10 



BULLETIN" 321, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



A stone wall when properly constructed makes a very satisfactory 

 fence for all kinds of stock but sheep. They will climb over it unless 

 a rail or wire is run over the top. Stone fences, if not well built 

 with foundations of large stone, will be heaved by frost action. 

 They also form a breeding place for brush and weeds, and harbor 

 insects and burrowing animals. At the present time the labor cost 

 of building a stone fence is so great that its construction is imprac- 

 ticable. 



FACTORS INFLUENCING FENCE REQUIREMENTS. 



The kind and amount of fence needed on a farm is regulated by 

 the kind of farming practiced and the size of the farm. 





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^X 







i- V 



iy^<=c3 ~\ 



r i 













| .* * . . — .'. v?v . 



•'•\\.-':y/-#: : !;''y. 







» 



Fig. 6. — The distribution of hedge fence. 



Tables 2 to 7 show the distribution of certain types of fencing in 

 the areas where the farming and economic conditions made them the 

 most desirable. The various types of fence do not in all cases best 

 meet the present needs of the localities where they are used. In 

 some instances the farming system has changed, and in others 

 changing economic conditions have made certain kinds of fence 

 obsolete. 



A farm fence should combine the two qualities of service and 

 economy. To give satisfactory service it must be constructed so as 

 to turn all kinds of stock, and that without injuring them. To be 

 economical it must be built as cheaply as is consistent with durability. 



