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 af 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. 
