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Garden
VOL. LXV
INDIANAPOLIS, JUNE 11. 1910.
NO. 24
CONCRETE FENCE PO.STS.
Concrete—cement, sand, gravel and
water combined in proper proportions
—has become one of the leading building materials of the day. It has shown
its worth    as    a substitute for    wood;
timber supply, the deposits of sand
gravel, and rock, and the skill of the
workman. If manufactured as usual
and cured for three months concrete
posts are as good as the best wooden
posts.     After three years wooden posts
construction of the fence after the
posts are made and cured is the theme
of Farmers 'Bulletin No. 403, recently
issued by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The ajithor takes up in detail the selection of sand, gravel, crush-
either steel or wooden, to beware of
traveling agents who are selling molds
or rights for the sale or use of their
respective molds. No dealings should
be had with these agents except when
fully    satisfied    through    reports from
View of    "Broad Ripple"    a popular    pleasure  resort    on White    River    near    Indianapolis.
Iiouses built entirely of cement, the
trimming and supports of wood merely for decorative effect; it is used by
the Government, by railroads, by farmers in hundreds of ways, either alone or
re-inforced; and has been found to
produce even good fence posts. Its
moderate cost, its durability, the ease
with which it is handled, the wide distribution of the sand, gravel, and stone
°f which it is.composed, commend it
to the consideration of all builders.
As a material for fence posts con-
crate has been found to possess but few
°f the disadvantages of wood, to have
Practically all its advantages, and to
be superior in some respects to timber.
"f course, the first cost may be mo-e
'"" less than the best wooden posts, but
that depends on  local  conditions—the
possess only one-third to one-half of
their original strength, whereas concrete grows stronger with age and
needs no repairs as neither weather nor
fire injures it. Under ordinary circumstances concrete posts will last
forever; and even if in the course of
years a few should be broken by unusual strain, it is cheaper to replace
them than to replace an entire fence of
decayed posts with a material with the
same lack  of durability.
Concrete posts are attractive in appearance because of their uniform size
and color, and can be made either
square, triangular or round, either
straight or tapering towards the top.
They can be purchased from dealers
or made at home, and this latter plan
together   with   suggestions   as   to   the
ed rock, and cement; the choice of
molds—either steel or wooden, and if
wooden, the proper way to make
square or triangular molds. Re-enforcement—the insertion of steel rods
or wire ln the molds when making the
posts, is discussed as to the principle
involved and the kinds of re-enforcement best suited to certain needs. The
work of mixing, molding and curing is
explained with minuteness, and the variety of styles which can be produced
described. Under "fence building" is
given instruction as to setting the posts,
attaching the wire, stretching the fencing, and the use of line anchors. Nine
illustrations give detailed drawings of
molds, methods, and results. The
pamphlets closes with a warning to
persons  intending  to  buy  post  molds,
one's banker or lawyer that the company represented by the agent is reliable and that the agent is their authorized representative. Patents have
been issued on special types of re-enforcement, and they can not be generally used without danger, of infringing
patent rights; but none of the simple
forms described in the bulletin is patented or patentable, and they are just
as good as the special forms advertised
and recommended by the agents. No
one need hesitate to use the simple
form of construction recommended, for
it has been in common use in all countries for a number of years, and all
claim that the general use of re-enforced concrete fence posts is controlled by patent rights are unjustified
and  untrue.