VOL. XXXI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., MAY 9, 1896.
NO. 19
EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT.
What is the Best  Farm  Fence and
Cost per Hod?
lst Premium.—On level ground we set
onr fence posts 75 feet apart. On uneven
ground we shorten the distance according to the requirements of the slope of
the ground; thus holding wire down
when crossing a depression, and np when
crossing an elevation. We nse a great
many two and one-half Inch staples in
place of the roller staples, using the latter on uneven ground only. We always
staple the stay tight to the wires. This
plan gives better satisfaction than leaving them loose. We use 10 wires, making
t fence .five feet from lower to top wire.
We cannot build a fence without ratchets
on end or corner posts. Corner or end
post must be 10 to 12 inches thick and 10
feet long and must beset four fet into the
ground. In making our fences five feet
high, from bottom to top wire, we secure
11 fence that will turn any kind of stock.
A fence of this bight will not allow cattle
| or horses to reach their heads over. The
end post must be  framed  with anchor,
I »nd bored to allow wires to pass through
center of post to ratchet I am sending
jou by mail one patent roller staple, one
two and one-half inch staple, one one
inch staple for stays.   I nse  the Wash-
Unrn & Moen Co.'s Waukegan brand of
wire altogether.   This wire costs me $2 75
1 ^Ka-jMHuttda -MB&ftiu,s .10 ■ __*$jtt*»tofrthfr
[ ponnd.: While I can buy barbed wire as
low as $2 25 per 100 pounds, £ find that this
I brand is the cheapest for me to use.
Decatur Co. W. W. Hamilton.
—Mr. H uses black locust posts and the
I cost of his fence is about ,50 cents per rod.
2d Premium.—In my opinion the Kitsel-
man Bros, woven wire fence in the best
I fence yet invented.   It is  made  with a
1 machine usually upon  the  posts.   It is
I composed of horizontal wires of any size
I desired, and from six to 12 in number according to purpose of fenoe.   These are
woven together  with   a   net work of
I smaller wire.  A strong  complete farm
| fence can be put up for 20 to 25 _[en_s per
rod, not counting the posts.   Posts can be
two to four rods apart and make a fence
that will turn  all  kinds of stock.   Two
men will build 30 to 70 rods per day after
the posts are set.   Either  iron or wood
I stays are used  every eight feet.   For a
complete hog and horse fence we use one
barbed wire at the bottom, two and one-
half inches below the smooth wire, and
I one seven inches above the top wire.   A
fence like the above counting two barbed
[ wires, posts two rods apart with hickory
stays every nine feet, all  complete, can
j be put up for 38 cents per rod.
Union Co. W. H. I_aftjse.
3d Premium.—The best farm fence for
I the money is one made like this: Use
I Pickets sawed or split two and one-half
feet long 1_\y_ inches. Weave for bottom,
using No. 11 wire four stands, having
every ninth or tenth picket the full hight
M the fence and a little heavier than the
others, say three-fourth; using two barb
*lres above. Staple the long pickets to
•nem. Set posts two rods apart with two
Bnort poste or stakes between, as high as
Pickets. They can be driven. If you use
°»k posts this fence can be built for 20
j "ents a rod, not including work.
T.M.S.
I ti,     -a-mers here do not hesitate to say
^at barb wire makes the best fence for
w> farmer.   As to the cost, this depends
n the number of wires used, which are
oT!_ially from three to ni--e- -** also de"
wnds on the number of posts used, which
«n °ae to two -° the rotl- The set*
litem0' the posts ls also an important
LT.1' ~ve dig the holes and set the
Ik •' w"l cost about five cents more on
I 6*<xl than it does to drive them, as is
becoming customary in this connty. I
generally put nine wires and two posts to
the rod, which makes a fence that is hog
and cattle proof, and it costs about 40
cents a rod. A three-wire fence is sufficient to turn cattle. The cost of wire is
also another important item.' I have
known it to sell from 1% to 3>_ cents a
pound. I watch the price and buy when
it is cheap, if possible. Two and one-
fourth cents a pound is not out of the
way. Be**-. Williams.
Harrison Co.
In these times of depressed prices in all
farm products, one of the chief factors to
be considered in building a new farm
fence is its cost. When cost, utility, and
length of life is considered, the barbed
wire fence is ahead of them all. I recently completed 80 rods of said kind of fence,
at the fence, at the following cost: 800
pounds black wire, at $190; $15 20, or 18
cents per rod for a eight wire fence, which
turns any and all kinds of stock. The
posts were split from timber grown on
the farm, and the labor we performed ourselves, so the above, with the addition of
a few cents for staples, includes our
money expense.. Care was taken to set
the end posts four feet in the ground, and
they were well braced. The last named
point being essential to a long lived fence.
My intermediate posts are 10 feet apart
and half way between each post is stapled a one by three picket, or  stay.   So
fence. The accidents to stock arising
from its use are very rare, while tbey are
of daily occurrence throughout the State,
caused by barbed wire. The cost of this
fence will be 50 cents per rod in our vicinity, should you purchase all material and
hire the work done, but if the farmer has
timber, and the help of his boys, they can
build it with no money outlay except for
wire and nails. The estimate of wire is
four pounds to the rod.
Posey Co. G. W. Wilsey.
To my notion the best farm fence I
know of is made as follows. Take pickets 30 inches long and have them wove
and place them at the bottom of fence.
Now put two barb wires above them;
take smooth wire and double it, fasten it
at the top of the post, placing one wire on
each side of the fence and run it diagonally half way between the posts at the
bottom of pickets and from there to the
top of the next post. Now take your
pliers, place them between these two
wires and twist them very tight. This
wire will keep the pickets from sagging
or getting out of shape. This fence can
be put up for 25 cents a rod.
No Name.
cotton mills, manufacturing plants, and
the rapid extension of the small towns
which are fast being  transformed  into
villages and cities of no mean proportions.  The South has the advantage of a
mild climate, and the section secured by
the    Indiana    Farmer  is    especially
equable and  favored in  more respects
than are most sections of the  southland
The Farmer publishes  several  letters
from farmers, now resident on the western highlands of Florida, all  of which,
confirm the statement that "the land is
capable, under proper cultivation, of wonderful productiveness."   In fact the advantages which  are said to exist in this
favored section   are   most   alluring   to
Northern farmers who dislike the rigor's
of winter and are held in the tight grasp
of burdensome mortgages.   To the North-
ener, who has never enjoyed a southern
trip,' littlo is known of the South, and its
future possibilities.—Cor. Farmers' Union
League Advocate.
REVIEW.
If one is not afraid of barbed wire that
no doubt makes   the  cheapest  and most
effective fence.   Most of the accidents by
..        . it to my knowledge  were by wire being
that th<?..wi-*e^^
_._.._ .n.. *_ *_*„_....     mi__ -.__...  or tWQ wjres  tarn  stock.   I'have never
POSTAL 0AED 00BBESP0NDEN0E.
Ohio Co., April 24.—We have had no
rains since March 29th; Wheat will not
be one-half crop; about the usual amount
of oats sown; grass backward, needs rain;
ground is breaking fine; corn planting
will commence April 27th; old corn 35
cents; wheat 70 cents; hay scarce at $13;
hogs plenty at 3 cents; stock of all kinds
healthy. A. M. S.
and it is thus a good pig fence. The first
wire was placed eight inches above the
common level,* and dirt filled under.
John Snider.
The board and wire fence is the best for
the farm, for the reason that it is* the
most durable in every respect. Use 16
foot boards 1x6 of seasoned oak. The
posts should be V/_ feet long, and of middle sized. Use three wires, a hog wire below and above the boards, and a cattle
wire on top. Cost per rod: Three boards
each eight square feet, one cent and eight
mills a foot 43 cents: two post eight cents
each, 16 cents; three wires, three pounds,
two and one-half cents per pound, seven
cents; cost of building per rod, 15 cents;
total 81 cents, Set post three feet deep,
and eight feet apart. The lower wire
should be two inches above the ground,
the lower board two inches above the
wire, the second board three inghes
above this board, the third board four and
one-half inches above this board, the next
wire eight inches above this board, the
top wire ten inches above this wire.
Tippe Co. Chas. Wiggins.
In reply to your query as to the best
farm fence and cost per rod, would suggest that for cleared farming lands, the
wire and picket fence, for all stationary
purposes is the best, cheapest and most-
all-round satisfactory fence in use here in
southern Indiana. But there is as much
difference between a properly constructed
fence of this kind and a poorly built one
as there is in good and bad mechanical'
work of any description. While the cost
of the former does not much exceed the
latter. To build a good picket fence—use
seasoned pickets not less than one or one
and one-half inches thick, four feet two
or three inches long, and from two to four
inches wide, galvanized wire and good,
durable posts, set not more than 10 or 11
feet apart, and two and one-half feet or
more in the ground. The bottom wires
shonld be placed about eight or 10 inches
from the ground and the top wires about
the same distance from top of fence, don't
twist your wires with a machine, but simply weave your pickets in, as you may
wish to take the fence down or apart some
time in the future. A fence of this kind,
when built of good, heavy, seasoned oak
pickets, excepting posts, is almost indestructible, and the posts can be replaced
at any time without molesting balance of
known of a bad accident from a four and
one-half foot fence with stays overy four
feet.
While attending the 'Decatur county
institute my friend, Robt Mitchel, and I
were riding with friend Hamilton by his
farm, and the fence he describes here
was on one side the road, and that of my
young friend Wiggins on a neighbor's
farm opposite. Mr. H said: "Just see
that fence. Posts seven feet apart and
plank half way up. If I had that man's
lumber new I could sell enough posts to
more than give me my entire fence, and
have the lumber left then that time will
rot off in a few years."
The woven wire fence is quite popular.
But should be five feet high or else support a barbed wire above it. A good
anchor is a brick or stone buried one
spade deep and wired to the bottom wire
to prevent hogs lifting.
It is claimed that the picket fence described by friend Wilsey is heavy and
requires lots of timber and posts and is
affected by wind.
I am glad no one suggests osage
orange. Set the dog on any agent who
represents it, except along water courses.
Catalpa trees are sometimes set for live
posts say four rods apart.
The Farmer failed to publish topics
for future copy. They are published in
this number. Please write promptly. We
are just "awful" busy with our "taters"
jnst now. E. II. Collins.
No. 12, May 16.—Do you prefer mutual
insurance or stock companies, and why?
No. 13, May 16. How do you cultivate
potatoes?
No. 14, May 23. Growing millet, sowing, etc.
No. 15, May 30.   Cutting and curing hay.
Our Colony.
The Indiana Farmer Is attempting to
establish a colony of Northern faamers
on the highlands of western Florida, ann
I see no reason why the scheme should
not be a success. A quantity of land has
been secured which will be disposed of
to such farmers as immigrate to Florida,
at reasonable prices, and arrangements
have been made which will insure cheap
rates for transportation over the railroads. In a recent trip through the
South I was greatly surprised, not to say
amazed, tb observe the marvelous growth
evidenced on all sides by the erection of
"TvfARroN'Co.", Aprir~22.—Every thing • is"
suffering for rain; wheat is looking
well; oats all sowed, some up and looking
fine; cutworms have put in appearance
in greater numbers than ever; no corn
planted yet; stock in fair condition, with
prices low on everything; lots ot pigs in
the country; young clover is looking
well and farmers are plowing round their
wheat fields to save it from the worms.
B. W.
.,'■;.]
Parke Co , May 4.—Had a nice rain the
lst; grass is growing nicely; oats looking
well; rye on clay land has not made much
growth'yet; wheat in the bottoms is
good, on clay land it is very short; plenty
of fruit, except apples, which will be a
short crop. Gardens look nice since the
rain; plenty of berries of all kinds;
stock of all kinds doing well; horses
suitable for the market are very scarce;
sheep all clipped; wool 12^ cents.
D. W. S.
IiAporte Co., May 2.—We have had a
nice week for farm work, many ready to
plant corn, (none planted yet), trees, except oaks, nearly all in full leaf, .they
were as far forward April 20, as they are
here usually the first of May. All kinds
of fruit trees, except pears, are fall, and
the bloom nearly all shed. Wheat looks
well. Kye most too large. Early potatoes coming up. Eggs,7@8 cts; butter,
12@15 cts. Help on farms hard to get.
Mrs. B. A. Davis.
Jackson Co , May 2.—It has been very
dry. Everything needs rain. Had a good
rain last night. Everything looks fine
this morning. Breaking for corn nearly
all done. Some planted early potatoes up
nice. Gardens look well. Cutworms
plenty and chinch bugs in abundance. We
can't do without the Farmer. We are
young farmers. I_, M. G.
Erie Co., Penn.—You seem to have
more rain than we do. Onr roads are very
bad from frost. Wheat not very good
with us; rye looks better; not much sugar made hereabouts this year, has been
too cold all through until now. Buds on
fruit trees are killed in many cases.
S.J.K,
Miss Mattie Rutherford, of Nevada,
while using a pair of scissors, broke off a
point which flew into her eye, blinding
her permanently in that member.