Fences and Stones

Image from: The Century illustrated monthly magazine, Volume 19 (1780) edited by Josiah Gilbert Holland, Richard Watson Gilder

http://books.google.com/books?id=8uoGAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA511&dq=new+england+cross+and+rail+fence&hl=en&sa=X&ei=IUXvTvvYLKP10gHb5tXaCQ&ved=0CE0Q6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=new%20england%20cross%20and%20rail%20fence&f=false

 
"Because of the labor involved, stone fences were almost always built gradually, progressively replacing existing wooden rail fences. This stone-for wood fence replacement process can be seen behind the barns of the Freeman Farm, where SturbridgeVillage interpreters are slowly but surely building stone walls along existing wooden fence lines..."

Old Sturbridge Village Visitor Fall, 1997
http://www.osv.org/explore_learn/document_viewer.php?DocID=596

An old story:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1913&dat=19681112&id=qn0gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-WcFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1884,1210021