MISCELLANEOUS. 
49 
turo , unless it has also the strongest claim to at¬ 
tention in prcesenti. 
I imagine that few persons have ever undertaken 
to count up the cost of the fencing in this State to 
compare it with the benefit derived. There are 
probably 250,000 white persons in South Carolina 
engaged in agriculture, making, at the usual ave¬ 
rage of five to each, 50,000 families, owning each 
one or more plantations or farms. I should think 
there were nearer 100,000 than 50,000 settlements 
in the State. The length of fencing on these 
places varies. Few or none, however, have less 
than half a mile, while I know some whose fences 
are in all over thirty miles in length. The average 
length cannot be less than two miles to each family, 
•or 100,000 miles in the whole State. This is a 
moderate estimate I believe. Now it requires be¬ 
tween eight and nine thousand rails to make a 
good fence of one mile. These rails are worth 
on an average one dollar a hundred, put up. But 
allowing for fences not good, and rails put up at a 
-cheaper rate, we may safely estimate the value of 
every mile of fence at $50. At this rate the whole 
fencing in South Carolina is worth $5,000,000. If 
any one should think this a high estimate, let him 
reflect on all the items, and also remember that I 
have not taken into consideration the plank fences. 
There are many thousands of miles of such fencing 
in the State, out of the towns, and it costs at the 
very least $200 per mile—often twice as much. 
Now the interest on this investment of $5,000,- 
000 in fences I regard as equal to $1,000,000, or 
20 per cent, per annum.. The legal rate of interest 
is seven per cent. But there is a sinking of capi¬ 
tal in fences equal to at least 13 per cent, per an¬ 
num. At the end of five years rail fences generally 
require three or four new rails, and the same every 
other year thereafter for ever. Thus the duration 
of a fence does not average more than seven years, 
or at most seven and a half, and the annual decay 
is fully 13 per cent. 
Now for what purpose do we make this dead 
investment of $5,000,000, and incur this annual 
loss of $1,000,000 ? For none other than to keep 
cattle, hogs, and sheep out of our fields. Mules 
and horses we usually keep out by enclosing them. 
The question then is, whether it would not be 
cheaper, and in every way better, to enclose the 
cattle, hogs, and sheep also ? It may be the ani¬ 
mals w r e guard against are worth more than our 
fences; but I am inclined to doubt it. I keep a 
large stock, and raise an abundance of pork and 
beef for my wants; and though I have scarcely a 
cross fence on my land, my fences cost me more 
than I could sell my stock for. Let every planter 
make the calculation for himself. Be that as it 
may, it is far more doubtful whether the interest 
yielded by the stock is equal to that lost on the 
fencing. 
Let every one calculate here again,—for the re¬ 
sult might not satisfy all of the advantage of keep¬ 
ing stock enclosed, in preference to enclosing our 
fields,—if the mere expense of making and repairing 
fences would of itself raise and fatten our meat. 
But what is the actual benefit that we derive, after 
all, from fencing ? The benefit of the range for our 
stock. And what do we gain by that ? Razor- 
hack hogs, and sway-back cattle, and sheep that 
dogs will.hardly eat after killing. I was going 
to say that the sole advantage of our ranges was, 
that it kept our stock alive and breathing for two- 
thirds of the year ; but it does not do that. Of 100 
hogs turned into the range without feed, how many 
would come into the pen for pork ? I am always 
rejoiced to get back three-fourths, after all the 
feeding and attention I can bestow. I do not think 
it would be hard to show- that this range, which is 
all we get for our annual outlay of $1,000,000, is 
in most parts of the State rather a disadvantage 
than an advantage. I have always thought I had 
as good a range as any in the State for my stock, 
in every point of view; yet after much reflection, 
calculation, and sufficient experiment, I have gradu¬ 
ally brought a large portion of the stock into lots 
and pens, and shall soon have all enclosed. I do 
not believe there is an individual in South Carolina 
w-ho would not profit by the system, if he had, 
nevertheless, as I have, to keep up all his fences 
against his neighbors. His profits would of course 
be vastly increased if he could dispense with his 
fencing. Has any one ever actually counted the 
cost of fattening a hog taken from the range ? I 
have done it, and have known others do it. It 
very rarely happens that the corn he eats would 
not buy more pork than he will turn out. Let our 
hog breeders try this generally next year. But we 
usually give them the run of the pea-field, which 
saves corn in fattening, it wall be said. Let it be 
considered whether more time is not required to re¬ 
pair fences annually than would be taken up in 
gathering the peas the hog will eat, or in making 
so much more corn. Besides, many hogs die of 
eating peas; and wffien fat and wild in the pea- 
field, so that they cannot be regularly called up to 
be counted, how many are always lost by theft ? 
As to cattle, I admit that if we enclose them we 
must diminish the number some keep, especially in 
the low country. But of what use to us are our 
herds of lean kine, that give little milk, butter, or 
beef ? One well-bred and well-fed cow or steer is 
worth as much as ten of them: so of sheep. 
When, however, large gangs of either are kept, 
they must have shepherds, and these can keep 
them from the fields even wes-e there no fences. 
But I have made this article long enough, and 
will break off here. 
I have more to say, and will, with your permis- 
sion, continue the subject in another number. 
South Carolina, Jan’y, 1846. Coke 
Curing Meat. —Mr. Canfield wishes us to add 
to his article on this subject, page 20 of our last 
No., that the sulphate of potash is a salt which 
; does not readily dissolve in cold water, and there¬ 
fore, when pure sulphate of potash is used for cur¬ 
ing meat, it should be pounded and dissolved in 
water before it is put into brine along with com¬ 
mon salt. 
Salting Shad. —The season for this delicious 
fish is fast approaching at the south, and will soon 
open at the north. As soon as they are caught 
they should be dressed, and rinsed clean in pure 
water, and then salted. To let them lie for hours or 
perhaps days before salting them, injures the flavor 
of the meat very much, and at times renders it 
unhealthy. 
