.180 
NEW JERSEY FENCES. 
NEW JERSEY FENCES. 
Being placed in circumstances which rendered 
the subject of the following observations of peculiar 
interest, it occurred to me that some of your read¬ 
ers might be in a situation which would render a 
communication on the subject not wholly unworthy 
of attention. That this matter will increase in 
interest with the cultivators of the soil in the older 
parts of the country, must be apparent to all who 
have given the least attention to the subject. Few 
now contemplate the purchase of a farm without 
making the state of the enclosures a paramount 
consideration—and not without reason. The sup¬ 
ply of materials for the kind of fences hitherto in 
use is daily becoming more limited, consequently 
the expense increases; and the farmer finds that 
the fence is not one of those small secondary mat¬ 
ters which his fathers before him considered it. 
Those upon old farms, with fences made to hand 
when they came into possession, do not seem to 
be aware of the call soon to be made upon their 
pockets. Let such look into the matter. 
I was lately much surprised by the result of a 
calculation, made to ascertain the expense neces¬ 
sary to enclose and subdivide one hundred acres 
into fields of ten acres each. The estimate was 
made for that fence which our farmers (judging 
from their practice) think most economical. It 
was found that near 15,000 rails would be requir¬ 
ed, which at the prevailing prices, $3 to $4 per 
hundred, with the cartage included, would cost 
$7,50. This calculation is made for rectangular 
fields. From the statements of the agricultural 
writers, and some observation, it is thought that 
the expense would vary but little in any part of 
the country from this estimate. Some practice 
and experience have since shown that it is rather 
under than over the mark. I propose to give a 
short statement of the expense, and a few observa¬ 
tions concerning the various kinds of enclosure 
now in use in the northern part of New Jersey. 
These are the Virginia or worm-fence, post and 
rail, or boards, and stone wall. For the first we 
generally use the cheapest quality of rails, cut 11 
feet long, laid at a lap of 8 or 10 inches on each 
end, and an angle of 25 degrees across the line of 
fence, put up 6 rails high, with stakes and riders 
to complete and confine the whole. Two lengths 
or panels make but little more than one rod, and 
costs here as follows:— 
14 rails, at 3 cents,.42 
cartage,.25 
setting,.10—77 cents. 
The two stakes in each panel are estimated as one 
rail, according to the custom here prevailing. This 
fence has but one great advantage, which is, the 
ease and quickness of erection. This is a great 
object on new clearings, where the other labor 
necessary absorbs the whole time of the farmer ; 
and the materials being on the ground, cost but 
little money. 
Post and rail-fence is coming very much into 
fashion, and is certainly much superior to any other 
lumber fence in appearance, durability and effec¬ 
tiveness. The best quality of rails for this fence 
is made from chestnut timber of 8 or ten years 
growth, split in two rails, costing with us $4 per 
hundred, and posts $8. Some farmers emplov 
part of the winter months in the preparation of 
materials under shelter, where they can proceed 
during all weathers toward the erection of a fence, 
which occupies the least possible quantity of soil— 
is an effective barrier to stock of all kinds, and 
presents a neat and sightly appearance to the eye, 
whether the useful or ornamental be considered. 
It costs but little more than the worm-fence, if 
thus prepared when the farmer has abundant 
leisure, and labor is plenty and low. But the 
usual contract prices are taken as the basis of the 
following calculation. Two panels would require 
ten rails and two posts, making 1^ rods of fence. 
We have then as follows:— 
10 rails, at 4 cents,.40 
'2 posts, 8.,16 
cartage,.25 
setting.32—$1,13. 
This sum, less one fourth, gives 85 cents per rod 
nearly. Now can it be supposed that any farmer 
would be guilty of renewing the old Virginia fence, 
for the trifling difference between the two ? This 
last is the cheapest after all. It does not stand in 
need of those constant repairs and resettings of the 
former, which are no small tax upon every farm 
where they are found. The stakes rot off, are 
loosened by the frost, and the fence falls down here 
and there, slides off the stones on which it is set, 
and is one of those vexations which are only borne, 
because considered one of the “necessary evils.” 
Board fences for field enclosures are very rare with 
us, although, from the adjacent lumber regions of 
Pennsylvania, a fence could be erected costing less 
at first, but also less substantial than those already 
considered. 
But, with the farmers of northern New Jersey, 
at least, the stone-wall should stand pre-eminent; 
whether they look at the first cost, durability, or 
repairs, or as answering all the purposes of a good 
fence. It is, like the post and rail-fence, an ef¬ 
fectual barrier against stock of all kinds, although 
some plead an exception for sheep. But who ever 
saw a sheep go over a five-foot stone wall, not al¬ 
ready vitiated by bad fences? It is above their 
“line of vision.” They can see nothing on the 
other side, to induce an attempt. Where a farmer 
is gathering the stones off his land, he should con¬ 
sider nothing but laying up, as the expense of en¬ 
closing his field. This can be done, and is done 
for 50 cents per rod, every item included. Some 
contractors draw the stone, and put up the wall 
for $1 per rod, the farmer finding a team and 
boarding the laborers. Yet farmers seem greatly 
to neglect this kind of fence, even after the stones 
are gathered round the field. Nothing is more 
common than to see a field encircled with stones 
sufficient for a good fence, (and oftentimes for two,) 
with an unsightly worm-fence mounted thereon, a 
new rail stuck in here and there, propped up in 
one place and “ bushed” in another, with a hedge 
on each side, and the whole occupying one third 
as many acres as the field enclosed contains. A 
less disagreeable but very poor combination of the 
stone and post-fence is sometimes made. A de» 
