Fencing.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 97, 27 March 1885, Page 4

Fencing.

„ T ) the fSriftiefiSlio ««i« tWT; style of farming, cultivating, jand keeping l stoct 7 , this' dubjedc ■Js oiie .^f ffijeat importance. In many "parts oUhe Cpnt'inent where ■ smaH farniijjg'M fe^rriefd'out tb' : '^evfe'fcctoa no fen'c6^are"to be'seen for'tr/lles." In s'iu,nrher all tne fobd'for stocic is 'dayried to the, stall, 1 and 1 the ; cattle are merely allowed 6n the hayfieltis m the autumn, after the crop has^ been gft^^&vand/are hferdedi. during this'UaineJ^h.e^ilphVc^wsl do| all. the ploughing. Of course this style qifarming; .would > iiot,,suit , m., jhe Colonies, where labor, i^-sp-dear and people are not wiping to. work 14 hou^.a^ajr. .„ , ' / [Let us take tne case of a settler m IjJew going on. to' a piece of unimrjrqvejd land.; j^ery often 'it "happens maL ;< ]RkeJ;three-foiiHh"B o,f the settlers, he has' nad no previous, ekperience to guide hi'rn m fencing or m laying off his land, and m~th ( at ;Case he has most likely togmri h'i^ knowledge from! bitter expeiieride. , Jjt is for this:class principally, ;tlxat I propose writing these articles, but ; niore experienced farmers may perhaps }gai;Of<a.jhint or two from them, : though they may say that a good , deal of it is what everybody knows. But thifefot/ Where r -they, make ithcj mistake. I know that at one time "I should' have beferi 'glad > ofi ' soWei such information. Farmers are someiimVa 1 V little ' apt to la\igh ' ! at tl^e' mistakes and ffeiWres^oF begin'rie^s, and enjoy their own '(superior 'knowledge without endeavouring to ! assist the unfortunate. >u^- \,.-. , iWei'<wiU suppose the .settler ;has determined what sorti.cfjhfences he [intends erecting>)«l3]he ; qu,estipn )( thpn come»>t6i be')what , size, tbii make : . the iatid i where to, ran the $.üb■ditiding fences.- - He;, should from < (the -very :first sketch out I, a .distinct pljan, and adhere py.\ this /as < far; v 4s possible. Very often- a fence is - run up because of some temporary, cpnvenience, or because i^heri Isndohas merely been fenced a&i^was ( brought 'under cultivation* and the .result is thjaknt remains iari eyesore fttidl inconvenience as long ?asj it stands. In a hill countpyilike) this. :the< great (desideratum is toiputithevfenee^jierejjt tjwill not interfere with the, nun r pf t^e plough. Although it may necessitate a gjoo&deal more fencing, Tile should endeavour, when practicable, to «ittiTtHelferice in^th^guUies or round the foot of the ridges. I know a farmer, wiip, to give eftect \ toth^»,,bas puUed.down many sides of sod-fenping.,, He should alsp see that sy> qqpre gates than are necessary <ard iria^e, 'arid tnat they are -piit' iji tl>e, rapst jCpnyenier: t positions. A rinpiber ; $g. ,..the ordinary, .class' of / ga i tesJ9<a ( fsn.c£ (is, almost certain to gi^e trow.bie and^e;,,?; weak point. If ; he"lha&atiy boundary fencing care sjhould be taken, to: have the notice fin accordance iwith : the Act and skr Ved' ► promptly. 'I bave known rtiany law suits aiid : cases where the settlfej; 1 ! "Kais ! been" unable to <■ recover pf this rule." -•.-•• ! >'■ i £fow often do 1 see wire fences ' with half 'th^ wiir^s /^roken, ahdthe 1: r;est.so.s,lack.as to be perfectly pseiess. . ;in !this ' , state' a lar^e' nuriiber 6f the posts get broken, and, the wir.es becpnie so. twisted, and kinked that when rc-straine^jt,, is, incapable of resisting a/iy strain or making an efficient- baulk for: /stock. ... /Now: m a fence 1 the wires of chichi aie keptmoderately ti^Ht' the > posts may lasfc as" ibn# ; again'r for each single > one Js Mld'by those MjOiriiiig. To attain ■> jthis' some' simple way^of securing' |the 'wire to tne istrainej: should be devised, failing the tjropet dast-irPti ! jb^cketß,rsp n tpat if'nejdessarj^ 'tKe,Wiise> may be easily re-stirained^'xPre-iiiuentiy the wire^in^^fenceis^ounfl^ to bevslack.yery soon after; erection, ' •through- not.! .having heen drajwn sufficiently tight to' ta|fe. ithe '^nds out. Contractors will generally draw -the Wire 1 as little as possible to !saye\ labpur.of. fixing tlie strainer^ jfirmly and tying down the po^stsih [the hollows. The farmer should see jthat .tHe'Jwire is .drawn^sufficiently 'tight. It is also important it should Ibe drawn only on awjnfciaiday. Tip •difference m • tension ! between; a i stretch strained m cold weather, and j thiat on ! a warm day will ibe I notilcejEible'mPn^hs^ afterwards. ' Ahy-i j one whb <iah', afford 'the outlay will • find tha'tr tfire 'cast-iron brackets : save their cost in ff a "year, or two, m the [ time saved m re-straining and generally 'fixing up the fence; Forfshee^ fence thfee or four on 1 the lower wire now-a-days'wheh putting up a new ; fence, but .it will also be found \ ecbnomicai ! soiriP times' to stretch a| barbe^ wjr^ .along' a feice ! the posts j ]of which are beginning 'to get ; frail ' , ' r —^Chese<i&»no..moi:e. .fruitful "source l ' of quarrelling between neighbours m; the country^- Jj&an bad boundary! fences ; |he insin*%ho has bad fences. I liv.es m a eonifaual state of worry; and anxlfstj^f- £fe is continuaHy; patching hj« fences, and from the; time his crpps ( jto |n -until they arej reaped he is. unable tOL rest m bed.j You wil^isee h^vfemily at all hours; chasing .cattle. and sheep, and: after all-, ; the * chance's ' are that the; whole loj;)ge ( t m. the crop some nighfi and" half ruin lljm. hie' will' 't^Hyoin finally,. .i^th^ stock become «uch nptpijipus fgncebreak'ers ilia); 1 no^i ing vwill keep them, back, for nothing is more certain than the fact that bad > fences make < ; fence : ; breakers.! Of course, m a young country like .this allowance must be made for thb struggle many, of the settlers iiaye tp, get alopg, but; Very oftcty it is sheer' neglee| in'itot' iiitl»ding. to the r^- ! pairs ih time.— Witovm*. $ '(■ ! I