About Fences

Au old farmer sends to the Manotee Times a littld essay on farm fnoi-s, which contains some homely but trutlii'ul observations as applicabli; to other localities as to Manistee county. He says : I have observed an a'uiost universal disposition in this región to sow grain close to the funoe whatever it may be, ar.d alter witnessiug so oftjn its unhappy consequenoes, I thought a friondly word tioiu an old man niight not be taken amiss. The result almost invariably is, that when the grain grows up, some honest eow comes along, or perhaps one not o lione.-t, and geeing it within reach, nips its head and passes on nipping what, to her, is a rare delicacy. This done, other heuds can be reached by a little orowding, and thn a little more till a weak point in the fence gives way, she yield to the tempation and enters, and is followed perhaps by five or six more. The man is away f'rom home. The woman discovers to her dismay, cattle enough in the field to devour their whole erop in a few houra She rushes, drives out the caitle, perhaps has no childrco large enough to help her, or to leave safely in the bouse, the cattle run different ways tbrough the grain and tangle it down, and when, at last, they.are all out and she sits down to take breath, and then poes to work tO repair tlic brculc ao bout abo, oon ti., y shake their heads in such a prevoking way. She drives them off, but she is scarcely over the ezoitement and comfbrtable in the house when she discovers tliem all in again. Out she goes with her brooni stick, they are harder to drive and more provoving than before, the graiu in such a tangle, she all excitement and out of breath, nothing cool except the way they look around at her, the children have a chance to see how near mother can cume to swearing and not do it. When she gets in the hout-e she finds her bread is burnt, Josh bas tipped over the water pail and deluged the baby, and she must go half a mile for anothor pail, and varioua things have gone wrong. Such things have a tendency to sour the di'position, and if repuated frorn dav to day for weeks, in wet and dry, in hot or cold, become, if not monotonous, at luast insufferïihlo nnnnvinty She appeals to the owner of the stock He feels that he is the mo.t injured party for if his eow has lcarnod to brenk down fences, nothinK can prevent her from destroying his own cropa and those of other neighbors. He cannot keep her up, nor can his familv do without her milk. Who íd benefitted? Echo answers, "Who" and everybody answers, "Nobody. " Who is injured? Everybody. What is the reme dy? Dou't sew your grain too near the fence. If it is very desirable, as it is to all new settlers, to improve to its utmost, all the land cleared, plant a row or two of potatoes between the grain and the fence. kt you cnnot do this, cut down al! that is within reach from the outside bfore it is high eoouKh to make trouble. Save it, it will make good fecd for winter, or ijive some of it to your cow daily to bring her home, yon can lose nothing by it, for someb 'dy's cattle will snrely devour all that is within reach and may take your whole erop. By all meaiH make good fences as -o in as you can, for "live Tenoes," when "oomposed of women and dog.s" is always a very costly and unsatisfactory one.