# So what \*are\* all those rock piles in New England woods? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 20, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-all-those-rock-piles-in-new-england-woods/561305 "2010-11-20T03:47:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-all-those-rock-piles-in-new-england-woods/561305/61 "2016-06-14T15:07:51Z")
> [@svd678](#): > > I was told that three men could build a rod of fence per day, one man laying and two men carrying. For the young whippersnappers out there … > [@](#): > > The rod or perch or pole is a surveyors tool and unit of length equal to 51⁄2 yards, 161⁄2 feet, 1⁄320 of a statute mile or one-fourth of a surveyor’s chain and **5.0292 meters**. The rod is useful as a unit of length because whole number multiples of it can equal one acre of square measure. [Rod (unit) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_%28unit%29) [But for those from California, it’s different](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_rod). ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-all-those-rock-piles-in-new-england-woods/561305/62 "2016-06-14T16:42:44Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > The gaps I mean, > No one has seen them made or heard them made, > But at spring mending-time we find them there. Frost heave? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-all-those-rock-piles-in-new-england-woods/561305/63 "2016-06-14T17:20:50Z")
Will the Federal government pay me not to grow rocks on my land? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-all-those-rock-piles-in-new-england-woods/561305/64 "2016-06-15T03:41:05Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Will the Federal government pay me not to grow rocks on my land? I don’t think I’m capable of preventing my land from growing rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-all-those-rock-piles-in-new-england-woods/561305/65 "2016-06-15T15:36:38Z")
Maybe you could install a windmill to continually grind rocks into powder to add to the topsoil. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-all-those-rock-piles-in-new-england-woods/561305/66 "2016-06-16T17:43:21Z")
“trrroooooooooooooooooooooollllllllllllllllllllllllllll!” ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-all-those-rock-piles-in-new-england-woods/561305/67 "2016-06-16T20:31:27Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Seltzer powered boats. What did they drink along the way – pop or soda? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-all-those-rock-piles-in-new-england-woods/561305.md?page=3)