COST OF FENCING IN NORTH CENTRAL STATES. 19 



struct a fence in which a light grade of woven wire is used as to build 

 one of heavier wire ; and as the heavy material lasts much longer the 

 cost of construction is distributed over a longer time, hence it is less 

 per year. During the life of the two types of fence the repair costs 

 of the heavier fencing are less. The percentage of heavy wire manu- 

 factured and sold for fencing purposes has greatly increased in the 

 last five years. The use of the wider styles of woven wire has also 

 become more general. The narrower types were first made, as pre- 

 viously mentioned, on account of the excessive cost of materials. It 

 has been the experience of farmers that they are more expensive to 

 maintain, as stock get their heads under the barbed wires and crowd 

 down the woven-wire fence. This is especially true where large 

 hogs come into contact with these fences. Table 5 shows the higher 

 fence has the longer life. 



In order to reduce the first cost of a fence, it has been the common 

 practice to buy a woven-wire fabric of smaller-sized wire. By doing 

 this the purchaser is reducing the weight of material, and conse- 

 quently the initial cost ; but in doing it he is practicing false economy. 

 In many cases, however, the first cost of the fence can be materially 

 lessened by eliminating unnecessary material from the fence in the 

 shape of wires that are not needed ; for example, when cattle, sheep, 

 or horses are to be fenced against it is not necessary to have a fence 

 with such close spacing as is required when swine are to be turned. 

 The common general-purpose fence in use is one having approxi- 

 mately 10 line wires and- a total height of approximately 4 feet ; the 

 bottom wires are spaced about 3 inches apart. Such a fence is ad- 

 mirably suited to general purposes where both large and small stock 

 are to be fenced in, but it is not essential to the farmer who keeps 

 either cattle, horses, or sheep, and no swine. A woven fence with 

 fewer wires and wider spacings will serve to turn cattle, horses, and 

 sheep, and such a fence can be erected at considerably less expense, 

 due to the fact that there is less material in it. Woven-wire fencing 

 is made in numerous styles which are adapted to use under widely 

 varying conditions, so it should not be difficult for the farmer to 

 secure a style of fence adapted to his needs. 



In the purchase of wire fencing it must be borne in mind that one 

 of the dominant factors controlling the cost of the fencing is the 

 weight of wire in it. This depends on the spacing of the wires and 

 their size. The most accurate means by which the farmer may com- 

 pare two different lots of wire fencing of the same style is to weigh 

 them. Fencing containing undergauged wire will of course be lighter 

 than fencing which is made from full-gauged wire, provided the 

 spacing of the wires is the same in each case. Wire fencing should 

 be sold by weight rather than by the rod. To a great extent the 

 durability of the fence depends upon the size of wires used in its 

 make-up. The number of wires used will depend upon the purpose 

 for which the fence is to be used. 



