134 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
as you can thus secure straight workercorabs throughout, 
and the hive will be filled sooner than without them. 
wood fences. Meantime, we must be content 
get along the best way we can. 
A GOOD FENCE 
to 
Fences and Fencing. 
Fencing' Letters Unanswered. 
It is simply impossible to reply individually to 
many hundreds of letters—at least a bushel of them 
—asking specifications as to cost of iron fence, lists 
of manufacturers, opinions of this and that particu¬ 
lar variety, the value of this or that old or new 
form, whether this or that new form is patentable, 
what we think of it, etc., etc. The best we can 
do is to read over what is received and prepare for 
these columns such materials as seems to be most 
worthy of publication for general information. 
But more Letters are Wanted. 
We want many more letters from those who have 
used barbed wire fencing for a year or so, telling 
plainly the present opinion of the user, in regard 
to its value, its dangerous character or otherwise, 
whether the user will put up more and advise 
others to do so or not, what kind is used, and 
any other items in the same line; and we desire to 
know in each case whether the writer has any 
direct or indirect interest himself or through 
friends, in the sale or manufacture of any kind 
of fencing. Several letters have come strongly rec¬ 
ommending one kind or another, which have upon 
investigation been found to have come from in¬ 
terested agents, whose opinions are necessarily col¬ 
ored by such interest.—We have not the slightest 
interest in any one kind over another, and neither 
sell nor supply any kind.—Our only business is to 
collect and supply information that may be most 
useful to all our readers, and to promote investi¬ 
gation and improvement. These last remarks are 
made necessary by the receipt of numerous letters 
saying: “ Send me your circulars and the cost of 
(this or that amount) of fencing ’’—letters doubt¬ 
less written by those who only learned through 
other journals that we are giving special attention 
to this subject. 
Note. —In describing the iron post, fig. 27, on 
page 92 last month, it was credited in some of the 
first copies to Phillip S. Justice. It should have 
* been Abram G. Powell & Co., Philadelphia, and 
was printed correctly in the later issues. The ad¬ 
vertising pages gave the nftnufacturer’s address. 
Weight of Iron Posts by Measuring. 
A solid or cubic foot of water at ordinary tem¬ 
perature (62° F.) weighs 62‘/ 2 lbs. avoirdupois, and 
27 6 /e solid inches (27.648) weigh 1 lb. Wrought 
iron has a specific gravity of 7.645 to 7.817—aver¬ 
age say 7.731, that is, it is about 7 3 / 4 times as heavy 
as water. Therefore a trifle over 3‘/a solid inches 
(or 3.575 solid inches) of wrought iron weigh one 
pound. Examples ; A bar of iron 1 inch wide, one- 
half inch thick, and 6>/ 2 feet (78 inches) long, con¬ 
tains 78xlx‘/ 2 , or 39 solid inches. Adding 4 cyphers 
to the right and dividing by 3.575, gives the weight 
of such a bar in pounds and tenths, that is 10.9, or 
10»/io lbs A wrought iron bar 6 feet long, 11 inches 
wide, i inch thick (72xllxi), equals 27 solid inch, 
and 27.000+3575 equals a little over 7.5 or 71 lbs. 
Cast iron is nearly one-eighth lighter than wrought 
iron, say 13 per cent less. 
A Wisconsin Farmer’s Talk About Fences. 
To Editor of American Agriculturist: 
I wish to say a few words with regard to the 
“ Barbed Wire Fence” question. With all the 
figuring on this point, I find no showing de 
scribing how it is possible to build a lawful fence 
with wire. It would be a grand thing for the 
country if this could be done, but it can not unless 
7 to 10 wires are used. Even then I doubt whether 
it would turn pigs, and any fence that won’t do 
that, is not the thing for a majority of farmers to 
adopt.—I could give you facts and figures to sub¬ 
stantiate what I say. but do not wish to be tedious. 
I own a snug little farm of 82 acres here, and I have 
at least ten different kinds of fencing on my place, 
“ Barb Wire ” included, so I know of what I speak. 
Whenever any man can show me how to build a 
wire fence that will be pig-proof, then I will adopt 
the plan, even if it cost one-half more to construct 
it, for in the long run it will be much cheaper than 
can be constructed in either of the following ways 
-fence-boards 16 feet long; posts 8 feet apart: 
3 boards and 2 wires. 
31 inches to first board, 
li inch fence-board. 
31 inches to second board. 
6 inch fence board. 
(i inches space. 
6 inch board. 
10 inches to first wire. 
13 inches to second wire. 
54 inches total hight. 
or 3 boards and 2 wires. 
3 inches to first board. 
(i inch fence-hoard. 
3} inches to second board, 
ti inch fence-hoard. 
5 inches to third board. 
(i inch board. 
inches to first wire. 
13 inches to second wire. 
52 inches total hight. 
The law in this State (Wis.) requires fences to be 41 
feet high, or 54 inches, but I would be willing to risk 
a wire fence 50 inches in hight, thus : 50 inches to 
top wire, 37 inches to next, 27 inches to next, 19 
inches to next. The bottom space of 19 inches 
left can be managed this way : Make portable 
pieces of fencing by nailing two 4-inch wide fence- 
boards on to stakes, and driving them down at 
bottom ; they can be taken up at. pleasure. True, 
a fence of three or four wires will do for cattle and 
horses, and may be a good thing out in Texas or 
Colorado, and other Western States and Territories, 
but for general adoption it is not the thing, be¬ 
cause you can not construct a perfect or lawful 
fence with it. As to the present forms of barb 
wire being dangerous to stock, I have only to state 
that whoever says so, does not know what he is 
talking about. I have two horses that stick their 
heads over and between the two top wires of my 
fence, only 11 inches apart, and crowd them down 
and reach at least a foot on the other side the 
fence, and eat the crop close to the ground, and I 
have seen cows do the same, and I use the Fren- 
tress Wire, which is, perhaps, the severest kind 
manufactured. 
There is not a single form of Barb Wire at pres¬ 
ent in use that is half barbarous enough. My stock 
have never received the least damage from the 
wire, and I don’t believe they ever would, were the 
barbs ten times as severe, in fact we need a more 
severe barb wire introduced, and then we may hope 
to make a pig-tight fence by putting 3 or 4 wires 
pretty close together at the bottom of the fence. 
. Robert Wood. 
Grant County, Wis., March 1,1880. 
We give the above as a sample of several letters 
from intelligent men. Others express themselves 
equally strong against the use of barbed wire, as 
barbarous, as dangerous to horses, cattle, and sheep, 
as having “ the barbs festooned with wool picked 
from sheep, etc.” One of the most frequent ob¬ 
jections we hear just now is, that in plowing up 
to barbed fences, either along side of them or at 
the head-lands, the team has to be kept at such a 
distance that there is almost as much waste land 
as in the use of the “ Virginia ” or “ worm ” rail 
fence.—Thus far, the opinions are so contrary and 
so nearly equally divided, that one is at a loss what 
to decide, and we urgently invite further corres¬ 
pondence as stated above. The fact that serious 
injuries have resulted from the use of long barbs is 
not set aside by the statements of others that they 
have experienced no trouble. The question to be 
decided is: Is the danger to animals, and are the 
objections on account of working up close to them, 
their tearing of garments, etc., sufficient to militate 
against their advantages ? It is contended by their 
advocates that unless the points are both long and 
sharp, they will be little more feared and be but 
little more effective, if any, than the old plain wire; 
that animals eager to reach good feed will not be 
stopped by anything short of rows of sharp spears 
that will pierce to the quick. There is a good deal 
of force in this statement, more than we were.our- 
selves at first disposed to concede. But our posi¬ 
tion has been, and is, that of an unprejudiced and, 
personally, uninterested collector of information, a 
learner in behalf of our readers and the public. 
We have a farm needing new fencing, but we are 
still patching up the old fence, partly because the 
collected experience is not yet sufficient to enable 
us to decide upon the best kind, and partly because 
new forms and new devices are being called out by 
the agitation of the subject, and we are hoping to 
find something better than has yet been brought 
before the public, both for posts aud for the run¬ 
ning fence. We are convinced that a good fence, 
both posts and wire or straps, made of steel or iron, 
or both, is far superior to wood as respects dura¬ 
bility and freedom from repairs ; that a metal fence, 
thoroughly protected against corrosion will be 
cheaper in the end, at double the cost of wood— 
except in the few localities where locust, red cedar, 
and chestnut timber are abundant and cheap. 
As previously stated, the very recent “ boom ” 
in the prices of iron and steel, amounting to fully 
100 per cent, has temporarily checked and delayed 
the general adoption of these materials for fencing 
and especially for posts. Still, the cost of the raw 
material being only a comparatively small part of 
the running fence, exclusive of posts, the advance 
in cost of wire has not been so great as to prevent 
its pretty general adoption. Indeed it is indispen¬ 
sable in many parts of the country, because of an 
absolute lack of wood on the spot, and the large 
cost of its transportation, while lumber itself has 
risen in value very materially. The supply or iron 
and of steel is unlimited—the earth’s surface is 
full of it, so to speak, or at least the deposits of 
iron ores are inexhaustible, and the processes of 
reduction and manufacture are being constantly 
cheapened by new discoveries and inventions. 
The present high prices are merely the result of 
a temporary sudden great demand. Iron aud steel 
can be profitably produced far below the present 
selling rates, and the demand will be met by in¬ 
creased production, so that we shall in the near 
future be able to obtain them at perhaps as low 
rates as before the recent advance. In the mean¬ 
time, while continuing to use metals for new fencing, 
the country will be ready with improved forms of 
posts, to use iron and steel as the chief fencing 
materials, as soon as prices become normal. 
A Choice as to the Length of Barbs. 
In corresponding with manufacturers, at least 
two leading establishments express to us a readiness 
to meet the wishes of purchasers, by providing 
barbs of any length or shortness and bluntness that 
may be desired, and we presume most others will 
do the same. They nearly all assert that the pre¬ 
vailing present demand is in favor of long and 
sharp barbs. As we have already stated, the use of 
long and sharp barbs will not be submitted to by 
the public if placed upon fences along traveled 
highways, and anything that can catch and tear 
garments, or scratch the human skin must be ab¬ 
solutely prohibited where, in village or country, the 
margins of the public streets are used as side¬ 
walks. We doubt if legislative enactment will be 
or should be made to prevent anyonefrom erecting 
his interior fences as barbarous as he may choose— 
except where Mr. Bergh and his humane co-work¬ 
ers may interfere in behalf of the dumb animals. 
Any barbs having a hooked form should be rejected. 
Fig. 28 comes from “Citizen,” Philadelphia, who 
has known this form used successfully for ten years 
past. The base piece is made of cement and gravel 
by the farmer himself, one barrel of Rosendale Ce¬ 
ment, with fine gravel, sufficing for about 35 of the 
bases. Diameter of bottom, 14 inches ; hight, 13 
inches. (These dimensions can be larger or small¬ 
er, according to the looseness or firmness of the 
soil). An opening in the top 5 inches or so in depth 
admits an iron bar, say 
one inch wide, half-inch 
thick, and three feet, or 
more, high. The bar is 
fastened in by pouring 
around it melted sul¬ 
phur. “Citizen” says 
it stands so firmly, that 
he has seen the bar 
bent nearly to the 
ground without disturb¬ 
ing. 28. ing its base fastening. 
The bar can be notched or pierced for attaching the 
horizontal wires. If made of steel, it can be of 
smaller size. Such a post may be usefully employed 
in many locations, but digging the large holes re¬ 
quired to receive the wide base would be objection¬ 
able for extensive field fencing. The dep.th re-- 
