26 BULLETIN 321, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



to harden on them. The forms should be oiled before putting in the 

 concrete, so that the surface of the posts when set will have a smooth 

 appearance. A small amount of machine oil applied with a brush will 

 answer the purpose. The concrete should contain enough water so 

 that it may be poured, but not more than this. After being poured 

 into the molds it should be jarred or vibrated so that it will settle 

 and force out any air it may contain. This is essential to the making 

 of a strong, smooth post. Ordinarily the posts can be removed from 

 the mold at the end of 24 hours, but they have to be handled very 

 carefully at this time. They then should be laid on a smooth floor 

 and kept covered for a week or 10 days. During this time they 

 should be sprinkled with water daily to prevent them drying out too 

 rapidly while seasoning. At the end of a week or 10 days they may 

 be stacked on end in piles. They should not be used for at least a 

 month, and it is much better not to use them for three months, as they 

 gain greatly in strength during this time. 



In handling a well-seasoned concrete post care must be used not 

 to jar it more than is absolutely necessary. Owing to the excessive 

 weight of concrete posts it is very doubtful if fencing can be erected 

 as quickly with them as with wooden posts. They must also be 

 handled more carefully. They should be well set in the ground to 

 prevent heaving. Should the post heave so as to lean over, its weight 

 will tend to pull the fence down. 



Extensive experiments have been carried on at the State college at 

 Ames, Iowa, with the construction of concrete fence posts. In these 

 experiments the cost of the cement used per post varied from 4 to 8 

 cents, and the cost of reinforcing rods from 9 to 12 cents per post. 

 On farms where sand and gravel are to be had, and where the work 

 may be done at a season of the year when the time might not other- 

 wise be profitably employed, the construction of concrete fence posts 

 is quite feasible. If the work is to be done in winter the concrete 

 must not be allowed to freeze. 



CONSTRUCTION OF WIRE FENCES. 



The manner in which the fence is erected has much to do with the 

 service to be gotten out of it. No matter how good the wire and 

 posts, if the fence is not properly constructed it will be a very poor 

 one. The cost of erecting a fence is such a small part of the first 

 cost of it that this work should always be well done, yet it is no 

 exaggeration to say that 50 per cent of the wire fences in use are 

 not properly constructed. 



The ends and corners are by far the most important elements of a 

 fence. It is absolutely essential that they remain firm and solid in 

 order to hold the fence rigid. In building a fence, therefore, the 

 first thing to consider is the placement of the corner. There are 

 several types of end and corner bracing systems in use any of which 

 if properly installed will hold a fence solid. Plate II illustrates a 



