A split-rail fence, log fence, or buck-and-rail fence (also historically known as a zigzag, worm, snake or snake-rail fence due to its meandering layout) is a type of
fence
A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or netting. A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its whole length.
...
constructed in the United States and Canada, and is made out of
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
logs, usually
split lengthwise into ''rails'' and typically used for agricultural or decorative fencing. Such fences require much more timber than other types of fences, and so are generally only common in areas where wood is abundant. However, they are very simple in their construction, and can be assembled with few tools even on hard or rocky ground. They also can be built without using any nails or other hardware; such hardware was often scarce in frontier areas. They are particularly popular in very rocky areas where post hole digging is almost impossible. They can even be partially or wholly disassembled if the fence needs to be moved or the wood becomes more useful for other purposes.
Split rail fences were made of easy to split, rot-resistant wood. Traditionally
American chestnut
The American chestnut (''Castanea dentata'') is a large, fast-growing deciduous tree of the beech family native to eastern North America. As is true of all species in genus Castanea, the American chestnut produces burred fruit with edible nuts. ...
was the timber of choice until
chestnut blight
The pathogenic fungus ''Cryphonectria parasitica'' (formerly ''Endothia parasitica'') is a member of the Ascomycota (sac fungi). This necrotrophic fungus is native to East Asia and South East Asia and was introduced into Europe and North America ...
eliminated this tree. Currently, most split rails are made from cedar. Whether of chestnut or cedar, these logs were cut to a length of and split down the length of the log. Each half was then split into quarters, then eighths and so on until the rails were of a usable size. A log may produce from four rails from an log to over a dozen from larger logs. The rails are stacked on top of one another. Most split rail fences have the rails stacked in an interlocking zig-zag fashion that is self-supporting, easy to create, easy to repair, and easy to disassemble.
Some timber fences have the rails stacked directly on top of each other and secured with double fence posts (one on either side of the rails). This made a more permanent and compact fence but remained easy to repair.
The distance between either the zigs or the zags is generally or one
rod.
The area of a field can therefore be calculated by counting zigs or zags along the side and end of the field: one hundred sixty square rods is .
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Buck-and-rail fence
A buck-and-rail, or buck-and-post, fence is a timber fence which is a three-dimensional, A-frame, rail fence. Each section of fencing consists of two standing vertical A-frames between which are four to seven horizontal rails or poles, the number depending on the height of fencing wanted. In modern fences, the length of the rails is approximately . Except for at the end of the fence, each A-frame is used by two horizontal sections, one to the right, and one to the left. For the enclosure of livestock such as cows and sheep, a four-foot (1.22 m) high fence using four rails is sufficient. Taller fences of 6-7 feet (1,83-2.13 m) are required for big game such as deer and elk, as the three-dimensional quality of the fence discourages jumping over it; a 9-10 foot (2.74-3.04 m) wire fence would be needed for the same purpose.
[Weatherford, Whitney (ndg]
"Buck And Pole Fence Specifications"
United States Forestry Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...
Buck-and-rail fencing was ubiquitous in battlefields in the Eastern Theater of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, because of the proximity of forested land and their ease of construction. These split rail fences were a major source of firewood for both the Union and Confederate armies.
Modern buck-and-rail fences are expensive, costing $4.00 per foot in 1995 and $6 per foot in 2001 in the United States. While easy to construct, building them is physically demanding.
Buck-and-rail fences are ecologically positive, in that while they do the job of keeping larger animals in or out, smaller wildlife can pass through them easily, and they can be readily climbed over by people. Furthermore, being made of timber, they are less intrusive on the landscape, and, over time, naturally breakdown.
Mortised fence
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
(and increasingly in
suburban America) a different style of split-rail fence is used. This is not free-standing but consists of vertical posts placed in the ground, having holes (
mortises) in each side into which the roughly pointed ends of split rails (usually of
sweet chestnut
''Castanea sativa'', the sweet chestnut, Spanish chestnut or just chestnut, is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae, native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor, and widely cultivated throughout the temperate world. A substantial, long-lived ...
) are placed. No zig-zagging is necessary. This style is commonly used as decorative fencing, or for
horse-keeping. Such fences are a specific type of a more general form, called post-and-rail fences or
pale fence
A palisade, sometimes called a stakewall or a paling, is typically a fence or defensive wall made from iron or wooden stakes, or tree trunks, and used as a defensive structure or enclosure. Palisades can form a stockade.
Etymology
''Palisade ...
s..
Patent cedar fence
In
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
an attempt was made to patent several cedar fence designs. These styles became known as ''Patent Cedar Fences'', also called ''Patent Fences'' or ''Patent Rail Fences''. The use of two rails to form a cross, having a top rail, bench rails and lower heavier rails, allowed it to be free standing, withstand heavy winds and take up less fence bottom than the zigzag or snake fence.
See also
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Roundpole fence
The roundpole fence is a wooden fence typical to the countryside in Sweden (in Swedish: ''gärdesgård''), Norway (in Norwegian: ''skigard''), Finland (in Finnish: ''riukuaita'', ''risuaita'' or ''pistoaita'') and Estonia (in Estonian: ''roigas ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Split-Rail Fence
Fences