92 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
[March, 
provided it has by that time gained suffieient 
woodiness of stalk to resist tlie attacks of tlie 
wire worms, whicli are sometimes annoying. 
The subsequent culture of this important crop 
may properly be the subject of articles later in 
the season. In the meanwhile, any hints from 
those interested in this matter, wliich will be of 
benefit to our readers, will be gladly received. 
> ■ I I ^ 0 m ■ ■ ’■ 
Board Fences. 
The questions proposed in the November 
Agriculturist (page 336) have been kindly re¬ 
sponded to by several experienced fence build¬ 
ers. Some have answered the questions; others 
have given figures and descriptions of fences. 
We here call attention to some of these plans. 
Fig. 1. 
Mr. H. T. Kichmond, of Chenango Co., N. 
Y., presents two, represented by figures 1 and 2, 
which he describes as follows :—“ Fig. 1 is a 
straight board fence, 4A feet high, and the ad¬ 
vantages I claim over the common board fence 
are as follows: It is substantial, tasteful, econo¬ 
mical, easily built, easily moved, and any length 
may be taken out like a pair of bars. If the 
posts lieave out, they can be driven down again. 
No nails are driven through tlic boards, conse¬ 
quently the lumber is not injured for any other 
purpose; and on flowed lands the boards may 
be taken out in the fall, and put in again in the 
spring. The materials are as follows: Boards, 
chestnut or pine, 11 feet long, 6 inches wide; 
posts, chestnut or oak, 7 feet long, round or half- 
round, si)litor square, sharpened and driven 2k 
feet into the ground, 10 feet apart; cleats, chest¬ 
nut or oak, 4.) feet long, 2 inches wide, 14 inch 
thick; nails, one six-penny nail to each board. 
“ Fig. 2 is a straight picket fence, 3 feet 10 
inches high, tasteful and economical. Posts, 6 
feet long, 10 feet apart; rails, 11 feet long, 2x3 
inches; pickets, 3 feet 10 inches long, 3 inches 
wide, 1 inch thick; 2 seven-penny naiis to each 
length. To rebuild either of these fences where 
decayed, split open the old rotten posts to get 
the nails, and then set up the lengths and fasten 
them wilh nails and cleats to the new posts.” 
Mr. Wm. Daj', of Morris Co., N. J., sends a 
sketch of a fence (figure 3), and writes: “ In 
Fig. 2. 
answer to your queries about fences, I send the 
following as the result of my own experience 
and observation, combining, in my judgment, 
economy, durability, and neatness for a farm 
fence, in a remarkable degree. I would have 
what is called with us, a running or strip fence. 
“ Posts .—In our section of country, chestnut 
timber for posts is preferred to any other. The 
oosts are sawed 7 feet long, 4x5 inches at the 
bottom, and 3 x 4 at the top, and all set 4 feet 2 
inches’ above ground, 8 feet apart. They should 
be cut in winter when the sap is down, for they 
will thus bo lighter to cart and handle, and dry 
out quicker. They may be set as they grew, or 
reversed, whichever way they Avill saw to the 
best advantage. I never believed there was 
gain enough in durability, secured by inverting 
posts, to balance the necessary waste in sawing. 
“ Boards.—For strips we employ hemlock, 
sawed one inch thick and 16 feet long. Two 
courses of 7-inch strips at the bottom, 5 inches 
apart, and two courses of 5-inch strips, 8 inciies 
apart, starting 5 inches from the ground, will 
make the fence 4 feet 2 inches high, as re¬ 
quired. A cap rail or strip is not necessary 
for strength, but gives the whole a neater ap¬ 
pearance. If used, it may be sloped to turn 
rain more readilJ^ No fixed rule is necessary 
for this. Each board will require 6 ten-penny 
nails, driven 1) inches from the ends and edges. 
Break joints by all means, to secure strength, and 
I hold a batten to be absolutely indispensable.” 
Mr, Peter H. Storm, of Columbia Co., N. Y., 
writes as follows, sending fig. 4 as the style of 
fence he prefers: “ The questions proposed 
could be more readily answered, if the nature 
of the soil were specified, whether stony or 
liable to be thrown up by frost. My experience 
is that common post and board fence is the best 
in every particular. It costs least both in ma¬ 
terials and labor; lasts longest with the least 
repair, and if properly constructed, will turn 
any stock usually kept on a farm. If the soil 
does not throw up by frost, I usually take for 
posts good straight rails, 13 feet long (chestnut 
preferred), and saw them in two. These cost 
here about $10 per hundred, which is 5 cents per 
post, or 10 cents per length. Sharpen them 
and drive with a flat-faced sledge 24 feet in the 
ground, after making a hole with a crow-bar. 
Some of them may require a little trimming in 
order to present a good faee to nail upon, which 
is readily done wilh a common axe. In one 
day two men can make as much and quite as 
durable fence as eight men can in the same 
length of lime, if working in the ordinary way 
of digging the holes, etc. Let each man have 
a hammer, with the spaces marked on the 
handle, so that no mistake may occur in placing 
the boards. I do not batten the ends of the 
boards, nor for common field fence do I cap the 
same, but I think the latter will well repay the 
trouble of sawing the posts off, which should be 
done at an angle of about 70°. I use the nai- 
row hemlock fence board, which varies from 4 
to 8 inches in width, putting the widest at the 
bottom, about 8 inches above the ground. I use 
fence 8-penny nails, six nails to the board. 
“ The very best time to cut the posts is, I 
think, in the month of June, when the bark 
peels off very readily; they should stand lo 
season until the next spring; but if sharpened 
when cut, and the points placed upward in the 
sun, they will dry sooner and will answer for 
fall setting. I do not usually prepare the posts, 
though I think chai'ring would pay were suf¬ 
ficient care exercised to prevent the points 
being injured for driving. After the line of 
fence is made, take a plow and turn a few fur¬ 
rows on either side of the fence, to make a ridge 
to fill the 8-inch space under the lowest board. 
The ground should be compressed wilh the foot, 
and if necessary the shovel should be used, in 
order to raise a good ridge. It is best, I think, 
lo reverse the posts, which should be attended 
to in the sharpening. Fi’om 40 to 60 rods can 
be made by two men in a single day. Should 
the soil be inclined to heave by frost, raise the 
bank 20 inches, or more if necessaiy, after the 
posts are driven; and put but three boards to 
the length. 'This 'will make a very prett 3 ’’ as 
■well as lasting fence. The lowest board should 
be close to the ground, as the bank will settle." 
— -I ■ a — » — . 
Reclaiming Salt Marshes—Tide-gates. 
In the February Agriculturist we had an ar¬ 
ticle upon reclaiming salt marshes, dwelling es¬ 
pecially upon making the dikes. Now, the dike 
is very important, but good for nothing without 
a good gate. A Tide-Gate is one constructed 
in connection with a flume of some sort, so that 
■when the tide is out, the fresh water which may 
have accumulated, may easily flow off, but 
which will be closed tightly by the rising tide, 
so that no salt water can flow back upon the 
meadow. The size of the flume and gate should 
be sufScient to let off, in a short time, all the wa¬ 
ter that will ever be likely to accumulate during 
severe storms or thaws; and concerning this, one 
may easily judge by estimating the surface of 
country drained, and the amount of -water 
which flows from springs and brooks discharg¬ 
ing into the ditches of the reclaimed marsh. 
This may be more easil}’- done by causing all 
the water to flow through a trough or other 
contrivance, while the dike is 
Stone culverts are 
better than wooden 
trunks, because the 
muskrats do not fol¬ 
low stone work, 
while they are al¬ 
most sure to bur¬ 
row along by the 
side of, or under 
wood, often letting 
in the salt water in 
a ruinous way; and as these are the great 
pests of the reclaimer of salt marshes, it is 
best economy to provide full}’’ against them. 
We represent in the accompanying illustra¬ 
tions longitudinal sections of three different 
kinds of tide-gates. The first, fig 1, shows a 
stone culvert supposed to be about 18 inches 
high, and of the same width. It is built of 
faced stone, laid in cement, and upon a good 
foundation bedded in the hard-pan bottom, oy 
