. 



A better combination, however, is to place a smooth wire 

 18 inches above the ground, 8 inches above this a barbed 

 wire, 8 inches higher another barbed wire, and 10 inches 

 higher a third barbed wire. Such a fence as this is sufficient 

 and much cheaper than woven wire the same height, but 

 it does not remove the danger of serious injury to animals, 

 particularly horses. Another combination is to use 34-inch 

 woven wire next to the ground, 5 inches above this a barbed 

 wire, and 8 inches above this a second barbed wire. Yards 

 and pastures which are made to retain horses kept for breed- 

 ing purposes should be inclosed by the best 60-inch woven 

 wire fence. 



