494 Fencing — Its importance, ^'c. 
the mind, that the annual consumption of timber is greater than 
the annual growth ; which must ultimately produce a great scarcity 
of that article, as is the case in Europe at this time. And as 
" necessity is often the mother of invention," and the foresight, 
energy, enterprise, and ingenuity of the American people is ever 
on the prospective, the far seeing eye of her child of plenty pene- 
trates into the mists of the future, and on the discovery of an ap- 
proaching calamity, an antidote is sought for and discovered — a 
remedy meets the evil on its way, and is paralyzed before it is 
known or felt by the people; hence the discovery of a specific 
which will eventually revolutionize the present mode of farm 
fencing. 
The patent cast-iron post, farm hurdle, wire, and ornamental 
fence lately introduced by Mr. Coon of Rensselaer county, N. Y., 
will eventually reduce the consumption of the quantity of timber, 
at least nine tenths of its present consumption, and by the same 
plan wood may be entirely dispensed with, and iron, either cast, 
rolled, or drawn, wholly substituted by a mineral of which almost 
every part of our country abounds. By an examination of his in- 
vention, it will readily be discovered that almost every difficulty 
w^hich heretofore existed in fencing, has been w^holly, or in part 
obviated, and may be ranked among the most important inventions 
of the present age. 
It is well known that England and other European countries, 
has for the last century sought for a substitute for w^ood for 
fencing, but never succeeded in producing one that could be brought 
into common use. All the telegraph posts are now, of necessity, 
wood, but in a few years all that are now in existence must be 
replaced by new ones, which not only will deprive the country of 
its most thrifty growth of young and valuable timber, but subject 
those interested, to a heavy expense, which may be the means of 
putting a stop to this almost superhuman mode of conveying in- 
telligence. The plan or form given to the cast-iron telegraph 
post renders it of light weight, and of sufficient strength for the 
purpose required, and the same may be said of the form for lamp- 
posts, piazza, or any posts required for pillars of any kind. 
The advantages which this plan of fencing possesses over any 
other now known are numerous; and as the old system has been 
practically tested, in all its various ways heretofore adopted, the 
first cost of the different kinds, the various difficulties attending 
the erection of each kind, the annual expense for repairs, and 
the rapid decay, &c., are all well tested by experience, by almost 
every agriculturist, but by properly considering the various ad- 
vantages of Coon's patent, the contrast between the old and the 
new way will at once offer plain and • convincing arguments'to 
every unprejudiced mind. 
The first that may be considered is the iron post and wood 
