Chapter I: Front Matter

[The transcribers’ notes follow the text.]

FENCES, GATES

AND

BRIDGES.

A PRACTICAL MANUAL.

EDITED BY
GEORGE A. MARTIN.

THREE HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS.

NEW YORK:
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY,
1892.

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1887, by the

O. JUDD CO.,

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

PREFATORY

It is authoritatively stated that the building and maintenance of the farm fences in the United States have cost more than the construction of the farm buildings. Be this as it may, while large numbers of works have been written upon rural architecture we believe this is the first publication specially devoted to Fences, Gates and Bridges. It aims to be a practical work, showing the “evolution” of the fence from the road barrier of logs, brush or sods to the latest improved forms of barbed wire. The numerous illustrations are mainly representations of fences, gates, etc., in actual use. The chapter on fence law is necessarily condensed. The various judicial decisions upon the subject alone would fill a large volume.

This little work, the first and only one of its character, is given to the public in the confident hope that it will prove specially useful to farmers and village residents.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Rail and other Primitive Fences 7-17

Virginia Rail Fence; Laying a Rail Fence; Staking and Wiring; A Fence of Stakes and Riders; A Pole Fence; Fences for Soil Liable to Heave; Other Primitive Fences.

CHAPTER II.

Stone and Sod Fences 18-23

How a Stone Wall Should be Built; Building a Stone Fence; Truck for Moving Stones; Re-inforcing a Stone Wall; A Composite Fence; A Prairie Sod Fence.

CHAPTER III.

Board Fences 24-30

Building Board Fences; Fences for Land Subject to Overflow; A Fence-Board Holder; Re-inforcing a Board Fence.

CHAPTER IV.

Picket Fences 31-42

A Good Garden Fence; A Southern Picket Fence; Fences of Split Pickets; Ornamental Picket Fences; Rustic Picket Fences; Light Picket Fences; Hand-made Wire and Picket Fences; Fence of Wire and Pickets.

CHAPTER V.

Barb-Wire Fence 43-61

Statistics and Forms of Barb Wire; How to Set Barb Wire Fence; Unreeling and Stretching Barb Wire; Wire-Stretchers; Building Wire Fence on Uneven Ground.

CHAPTER VI.

Fences of Barb Wire and Boards 62-67

Combined Wire and Board Fence; A Bracketed Fence; Dog-Proof Fence.

CHAPTER VII.

Hedges 67-75

The Best Hedge Plants; Planting and Care of Osage Hedges; Hedges for the South; Ornamental Hedges and Screens.

CHAPTER VIII.

Portable Fences and Hurdles 75-85

Portable Board Fences; Portable Fences of Poles and Wire; Portable Fences for Windbreaks; Portable Poultry Fences; Portable Folding Fence; Temporary Wire and Iron Fences.

CHAPTER IX.

Fences for Streams and Gullies 85-95

Flood Fences; Portable Wire Fence; Watering Place in a Creek.

CHAPTER X.

Making and Setting Posts 95-117

Making Fence Posts; A Post Holder; Driving Fence Posts by Hand; To Drive Posts Without Splitting; A Powerful Post Driver; Setting a Gate Post; Live Posts; Mending a Split Post; Hook for Wiring Posts; Drawing Fence Posts; Lifting Posts by Hand; Splicing Fence Posts; Application of Wood Preservatives; Iron Fence Posts.

CHAPTER XI.

Gates and Fastenings 117-164

Wooden Gates; A Very Substantial Farm Gate; A Strong and Neat Gate; Light Iron Gates; Self-closing Gates; Gate for a Village Lot; A Chinese Door or Gate Spring; Lifting Gates; Rustic Gates; Balance Gates; Gate for Snowy Weather; West India Farm Gates; Gate Hinges of Wood; Double Gates; Double Latched Gates; Improved Slide Gate; A Combined Hinge and Sliding Gate; Gates of Wood and Wire; A Good and Cheap Farm Gate; An Improved Wire Gate; Taking up the Sag in Gates; Good Gate Latches; Top Hinge of Farm Gate; Gateways in Wire Fence.

CHAPTER XII.

Wickets and Stiles 164-170

Iron Wickets; Wooden Wickets; Stiles for Wire Fences.

CHAPTER XIII.

Fence Law 170-176

Fencing Out or Fencing In; Division Fences; Highway Fences; What is a Legal Fence? Railroad Fences.

CHAPTER XIV.

Country Bridges and Culverts 176-188

Strength of Bridges; Braces and Trusses; Abutments, Piers and Railings; Bridges for Gullies; Road Culverts.

FENCES, GATES AND BRIDGES.