The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1916-02-03

prepared by the United States DEPART
ment of Agriculture
Under present conditions saws a
new publication of the United States
department of agriculture, Bulletin No,
82l, a wire fence is 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
vestigatOrs found that in the north
GENITAL states they are in general be-
ing replaced as fast as they become
unseryiceable, 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 plactiCed and the size of the farm.
The large farm requires proportions
ately less fence than the small one.
For example, a square ten-acre field
requires l6 rods of fence per acre,
Quires approximately 50 rods. More
over. since the crop rotations on
small farm usually require as many
fields as those on larger one, the
small farm requires much more divi-
sion fence in proportion to its acreage
than the large one.
To give satisfactory service a farm
fence must be able to turn all kinds
of animals without injuring them and
to be really economical it must pos
sess dura blity. A short-lived fence
that is erected at low FIRST cost may
be very expensive investment
The type of wire fence to be select
ed viii depend on local conditions.
The fNllletin already mentioned, which
is study OF conditions in the north
central states, contrasts, for example,
conditions in western Dakota with
thoS, in Ohio. In Dakota the stock
are mostly cattle, and large acreages
ar" devoted to permanent pastures.
B2.bed wire fences which will turn
cattle can be constructed much more
cheaply than woven wire fences. and
under such conditions as 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 20 of its
80 acres in crops. Cattle, horses.
swine and sheep are pastured and on
many farms some part of the land is
always given UP to pasture in the
course OF the year Under these con
Nitions the fence must be general
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
good woven wire fence. and the cost
OF its unkeep would be much greater.
In addition there would be the danger
Of injury 20 stock. For this reason
the farmers OF Ohio have mostly aban.
doned the use OF barbed wire.
In constructing n woven wire fence
II Is better to economic by the elm.
ination of unnecessary wires rather
than nv tho se,ec,ion or lipb, rradc
wire Tho i,i,ial COS, NJ tho heavy
wire &c yre,,or I'm, tic durability ia
moro than sufficient to orrsc, ,bis dis.
.dvon,,ye Tine cos, or construction
exclusive of the wire itself IL prac.
,ic,,,v III. Same wbe,b.r n l,vh, grade
n, woven wire ia used or n ncovier
ono and ms the heavier material lasts
SO much Longer this cos, ~ distributed
over n longer time The repair costs
for the heavier ,vpes of fencing are
also less The influence of ,he1e facts
IL shown In the increase in the per
,cn,ape OF heavy wire sold tor fencing
uurposes In the las, Ave wears. ON
MANY farms. however. 1, IA no. neces.
sary 10 have close spacInp in the
,onces Cattle sheen and bors.s are