Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 August 1898 — KEEP FENCES TIGHT. [ARTICLE]

KEEP FENCES TIGHT.

A Good Part of the Injury to Stock from Barbs Is Due Almost Altogrether to Neglect. One of the most common causes of breachy animals on the farm is poor fences, and we may go further and say that a good part of the injury to stock from barbed wire fences, is due to a poor condition of the fence. The wires get loose and sag down, and stock get tangled up in them and injure themselves much worse than they would if the fences were kept up properly. Low tumble down fences are a constant temptation to stock to break over, and once they get started it will be much more difficult to restrain. The safest plan in all cases is to keep the fences in a good condition, especially those around the pastures. If the stock are to be changed constantly from one pasture or field to another? provide good gates, as laying the fences part way down and' compelling the animals to jump over what is left up. is giving them the first lessons in jumping or becoming breachy. If an animal seems inclined to be breachy, get rid of it as soon as possible, as one mischievous or breachy animal on the farm will soon teach the greater part of the others to be like them. With wire fences properly built, care being taken to have strong corner posts well braced, it is not much work to keep them in good condition. But no matter what kind of fences there may be on the farm it is good plan to go over them every few weeks and see that they are kept in good repair.—Prairie Farmer.