A Country Gent's Note
The Virginia Sportsman|Spring 2018

Fencing Ins and Outs

Barclay Rives
A Country Gent's Note

The course taught by Professor J. B. (John Brinckerhoff) Jackson (19091996) had an official name: The Manmade American Environment. My fellow students and I called it Gas Stations. Many enrolled because of its reputation as an easy way to fulfill a distributional requirement. Jackson was a World War II veteran who alternated semesters teaching on the East and West coasts. He crossed the country by motorcycle and by jet, accumulating photographs to accompany his lectures. His aerial shots revealed grid development patterns imposed on Western states. Shopping strip malls and trailer parks received as much of his attention as grander architecture. Describing colonial landscapes early in the course, Jackson said Northern farmers built fences to keep their farm animals in, while their Southern counterparts built fences to keep their wider ranging animals out. Pasture fences keep my horses in their fields. My garden fence is less successful at keeping varmints out.

When I was in high school, my first horse, Tim, presented a fencing-in challenge. Tim objected to my parents’ post-and-rail fence because it stood between him and sweet, luscious, honey locust seed pods fallen from nearby trees. Tim was either smart or roguish, depending on one’s point of view, and he brought down rails by leaning and rubbing against them so he could exit the field and have his fill of the pods. To redirect his attention, I raked up the fallen pods every day and scattered them around the pasture. My mother said this made Tim enjoy himself like a kid on an Easter egg hunt. Tim continued to drop rails periodically but part of the problem was the fence’s age. Gravity alone pulled down rails even after I moved the horses to my place after college.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Spring 2018-Ausgabe von The Virginia Sportsman.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Spring 2018-Ausgabe von The Virginia Sportsman.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS THE VIRGINIA SPORTSMANAlle anzeigen
The James River Makes A Comeback
The Virginia Sportsman

The James River Makes A Comeback

“America’s Founding River ” wins an international award for river-basin management and restoration.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
Winter 2019
GREENLAND'S ICEBERGS
The Virginia Sportsman

GREENLAND'S ICEBERGS

THROUGH THE EYES OF LENSMAN AND ALPINIST JIMMY CHIN

time-read
7 Minuten  |
Winter 2019
Creating Habitat to Save the Bobwhite Quail
The Virginia Sportsman

Creating Habitat to Save the Bobwhite Quail

PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LANDS CAN DO MORE FOR QUAIL—AND OTHER WILDLIFE

time-read
5 Minuten  |
Winter 2019
VIRGINIA'S COMEBACK KID
The Virginia Sportsman

VIRGINIA'S COMEBACK KID

It was the last Friday in March. With winter behind us, spring had finally made an appearance. The air was crisp and fresh. The valley was expansive and lined with gold.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
Winter 2019
CAST AGAIN
The Virginia Sportsman

CAST AGAIN

A Tribute to Orri Vigfússon, The Greatest Friend Wild Atlantic Salmon Could Ever Have

time-read
6 Minuten  |
Winter 2019
“SOME STORIES: LESSONS FROM THE EDGE OF BUSINESS AND SPORT”
The Virginia Sportsman

“SOME STORIES: LESSONS FROM THE EDGE OF BUSINESS AND SPORT”

Patagonia Releases New Book Featuring Yvon Chouinard ’s Iconic Storytelling, Favorite Writings and Life Lessons

time-read
3 Minuten  |
Winter 2019
BONEFISH & TARPON TRUST'S TARPON ACOUSTIC TAGGING PROJECT
The Virginia Sportsman

BONEFISH & TARPON TRUST'S TARPON ACOUSTIC TAGGING PROJECT

Multi-Year Study Aims to Better Understand Tarpon Movement and Habitat Use

time-read
5 Minuten  |
Winter 2019
A Pristine And Abundant Environment
The Virginia Sportsman

A Pristine And Abundant Environment

Fishing options cover the waterfront at The Ford Plantation in coastal Georgia

time-read
4 Minuten  |
Fall 2019
Speed And Innovation In The America's Cup
The Virginia Sportsman

Speed And Innovation In The America's Cup

Visitors are looking up to the Mariners’ Museum and Park’s New exhibition

time-read
5 Minuten  |
Fall 2019
Tyler Childers Stays True To His Roots
The Virginia Sportsman

Tyler Childers Stays True To His Roots

Tyler Childers stays true to his roots

time-read
3 Minuten  |
Fall 2019