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Wisconsin state agricultural society . 
from the barn-yard, cesspool, water-closets, and numerous unclean 
places, which nauseate, and often endanger the health of man, 
when he knows that the cereals and other products of the farm are 
feeble, puny and sickly, for want of just that kind of food, and 
that the farmer knows all this too, and still disregards it, and goes 
on in a hap-hazard, half-and-half way of farming, expecting to 
thrive himself, and keep moving with healthful velocity the other 
great and numerous activities of man. This should not be. The 
farmers do understand that agriculture is at the base, that it is 
that foundation principle upon which all business superstructures 
must be reared, and which must uphold and sustain them in their 
prosperity, and that this cannot be done, if the foundation becomes 
weak and rotten for want of care and watchfulness on their part. 
In other words, they must keep their lands in a healthful state of 
fertility, if they expect to prosper themselves, and aid others to do 
likewise, who are dependent upon the results of their labor. This 
can only be done by carefully making, saving and applying all the 
manure possible to their lands. Circumstances and their own 
good judgment must determine the mode. 
FENCES. 
It is said by those who have carefully investigated the subject, 
that the entire farming lands of New England could not be sold 
at the present time for an amount equal to the cost of a renewal 
of the fences surrounding and dividing them. This subject should 
engage the thoughtful attention of every farmer in the state, as it 
is a large expenditure incident to his farming operations. Re¬ 
pairs are annually needed, and a renewal absolutely required once 
in about twelve years. The first cost for fences in this state, from 
carefully prepared statistics by the commissioner of agriculture, is, 
in round numbers, forty million dollar^, or eighty-five cents per 
rod. Based upon what I believe, by experience and observation 
to be true, that this expenditure of forty millions must take place 
once in about twelve years, the cost in this state in fifty years, 
with only the number of rods of fence we now have, would be the 
enormous sum of one hundred and sixty millions of dollars. If 
one could discover a plan by which three-fourths of this enor¬ 
mous outlay could be saved, he would be a conservator of the 
