The Enormous Cost Of Fences

Uccasioiially we meet a paragraph in Bome of our agricultura! papers upon thü cost of fenoes. Few people, even those who havo been at a great expense there ior. fully realize the amount of land occupied by fences and walls, and how large a. proportion of their expenditure is (aused ty letu.; ftad in great raeasure unnecesSarily. In South Carolina the improved land is estimated to be worth twenty niillions of money, and the funces have cost sixteeninillions. Nicholas Biddle, thirty years ago, said the fences of Pennsylvania had oost one hunilred millions of dollars. In Ohio their cost is placed at one hvtodred and fifteen millions, and in New York at one hundred and forty-four milHons. Whoevcr has traveled in Iinglund will havo noticed how sinall the lields are, and how ruuch of the land is taken up by hedge rows. Injnany parts of New England the stone walls are equally nuinerous and useless. The first improvement is made when the rail fence around the dweiling and galden is supplanted by the light picket fenne, which, wben painted, is even vet oonaidöred in iteelf au ornament. The front door yard of many a rich farmer in New England is to-day only a strip the width of the house, running to the road, and half tlie beauty of the place is taken away lv the fences, which makt insigniticant whut might be ampie and attractive. The original idea was to koep the cows and pigs out of the yard. Vory well so far, but tlie better way is to confine them to their proper quarteri, and open uj) the graas plat, givingspace, freedom and a sense of largeness to the surroundings of the house. Keeping even step with the improveinent in farming, the soiling cattle, tlie greater care of stock, tlie increased value of animáis, will be the advan. emc-nt in the appearance of the farm-house by ♦'.■.; tearing awny of obsolete fences, and tl . ning up, and planting in, floweisand shrubbery oi the immediate vicinity of thu hnuse. Even in tlie viüagea we !iav,i noticed lat"iy more reforma oí this kind, whiob liavu added twenty-five por cent to the looks of tho placee so reformed. Aa land proveí more valuablc, it will be found profitable to carry out the idea on a larger seule In France, Oerniany, and Holland, the farms are divided by a path or a ditcli. In those countries, where the land M O ininutely subdivided, and, as a rule the propriotorships are so small, they cannot afford tho oaiaoant of land horu taken up by the fenees and walls. lt is obvious that in case of fences the aunual expense, after a short time, for replaceiuent and repairs is something, taking the country through, of large consideration. The tax thus paid is Bimply enormous. Slowly, indeed, yet eurely, we are coming to understand how wasteful and how innrtistic we havo been in this respect. There is still ampie room for improvenicnts. When, in our villages, adjoining owners shall beoome more aesthetic, and more neighborly, we shall sec fewer high board fences, and tv ereatex auuiber of well kent lawns and flowincr