The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Fences

THIS is that amazing old billy goat you have already read about, belonging to Dr. Jim McKay, of Elmbank, in the County of Peel, Ontario, Canada, picking his way circumspectly homeward along the top of the rail fence after his daily visit to Button's Tavern at the Claireville five corners, where he had, as usual, joined the local boys in a glass or so of not so mild refreshment. From the expressions on his admirers' faces old billy was finding the going a little treacherous.

AND now comes the next type of early pioneer fencing, the log and stone fence, in its various forms. Having cleared the fields of boulders the settler sometimes found them not enough, so turning to his stand of wood, he cut down and used logs, as shown, to top off the necessary height. In this case transverse sleepers and well-driven stakes through the sleepers completed a barrier of excellent efficiency and durability.

ANOTHER good example of a similar treatment of the stone and log fence, although in this case the logs appear lighter, and shorter, and more of the rail-size type. After all, a rail merely comes from a smaller tree, or the top of a tree from which the lower log has been used otherwise. One mustn't quibble too greatly. The study of fencing must allow for so many normally unconsidered items such as wood variety, supply accessibility, cost, the important human element, possible uses and requirements, and maintenance—to name a few.