38 



A STUDY OF FARM EQUIPMENT IN OHIO. 



Table XII. — Number of rods of each of eight principal Hnds offence maintained by the 

 otvners of £1 Ohio farms, with the average first cost per rod of all kinds of fence. on each 

 farm. 



• Nos. 5 and 11 omitted. 



The old "zigzag" or ''worm" fences are still much in evidence, 

 but are being replaced as they decay, largely by woven wire. A small 

 percentage has been rebuilt as straight rail fences. The use of 

 barbed wire is somewhat restricted by law, but it is popular as a 

 cattle fence. Board fences and picket fences (usually made of wire 

 and pickets) are still used to some extent for tight fencing, but are 

 being replaced by woven wire. The hedge fences (usually of Osage 

 orange) are being destroyed on many farms, not only because of their 

 unsatisfactory character and the labor of keeping them in shape, but 

 because of the ground rendered unproductive on either side of the 

 fence row. The smooth-wire fences include various types represen- 

 tative of the effort to supply a fence safer than barbed wire and 

 easier to put up than woven wire. 



Regarding the cost of construction at the present time, it may be 

 said that this applies almost entirely to board and barbed or woven 

 wire. Hedge fences were formerly installed at about $1 per rod and 

 entail an expense of 5 to 10 cents per rod each year for trimming. 

 Reference has already been made to the cost of building old rail fences. 

 The labor cost probably ranged between 30 and 50 cents per rod. 

 The material was not valued, and in fact often had no market value 

 at the time the fence was built. The rebuilding of rail fences costs 

 20 to 30 cents per rod for labor, and if the rails are fastened to posts 

 212 



