FAHM FENCES. 247 



Amounting in 1879 to 50,337 miles. 



•' in 1880 to... 80,500 " 



" in 1881 to 120,000 " 



•' in 1882 to 160,000 " 



Total 453,805 " 



The history of iron wire in fencing must be briefly told. Its use was 

 strongly suggested sixty years ago, though at that time it was a 

 comparativel}' scarce and costly article, drawn by hand, the work- 

 man's daily stint being from fifteen to forty pounds a day, in place 

 of the present daily yield, to each workman, of from 1,800 to 2,500 

 pounds. 



In 1816 the Memoirs of the Philadelphia Agricultural Society 

 contain a paper read Jannar}- 8th, in which instances are given of 

 Wire Fencing ahead}- in use, which had demonstrated a great sav- 

 ing of cost to the farmer. 



In 1821 the American Farmer, of Baltimore, complaining of the 

 cost and wastefulness of existing fences, urged wire as "an 

 economical and effective resort." 



In 1830 The Journal of the Franklin Institute (Philadelphia), 

 referring to a patent for a wire fence, says : "There is no novelty 

 in the invention. Fences of wire were common in England many 

 j^ears ago. They were also used in this country, particularly in 

 the neighborhood of Philadelphia, fifteen or twenty years since. 

 Messrs. White & Hazard, who at that time had a Wire Manufac- 

 tory at the falls of the Schuylkill, erected many wire fences in the 

 neighborhood of their establishment." 



In 1845 the transactions of the New York State Agricultural 

 Societ}^ declare wire fencing successful, and urge its "growing 

 necessity." In the same volume, Edward Clark, in the reports of 

 the New York State Agricultural Society for 1845, describes wire 

 fencing and praises its efficiency. He says he "saw it check a 

 furious bull." He declares that for protection it should be galvan- 

 ized. The same authority declares hedges "under growing disfavor, 

 as they shelter field-mice, and the enemies of the crops." 



In 1847 the New York State Agricultural Societj' awarded a silver 

 medal for wire fence as " cheaper and more effective for farm use 

 than wood." 



In 1849, among the transactions of the same Society, a wire fence 

 brought out in Niagara County was highly commended as "secure 



