Fencing — Ifs Importance, ^c. 497 
snow is very often a serious evil, and causes very many delays, 
and sometimes disasters. It is true, that a fence cannot wholly 
obviate this evil because snow drifts do form where there is no 
fence, on side hills, &c., but who has not traveled miles through 
deep drifts on level plains, when at the same time the ad- 
joining fields were nearly bare. The cause was evident; a 
stone wall, a post and board, log, or rail fence was on either 
side of the road, thus causing a vacuum in the current of air, and 
the drifting snow as. it was driven from the surrounding fields 
found a resting place within the fences, and when once deposited 
could not again be displaced, until forced from its position by the 
work of man. The iron post picket fence would obviate the 
latter difficulty, for it is well known that open picket fences offer 
but little resistance to the wind, and a sufficient current of air is 
affiarded to pass through and drive all the surplus snow that may 
be driven by that wind. This has been fully proved by practical 
observation, and is only the dictates of common sense.. 
The cast iron posts may also be used in the construction of wire 
or iron rod fence. This kind of fence is cheap and will be 
durable. It is constructed by placing the posts firmly in the ground 
and stretching wire from post to post, secured in holes cast in the 
posts for the purpose. The posts are inserted in stone or wood, 
the same as the other posts. The rods, ten in number, should be 
13 feet long, | of an inch in diameter, and bent at the ends in the 
form of hooks; if used as a hurdle, the posts should be set in 
wood, to secure lightness in handling. 
This kind of fence will be found very economical for ceme- 
teries and door yard fences in cities and villages. 
We noticed at the late fair of the Rensselaer Co. Ag. Society, 
that the pens for sheep and swine were constructed with the cast- 
iron post and wooden rails and pickets, and more neat and secure 
pens we have never witnessed. And we would suggest that our 
state and county agricultural societies provide this description of 
fence for their pens, in place of the ill looking, insecure, and un- 
comfortable fence heretofore used. The pens, which were found 
to be sufficiently capacious, were 12 feet square, and the range 
some 150 or 200 feet in length, two pens wide, by which one 
panel is saved. 
The cast iron posts, rails, and fancy panels, may be obtained 
by applying to M. P. Coon, the inventor, Lansingburgh, N. Y. 
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