Gates should be Marked by Rails

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1940, Page 18 (Supplement)

Gates should be Marked by Rails

"Although it is quite possible and very cheap to use an electrified 'Taranaki' gate, we go in for proper timber gates, because we consider that the time saved in riding through justifies the extra cost. The fence current is carried across the gateway on a piece of No. 14 wire, which rises sharply at one end of the gate to the tqp of a pole, to fall slowly away to a point some distance down the fence (Fig. D). Two poles rnay be used at the cost of an extra insulator. "Owing to the extremely flimsy nature of the fence judged as a purely mechanical barrier, stock, particularly sheep, seem to have great difficulty in finding gateways, and will go right past without noticing that their mental hazard has ceased at the gatepost. It is therefore as well to have a set of rails at the head of each gate. This difficulty ceases when the stock have leamt where the gateways are, so that this refinement is by no means essential. It may also save you the unpleasant experience of having your horse put his nose on the live wire while you are latching the gate.

Temporary Fencing. "For temporary fencing, such as rapebreaks, we use light stakes and rubber loops instead of porcelain insulators. Rubber strips which are ideal for the purpose can be obtained from the tyre retreaa firms. These strips are about an inch wide and several feet long, and it is an easy matter to cut' them into 4in. to 6in. lengths with an axe. They may ajso be used for washers for the porcelam insulators. "The current is carried fro.a the controller to the fence line by means of an overhead system, or, better still, by insulating one wire, preferably a barb on an ordinary fence, and letting the current keep the stock off it too. One barb along the back of a road fence will work wonders in stopping cattle and horses pushing through to the urigrazed road. The wire need only be. attached to an insulator on every second or third post. Causes of Faults. "Faults in the fence are indicated on the controller, the most common being as follows:— Cracked insulators, excessive grass or rushes touching the bottom wire, rubbish blown on to the fence, bark or splinters on the post touching wire, tie wire touching posts. "When making repairs to a remote part of the fence, simply earth it instead of going back to the controller to turn it off. Experience, although perhaps you will find it rather a 'shocking' experience, will soon teach you when there is a fault on the line or not, obviating the necessity of going backwards and forwards to the controller. "We have been using fences erected in this mapner for some nine months with sheep, horses, and cattle, includirig a bull, which, although not a confirmed fence-breaker, had no respect for an ordinary fence if he had any reaL reason to wish to get to the other side. The fences have been entirely satisfactory provided the stock are.properly trained, "The importance of training cannot be over-emphasised. The only animals which- will go through the 'hot' fence now are the dogs, and they take good care not to be 'stung.'. It seems probable that a stray dog with the guilty conscience of such dogs have on strange country would not wait to try'the fence again.