i89o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
889 
To Our Readers. 
Responses to our call are coming; 
In rapidly, but we want to hear 
from every town where THE R. 
N.-Y. Is taken. 
Please write us a postal card and 
tell us how your town stands on 
the Fence Question. Are USE¬ 
LESS fences coming; down? Are 
USELESS fences being; built? All 
answers will be acknowledged. 
THE EDITORS. 
Full up that useless fence clear sir, 
It steals all your choicest soil, 
It gives to the weed a chance to breed, 
And multiplies fret and toll. 
An Electric Fence Wanted. 
There is nothing I am so much interested 
in as the question of fences. Some are up, 
and some are down, and some are almost 
on the ground. The fence question in my 
district is quite a serious matter. The 
country is so thickly settled around here, 
and so many want to make the public 
highway their pasture, that property 
holders are compelled to build road fences, 
but it is a costly matter, and sooner or 
later the fences must go. Has any one 
tried an electric fence? Situated, as I am, 
on one of the great railways from the 
North to the South, I am troubled, like 
many others, by what are known as 
‘•gentlemen of leisure,” better known as 
“tramps.” Now, as I have a continu¬ 
ous wire fence around my place, I have 
thought of charging it with electricity. Is 
there any battery I could use without a 
dynamo that would charge it enough to 
make a fellow in contact with it feel as 
if he were standing on needles and could 
not get off, however forcibly he might 
want to do so ? Wouldn’t it be glorious to 
stand and watch such vagabond knaves, as 
they attempted to enter your vineyard, and 
cry out: “Sour grapes!” as you touched the 
button and let the subtle fluid “do the 
rest?” Then, could we have a better watch¬ 
man? Just think, “as I lay me dowu to 
sleep,” I could just turn the charge on with 
the assurance of knocking the thief 
“higher than a kite.” Oh! who will give 
us the electric fence? G. R. wood, 
Jefferson County, Ky. 
An Orange Grower’s Fence. 
There is no problem, especially among 
the orange growers of Florida, more vital 
than the “no fence question.” We are 
compelled to build fences five feet high 
against cattle and hogs. A fence that 
under ordinary conditions would protect a 
grove, would be quite au insignificant af¬ 
fair against a herd of cattle or a drove of 
wild hogs. The value of the orange groves 
within a radius of three miles from where 
I write, is greater than that of all the cat¬ 
tle in the whole county; yet the law com¬ 
pels us to use extra caution to protect our 
lands, worth $1,000 to $2,000 per acre, against 
a lot of $7 cows whose owners do not, per¬ 
haps, own one foot of land in the State. 
There are but few cows in this settlement 
and they are tame—mostly Jerseys and high 
grades. But to the south of us there are 
large herds of wild cattle that know no 
such thiug as a fence ; they pass through 
this place seeking fresh pastures and fre¬ 
quently do much damage in a single night. 
The cattle law is well enough so far as 
fences are concerned in South Florida 
where there are millions of acres tit only 
for pasture, and I am quite willing that 
the 1,700,000 cattle claimed for the State 
should be confined there. I cannot under¬ 
stand the justice of the cattle law. It gives 
more rights to a $7 cow than to a man. If 
I go over to my neighbor’s orange grove, 
break down the fence, destroy the oranges, 
and injure the trees, I would be arrested 
for trespass and the judge would not only 
fine and imprison me, but give me a lecture 
on moral and criminal law ; but my neigh 
bor’s $7 cow can come over, break down my 
fence, destroy my oranges and injure my 
trees, and I cannot recover any damages 
because I did not have a “ lawful fence.” 
“A lawful fence ” means one that no cow 
can get through. Let us have a change. 
Keuka, Fla. E. R. 
Make Permanent Pastures. 
A few hereabouts are takine out roadside 
fences and using the rails to repair those 
inclosing permanent pastures. I have tried 
this to my own satisfaction. A permanent 
pasture gives the best results, and I can 
save half the labor and material formerly 
expended on useless fences, to say nothing 
of keeping down the briars and weeds in 
old fence rows. The reform has not yet be¬ 
come general; but I think it will in time. 
Not much money is made now-a-days by 
following the old methods of doing things; 
while those who break out of the old ruts 
may hope to succeed. ENOCH ENGLE. 
Beaver County, Pa. 
Bay State Bugbears. 
“Down with useless fences.” That is 
what I am doing. Since I bought this farm, 
11 years ago, I have removed about 240 
rods of stone wall. Very little is now left 
except the line fences and that which sur¬ 
rounds my permanent pasture. Some of 
my neighbors are beginning to remove use¬ 
less fences, and very few of that class are 
now being built hereabouts, except for the 
front yards and even these are not consider¬ 
ed as indispensable as formerly. Wherever 
they are removed in villages, the improved 
appearance is a strong argument for the re¬ 
form. Useless fences on farms cause much 
wasted labor as well as idle land. The old 
walls on my farm, with their double rows 
of bushes, occupied an average width of 
about one rod, and their removal has added 
about 1 }4 acre of valuable land to the 
tilled fields. But the greatest gain is the 
saving of labor in cultivating those fields. 
Where formerly I could drive the plow 
only 12 or 20 rods without turning, now I 
can drive it 60 or 70, and the saving of time 
in doing the work is as much as 15 per 
cent. Another saving arises from the 
stoppage of the damage formerly done by 
woodchucks and other vermin, which hid 
in the walls. My property has several 
times been damaged many dollars’ worth 
by woodchucks eating cabbages and 
squashes. Some of my old walls I used to 
make a good, dry, hard road through a wet 
place. I shall add my voice to swell the 
chorus, “ Down with Useless Fences !” Put 
their material to better use than harbor¬ 
ing vermiu, and stopping the plow. 
Norfolk Co., Mass. monroe morse. 
PICKETS. 
A few of the best farmers are tearing out 
their useless fences, some even their road 
fences; but they are sneered at and called 
stingy. Not many are building fences, 
however. I appreciate The Rural highly, 
and think very much of its market reports. 
Peru, N. Y. J. B. s. 
Fences are coming down slowly but 
surely. Some form of wire is largely used 
where fences are rebuilt. L. H. 
Dansville, N. Y. 
We do not make anything but post and 
wire fences or hedges in this township, and 
we can’t do without these, so they are a 
benefit instead of a nuisance. We have no 
rail or board fences. A. G. M. 
Clyde, Kansas. 
It is quite noticeable in this and the ad¬ 
joining towns that the only fences kept in 
repair are those which confine each person’s 
stock. Other fences are either in ruins or 
cleared away. The idea seems to be: 
“ Feuce in your own rather than fence out 
other people’s stock.” A. A. r. 
Mt. Hermon, Mass. 
The farmers of this township long since 
“downed” those nuisances—the fences. 
By law, no stock is allowed to run at large. 
Nearly all road aud partition fences are 
down, aud such only as are required to in¬ 
close the stock are maintained. 
Bloomington, Minn. K. u. M. 
This county, aided by this township, has 
decided by a majority of 2,304, in favor of 
restraining all kinds of livo stock from 
running at large. We have befen living 
under this law two years. Nearly all use¬ 
less fences and gates, too, have come down 
and the rest will follow with the hedges. 
Barbed wire is used to inclose all stock ex¬ 
cept hogs; for these rails or planks with 
two wires are used. J. R. G. 
Montrose, Mo. 
In this mountain country fences are not 
coming down. c. L. H. 
Grant, Colorado 
I am taking up my old crooked fences 
and making my fields larger and my new 
fences straight. This makes the farm 
look better and cleaner. Less than half 
the farmers in our section keep their fences 
free from weeds and brush, as they ought. 
Those who are careless In this respect are 
the men who cry out about hard times. 
If they would work a little more and make 
their farms produce more, and stay away 
from the saloons more and not spend so 
much money in non-necessaries it would be 
better for them and their families. 
Fuller’s Station, Mo. A. M. L. 
Fences are certainly not going up in this 
country. On some farms they are coming 
down. I removed one long stone wall the 
past season, and used the foundation stones 
in building, and the remainder in filling 
up a large gravel pit, over which clover is 
now growing. I have begun the work of 
removing another wall. Wide awake, pro¬ 
gressive farmers are moving in this direc¬ 
tion. F. w. F. 
Concord, Mass. 
“No chronic tortures racked his aged limbs, 
For luxury and sloth had nourished none 
for him.” 
In our land there is much luxury, and 
but little sloth. So we must find other 
causes for the “ chronic tortures.” It has 
been said that to have gout one must have 
ancestors, or, as they say in Philadelphia, 
“grandfathers.” This disease, says Dr. 
Da Costa, in his great work on “ Diagno¬ 
sis,” “is rare in this country,” but not so 
Rheumatic Gout. He adds: “ Nor will it 
yield to the remedies usually administered 
in acute Rheumatism, nor to colchicum 
and the alkalies, so beneficial in gout.” 
However, remarkable cures have been 
effected by the Compound Oxygen Treat¬ 
ment of Drs. Starkey & Palen. If you 
wish to convince yourself of this, send for 
our Treatise on Compound Oxygen, a book 
of 200 carefully written pages, or write us, 
giving your symptoms, and we will give 
our opinion, free of charge. No other 
genuine than that of Drs. Starkey & 
Palen, 1529 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pa., 
or 120 Sutter Street, San Francisco, Cal.— 
gldu. 
CHAMPION BEEF ANIMALS. 
The Country Gentleman thus describes 
the animals that took the leading prizes at 
the Chicago Fat Stock Show. 
The Short-horn winner was a pure red 
steer of remarkable length, unusually 
straight top and bottom lines, very beauti¬ 
ful head and face, thin hide, and pretty 
nearly faultless handling. He has been 
quite naturally fed, too, chiefly on corn and 
oats crushed together, (twice as much of 
the former as of the latter) with a little 
bran to keep his bowels in order, and some 
oil meal to finish, but no sweets or condi¬ 
ments. He ran out all last summer, and 
has been kept in perfect health from the 
day of his birth. He was 1,275 days old at 
the opening of the show, and weighed 2,090 
pounds, being 1.64 pound for each day of 
his life. 
The Hereford was an 11 months’ calf ; to 
be accurate, he was 338 days old and 
weighed 9S0 pounds, being almost three 
pounds per day. He had been very care 
fully fitted, and was in the pink of condi¬ 
tion. He was kept in the stable most of 
the time, going out only on hot nights He 
sucked his mother for three months, and 
w T as fed afterwards chiefly on shelled corn 
and oats, with six or eight eggs every day, 
living on the fat of the land, as it were; 
and he showed it, for a finer calf has sel¬ 
dom entered the building. 
The Holstein was 1,293 days old and 
weighed 1,945 pounds, being a pound and a 
half per day, which is doing remarkably 
well, especially as it was not iuteuded to 
show him until quite recently, and his prep¬ 
aration did not extend over a long time. 
He has been kept stabled mostly, and fed 
corn and oats ground together, with hay 
and ensilage—no oil meal, sugar or condi¬ 
ments. Holstein breeders who wish to em¬ 
phasize the beef-making qualities of their 
cattle would look far before finding a better 
example than this. 
Advertisers treat all correspondents 
well if they mention The Rural New- 
Yorker. 
FARM MILLS. 
French Burr' 
OVER 20/000 NOW IN USE 
Factory Established 
since 1851. 
28 SIZES AND STYLES 
WARRANTED 
MILLS FOR GRINDING 
EAR CORN, SHELLED 
CORN, CORN and OATS, 
BUCKWHEAT and RYE. 
A BOY CAN OPERATE 
and keep in order. A complete Mill and Shel¬ 
ter for less than $100. Reduced 
Prices for Fall of 1890 and 1891. 
Highest Awards 
at St. Louis, Cincinnati, Now Or¬ 
leans and Indianapolis Fairs and 
Expositions. Milling Book 
a»d sample of Meal sent free. 
FLOUR MILLS BUILT 
BY CONTRACT. 
Nordyke &, Marmon Company, 
THE ADVANCE HAY TEDDER. 
The most perfect article of its kind made. Ease of 
movement and fatisfaction guaranteed. Also manu¬ 
facturers of Mowers, Rakes Hay Presses. Feed Cut¬ 
ters, Plows, etc. Write for Free Clreulai. Agents 
wanted in every locality. Address 
Ann Arbor Agricultural Co., Ann Arbor, Mich. 
Geo. Tyler & Co., Boston, Mass., Agents for the New 
England States, and R. C. Reeves Co., 185 & 187 Water 
Street, New York, Agent for Eastern New York. 
Pennsylvania Agricultural Works, York, Pa,' 
Ftrqnh&r’s Standard Engines and Saw Hills, 
Bead for Catalogue. Portable, Sta¬ 
tionary, Traction tnd Automatic *». 
Jinca a»p«oialty. Warranted equator 
■uperi.rts 
any main. 
Iddrsta *. H F A BOTH A R A *»OS. lork. P». 
Cook Your Feed and Save Half 
the Cost with the 
Profit Farm Boiler. 
With Humping Caldron, empties 
Its kettle in one minute. The simplest 
and best arrangement for cooking 
food for stock. Also make Hairy and 
Laundry Stoves. Water and Steam 
Jacket Kettles. llogSealdors, Cal¬ 
drons, Etc. Send Cor circulars. 
D. R. SPERRY & CO., Batavia, III. 
IDEALFEEDMILL 
and Power Combined 
WILL SAVE 
31-3 PER CENT. 
OF YOUR CRAIN. 
Rpmember it grinds EAR CORN and all kinds of 
train FASTER AND BETTER than any other. Our ling 
somprises Evervthing in the shape ot GRINDING 
MILLS. Address for catalogue, 
(thvfr mFR. nn.. °^ Vi? FFI>41 ’ 
CLARK’S 
ROOT CUTTERS. 
Acknowledged by all 
stoek-aisers to be the 
ouly perfect Root Cutter. 
Send for New Circular. 
HIGGANUM 
M’F’G CORPORATION, 
Sole Manufacturers, 
HIGGANUM, CONN. 
VIRGINIA FARM 
FOR SALE. 
Located at Claremont, on James River. Twenty 
acres unimproved. Will supply $100 worth fruit 
trees and vines to purchaser. For particulars, 
Address G. R. K., care Rural Nkw-Yorkkr. 
HILO 
mtmi 
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THE 
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: CHEAPEN 
he best: 
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COP CRPP CATALOGUE 
run rRLL ADDRESS 
IQNESof BINGHAMTON, Binghamton. N.Y 
