PRACTICAL PAPERS—FARM FENCE. 
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enforce the law, and clear the highway of these wandering, 
bovine guerrillas. That a further saving of fifty-five per 
cent, of the annual cost of fence can be made by improved 
methods of building, is the motive cause of this article. - 
The rapid deterioration of board fences is mainly from two 
causes: First, the mingling of poor, sappy boards with 
sound ones in building fence, by which gaps are being opened 
—inviting animal assaults. Second, the method of building 
mainly in vogue, secures a condition by which the wind soon 
obtains a leverage that rapidly destroys or impairs the value, 
and also gives animals a convenient opportunity to break 
down, through, or over it. And we may add, Third, the poor 
material and consequent early decay of posts. These three 
causes combined, necessitate constant watchfulness on the 
part of farmers, and ensure the necessity of yearly, cumbrous 
repairs, and rebuilding in from twelve to fifteen years. 
The universal custom of building board fence on a level 
with the adjoining ground gives cattle a convenient opportunity 
to break it down by rubbing, and attempts to reach through, 
and the posts are soon loosened by the wind as the ground 
becomes soft about them. By this means the fence will fre¬ 
quently whip back and forth, breaking the nails, and some¬ 
times the ends of the boards. It also produces a condition 
favorable to the action of frost in raising the posts out of the 
ground. 
My experience.— In 1859 I built two lines of fence, making 
a lane, into which all my fields opened—the lane leading to the 
barn. On one side of the lane the fence was built in the usual 
manner, level with the surrounding ground; on the other side, 
the bottom board was raised fifteen inches above the general 
level of the ground along the line, and when the fence was 
completed two furrows were thrown towards the fence on 
either side, the first against the fence, and the second furrow 
thrown on top of the first one, raising the ground or bank 
nearly to the bottom board of the fence. The bank was then 
smoothed off, and a plenty of grass seed strewn over it. This 
