96 Western Live-stock Management 
ground, about eight feet apart and six feet above ground, 
with boards nailed crossways. The boards are two inches 
thick and not less than eight inches wide, and from three 
to six inches apart. They are always placed on the inside 
of the post, and in case of division fences on both sides. 
This is the most expensive under the average farm condi- 
tions, but at the same time not sufficiently expensive to 
prevent its use. In fact, when the material must be 
bought, it is about as cheap as any method. 
The third common method is a plain board wall, made 
perfectly tight out of inch boards set upright. The posts 
are set eight feet apart, with crossbars, to which the up- 
right boards are nailed. When built in this manner, the 
fence does not need to be nearly so strong as when it is 
made open so that the cattle can see through. If the 
cattle can neither see over the fence nor through the 
cracks, they will not make nearly as much effort to get 
out. This type of fence also serves as a windbreak, which 
is often of great advantage around the barns or feed-lots 
in a windy country. It can also be made to look well, 
especially when the boards and crossbars are made of 
dressed lumber and nicely painted. This style of fence is 
not used as much as it should be. (See Fig. 8.) 
The fourth method of building corral fences is the old- 
style stake fence, formerly rather common in the range 
districts. It is built of posts only and has no cross bars 
of any kind. The posts are set as close together as they 
can stand, and are made as high as desired. Usually the 
tops are fastened together by one or two wires or strips of 
rawhide running around the top. In the early days of 
the range industry posts and lumber were practically 
out of the question and in the desert regions where the 
only building material obtainable was scrawny juniper or 
