by Texas Homesteader 

I’ve tried & tried to plant fruit trees around my garden or in our yard. But for some reason they simply will not grow in those locations. Recently I decided I wanted to try a pear tree since back in ‘the day’ all homesteads in this area had pear trees, as they were very easy to grow & could produce lots of fruit for the household. I decided not to plant it in my yard – both for my poor backyard soil issue as well as fallen fruit messes.

Instead I planted it a short distance from our yard. But this area is accessible to the cows. You know how cattle are – they love to rub on trees. This little sapling didn’t stand a chance if left unprotected. I needed a way to keep the cows away from it long enough to give it a fighting chance.  But I like to repurpose what we’ve already got to serve a need whenever possible. So I put on my thinking cap & started looking around the homestead for supplies.

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