Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1916-02-11

GhHlpt1 STU ECOuosutGat
prepared by the United States Depart-
ment OF Agriculture
Under present conditions, says q
new publication of the United States
department of agriculture, Bulletin No.
S21, wire fence IL in many sections
OF the country the only satisfactory
kind for the farmer to construct
Hedgerows, stone walls and rail fences
are usually expensive to build re-
quire much labor to maintain, occupy
excessive ground space and form
breeding places for weeds and insects.
For these reasons the government in
central states they are in general be-
ing replaced as fast as they become
unserviceable. by wire fencing.
The kind and amount OF this fenc-
ing that farm should have will be
regulated largely by the kind of farm
ing practiced and the size OF the farm.
The large farm requires proportion
-ately less fence than the small one.
For example, a square ten-acre field
requires 16 rods of fence per acre,
while a square field of one acre re-
Quires approximately 80 rods. More
over, since the crop rotations on q
small farm usually require as many
fields as those on q larger one, the
4 small farm requires much more divl-
sion fence in proportion to it's acreage
than the large one.
To give satisfactory service a farm
fence must be able to turn all kinds
of animals without in1uring them and
to be really economical it must pos
sess durability. short-lived fence
that is erected at low first cost may
be very expensive investment.
The type of wire fence to be select
ed will depend on local conditions.
The bulletin already mentioned, which
ia study of conditions in the north
central states, contrasts, for example,
conditions in western Dakota with
those in Ohio. In Dakota the stock
are mostly cattle, and large acreages
are devoted to permanent pastures.
Barbed wire fences which will turn
cattle can be constructed much more
acheaply than woven wire fences, and
under such conditions az prevail in
Dakota are almost as satisfactory. The
saving OF the few steers that may be
lost as a result OF wire cuts would not
compensate for the higher cost OF
building and maintaining woven wire
fences. On the other hand, in Ohio
the average farm has about 10 of its
90 acres In crops. Cattle, horses,
swine and sheep are pastured and on
many farms some part OF the land 10
always given up to pasture in the
course of the year Under these con-
A. - n
purpose one for which woven wire Is
best suited. A barbed-wire fence that
would be adequate for all kinds of
stock would nearly equal In. first cost
a good woven wire fence, and the cost
of it's unkeep would be much greater.
In addition there would be the danger
of injury to stock. For this reason
the farmers of Ohio have mostly aban-
4doned the use of barbed wire.
In constructing q woven wire fence
It Is better to economic by the elm
nation of unnecessary wires rather
than by the selection OF light grade
wire. The initial cost of the heavy
wire is greater but It's durability ia
more than sufficient to OFFSET this dis
advantage. the cost of construction
exclusive of the wire itself. ia prac
tically the same whether light grade
OF woven wire Ii used or . heavier
one, and as the heavier material lasts
90 much longer, this cost 10 distributed
over a longer time. The repair costs
for the heavier types OF fencing are
also less. The influence of these facts
is shown in the increase in the per
centage Of heavy wire sold for fencing
purposes In the last i've years. Or
many farms, however. It 10 MOI neces
sary to have close spacing In the
fences. Cattle. sheep and horses are
turned more easily than swine, and
where no swine are kept the first cos
of the fence can be materially reduced
by eliminating the wires that are mo-
needed for the ether stock.
Where all classes OF stock are KEEP
- good general purpose fence ia ont
which has approximately ten linz
wires and a total height of about foul
feet. The bottom wires are spacet
about three inches apart and a strant
of harbed wire is stretched across th'
top TO prevent stock from putting thei
heads over the fence and crowding
down. The cost Of such q fence, CON
@tructed from durable materials, in
Guiding posts, wire and labor, lie est
mated &C 93h cents rod. Its upkeep
including repairs and interest at nv
Per cent ON the average value Of tn
Investment. VIII amount TO about min
cent@ year per rod. To this shoull
be added the interest on the Ian
which the fence occupies. It has bee
calculated that each rod OF wire fsnc
wathdFaws abozk 1es square feet froE
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