26 BULLETIN 321^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 
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 
