10 BULLETIN 321^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 
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. 
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. 
