1.   And for preservationist groups trying to keep wood barns around, cost is a big factor, too.

2.   Long the epitome of agrarian life, old wood barns are vanishing from the American countryside.

3.   Old wood barns also will not hold the huge combines, tractors and other over-sized equipment that have become mainstays of modern farming.

4.   Old wood barns are rapidly being replaced by metal storage buildings that are bigger, less expensive to build and cost less to maintain.

5.   There are no official figures on the total number of wood barns preserved, but it is relatively small.

6.   They also lack the character and style of old wood barns.