VOL. XXXIL
INDIANAPOLIS. IND.. APRIL 10, 1897.
NO. 15
EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT
THE BEST FENCE POST.
How to Preserve it.
1st Premium.—The best general purpose fence post is the Tennessee dead red
cedar post. Why? Becanse it possesses
the quality ot dnrability to such an extent that nothing is required to preserve
it, and also because it can be procured at
reasonable cost, without delay, and delivered to any railway station in Indiana
Thus delivered in carload lots, the cost
per post will be abont 18 cents ln the Central and Southern parts of the State.
Neither the catalpa, nor the locust post
can enter into this discussion, for the
simple reason that none are to be found
in the market.
The cast-iron post is too easily fractured, and one made of wrought iron of
proper size to seoure firmness is to expensive for the farmer, to say nothing of the
rapid and destructive process of oxidation.
It is the heart of the red cedar, the red
part, the.part.of .which the best lead
pencils are made, that so obstinately resists the process of decay, whether in the
ground as a post, or out of it as a fence
or a shingle.
The writer has seen in Middle Tennessee
rails and shingles made of this partof the
tree whioh have been in service, either in
fence or roof, for a period ot time extending beyond seventy years and which, after shaving the surface, still presents the
characteristic color and odor of ths wood-
In Indianapolis, on Market street, within
two squares of the postoffice can be seen
red cedar fence posts, still in superb condition, which have been in the ground
for over 30 years. A sample cut from one
of these posts has been secured and forwarded to the Indiana Fabmeb ; it is
six inches in length, three inches of
which were aboye and three below the
surface of the ground. It furnishes a
beautiful illustration and convinolng argument in favor of the lasting qualities
of the timber. The dead post, as it is
called by dealers, is more desirable than
the green because it is entirely free from
bark and sap-wood, is much lighter because thoroughly seasoned, and the
freight, therefore, less. (Millions of
dead cedar trees are found in the mountains killed either by the lire or storm.)
For a wire fenco these posts are set 28
ieet apart, that is to say for the kind of a
fence the writer has had constructed on
his farm in Greene county, and which
bas cost abont 25 cents per rod, including
material and labor. (Many place them
lour rods apart.   Ed)
The limits of this article, however, pre.
elude any details in the matter of fence
construction, for while the writer may
bave very decided views in regard to
which is the |best fence for the farmer,
tbis is neither the time nor the place to
express them.
After two visits to Tennessee and
Northern Alabama in search of information, the above has been written, not
'or a prize, but in fulfillment of a promise made to Mr. Collins in the Fabmeb of
December  12th  last, and with the hope
that the experience given maybe of some
value to farmers.      John M. Kitchen.
Indianapolis.
red cedar sawed posts that have been in
use for 24 years, with soarcely any signs
of decay. Also some oak posts made from
a dead tree that had stood until the bark
had fallen oft, which have been ln for 24
years, but part of them have rotted oft.
It has often been said that posts set top
end down would last longer than when
set butt end down. About 20 years ago I
set some oak posts putting part of them
top down and part butt down. They were
examined to-day bnt no difference could
be noticed. In the past ten years I have
planted abont 300 locust trees. Some of
them are large enough to make two and
three posts each. W. H. Lafusk.
Union Co.
21 Premium.—Black locust and osage
orange are probably the most durable
Poat timbers grown in Indiana. I do not
know which will last the longer. I think
tbey are like the Dutchman's posts, "he
8»ld he knew they last forever pecanse he
Wed him tree times." I would give preference to the locust because it ls easier
and quioker grown, and is straighter and
•aore desirable in many ways. Mulberry
w"l last well. Some posts out from
umbs three to four Inches In diameter
*nd set 23 years ago, are yet sound. I have
3d Premium.—I have tried and have
seen tried locust, mulberry, ash, red elm,
white and black walnut, red, white and
burr oak and cedar fence posts. Asb, red
elm, white and black walnut and red oak
do not last long enough to justify using
them, three to five years being the limit.
Locust and mulberry are not plentiful
enongh to use; white and burr oak are
nsed a great deal, but their cost, compared with their durability, makes them
too expensive. I have seen them tarred
and charred, seasoned and set in gravel
and but very little if anything gained in
durability. So in my estimation cedar
posts, peeled and dry, four inches at top
end, seven feet fonr, at 10K cents each, at
which price they can be bought nearly
any place in Indiana, is by far the cheapest post we can use. We all know they
are very durable, but very little if any
more expensive than oak, always
straight, light and easy to handle. A
fence built of cedar posts and the keystone or woven wire fences, of which we
have so many kinds, properly fastened to
these posts, will laat _ longer and be
cheaper than any other fence that I
know of. I am aware that many dealers
ask enormous prices for cedar posts'and
are ready to condemn anything offered
cheaper than their price. But anything
more than 10_ _ cents asked by any dealer
is that much more than he should ask. I
have no fence posts to sell.
Carroll Co. Wm. H. Peffley.
Mulberry posts that have been well
seasoned before setting are splendid, but
it is of no use to talk about mulberry
posts, for there couldn't be enough of that
kind found to fence a garden.
So I guess we will have to settle oh
well seasoned white oak posts for they
are used the most of any kind we have,
but there is no use of setting posts green
for it is just a waste of time.
Post timber shonld be cut in the winter
when "the sbp is down," split and stacked np to season and let season one year or
eight months, but they should not be put
in the ground sooner than this.
In planting posts, if the holes are to be
dug, my experience has been to have
them dug about 15 or 18 inches across,
set the post and tramp in rocks around
the post to make it solid; don't put dirt
on top or the post will rot oft at the top
of the ground, but I believe it is as good
to sharpen the posts about six or eight
inches and piok a wet time and drive
them, it can be done so much quicker
than to set them and they will last better than set posts that are tamped in
with dirt.   O.N.T.
The best timber in this seotion of Indl
ana is white oak. Seleot a tree that is
not brash. Split as soon as post is out.
Take the bark off clean. Stook up one
tier nntil well seasoned. Then make a
fire, lay the posts on and let them burn
nntil the outside is in a coal turning them
over frequently so they will char all
around alike and a Htjle above where the
top of the ground will come. I have
posts treated in this way that were set 20
years ago, and are still holding up a
board fence in pretty good shape.
Warsaw. J. W. H.
Cut white or burr oak timber for posts
in winter when free of sap. Make logs
15 feet long, and haul to mill. Then saw
in two, and have posts sawed four inches
square at base and four inches wide by
two inches thick at top. Rick and stick
posts to dry till fall. Then make tank
eight feet long, three feet wide and two
feet deep, out of two inch boards, cutting
gains on sides for the ends and securing
same with two oross rods at either end.
Make bottom of galvanized iron secured
by two rows of small nails, and allow
ends of iron to lap and turn up at ends of
box. Construot narrow furnace the
length of box,placlng rods of iron«cross
furnace and place box on the same. Procure barrel of coal tar, obtained at gas
factory for $2, empty it in tank and start
small fire in furnace. Care should be
used not to have too much fire as coal tar
is quite volatile when heated and takes
fire easily. Now with two pairs of tongs
made like ice hooks bnt with longer
handles and hand-hold on them, lift posts
into tank ot hot coal tar. Allow them to
remain a short time, lift out and roll
them as removed in a pile of line, dry,
clean sand previously hauled and spread
on the ground conveniently. After drying awhile this process may be repeated,
when a post is obtained that will last 30
years. Cost of treating 1 000 posts about
$10. Box comes handy to mix slop in
during summer, and as a scalding tub at
hog-killing there is nothing better.
Putnam Co. J. B. Bubbis.
The best fence post and one that I can
recommend from practical experience, Is
one inch gas pipe (black pipe.) Its advantages over other kinds are: First
cheapness and dnrability.. Seoond,
strength and firmness in place. Third,
that it settles down to its original depth
after the frost leaves the ground in the
spring. They can be bought at wholesale for 3 cents per foot, perhaps for less
just now, while the prices of iron and
steel are low. I bought 100 four years
ago for $16 50, freight 72 cents, cost per
post, 17 22 cents. Two years i previous
to this I bought my flrst lot (20). They
show no decay so far after six years use.
They stand firmer than any other post
on the farm. I buy them already cut in
six foot lengths. I punched holes in
them myself. 1 use No. 16 soft wire to
tie fence wire to post. I bore holes to set
the posts; this prevents dirt filling the
lower end and gives good drainage. The
air inside the post is always warmer than
outside and abovo ground. This higher
temperature inside and below the surface
causes it to thaw loose from the soil
quioker. Then the weight and tension of the wires above causes it to settle
at once. The same cause, with drainage
addod, accounts for the soil drying out
and firming around this post quioker
than other kinds of posts. Cedar posts
are the best wood posts. All so-called
preservatives of wood posts, to my personal knowlege have proved a failure.
Sycamore Farm. James Haslet.
As to the durability*of fence posts this
depends first upon the kind of timber
used. Second on the manner in which it
is used. My father had a garden fence
set with blaok locust posts five or six
inches in diameter. They were cut from
saplings and were not split. They were
cut season before they were set. This
was about 30 years ago, and half of the
posts are there yet. If black locust posts
could be had I would use no other. Post
material is getting scarce in this country.
There are a few oaks left yet. I believe
it would be a gtsod plan for every farmer
to set ont an acre or two in black locusts
for posts in future years. Tf we do not
get the benefit of it the next generation
will. White oak and red cedar also make
good posts, bnt no kind of timber should
be used green. You had better do without a fence for a year and let the timber
season. White oak posts seasoned and
dipped in petroleum, and then dip the
end which is to go in the ground in coal
tar and they will last 14 or 15 years. Some
set posts by tamping rock around them.
This is a very good plan if you do not put
dirt on top of tbem, but God help the
man that has to reset them. I think it a
good plan to set posts with top end down.
Harrison Co. N B.
In reply to your favor of February 25th
I would say that so far as I know catalpa
lasts best as posts. The stockade of the
old fort at Vincennes is said to have been
built of this material and portions of it
are still standing. I suppose the posts
last in proportion to the capacity of the
wood to resist the attacks of the organisms which cause oxidation and decay of
the tissues of the wood. The general nature of the change is some type of oxidation. The general praotlce of using seasoned posts is doubtless a good one, but I
presume in the case referred to ab-ve,the
posts were green.
[Prof. Huston does not compete for a
premium.—Ed.1] H. A, Huston,
Purdue University. Chemist.
There are several good fence posts,
such as iron and stone and the durable
woods such as red cedar, black locust and
the catalpa. Bat for durability and
cheapness there is nothing equal to a
post made of cement, sand and iron.
The base is composed of sharp coarse
sand and cement. The top may be of
gas pipe of I.i inch in diameter or larger
if desired,and as high as you want. Sneh
a post can be made on any farm by any
one and at any time as suits your convenience. A little coal or gas tar applied
to the iron tops will in a measure preserve the same. .  K. B. Webster.
Madison Co.
Mulberry and Osage Orange. Have
them w«ll seasoned and either cleaned or
washed with coal tar from bottom to
four/inches above ground. Burr-oak,
blaok locust, white oak and white walnut, if split, seasoned, and treated as
above are all good. The mulberry and
orange, however, are the best timbers
growing in this locality. T. K. C.
Graysville. \
,v I think the best fence timber is pin-
oak.. I prefer posts split I set them
green lor they will last as long again as
posts that are seasoned before they are
set. Gravel should be put around the
post, about six Inches deep at the surface
of the ground. The. gravel prevents the
pos t from rotting at th. top of the ground.
By all means never season your posts before setting them.
Hamilton Co.   Fbanklin M. Ra*_ye.
The best fence post is the one that will
last the longest And the one that will
last the longest is the one that ls naturally
tbe dryest wood or the one that contains
the least sap. The dryer the wood or the
less sap it contains the longer it will last
In the ground. We might mention walnut, oak, sss-afras, locust and others as
dry timber and all make a good post
while such timber as beech, sycamore
ect, will not last in the ground on account
of their sappy nature. The most common
post is the white oak, but the walnut or
sassafras is probably still better, if a person has them, and if not the white oak is
my next best. Timber for posts or anything to last, should be cut In the winter
season when there is the least sap in it.
I mostly use a split white oak post because the timber is the most plentiful
with me and will probably last the seoond or third best of any timber I could
get. I like a post about five inches square.
It comes, natural forme to put the big
end of a post down let it be the top or
butt and I think where they are set in
this way the fence looks muoh neater and
Concluded on Oth page.