NINTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VI 247 
they carry on this great work. Pennsylvania gets something like a 
hundred or a hundred and fifty thousand dollars and other states 
are doing the same thing. But we are doing nothing and have 
the greatest live stock interests of any of them. But I believe such 
a plan, the employment of a state veterinarian and the deputies in 
different parts of the state appointed because of their efficiency will 
carry this thing and that is what will have to be done in this state. ' ' 
The closing paper for the evening was on the subject of "Legal- 
izing Woven Wire Fence," and was read by P. B. Whittington of 
Earlham, Iowa. 
This subject is one that has had considerable attention through the 
agricultural press of Iowa. I feel that it should have been placed in the 
hands of some brother breeder more capable of doing it justice, but am de- 
pending on the members present to help me with what I consider of vital 
interest to the swine growers of the state. 
With land increasing in value each year in spite of panic, drouth or 
flood, it is certainly up to the swine growers of this state to get the land 
they own or till in shape that it will not only produce more feed but a 
get it in shape that the feed produced could be used to the best ad- 
vantage with the least possible outlay. I believe this can best be done 
by giving us better fence laws than we have at the present time. 
I think that it is hardly necessary to take your time to tell of the 
advantages of a hog tight fence. We have a law at the present time 
requiring the railways of Iowa to erect and maintain a hog and sheep tight 
fence betvveen their right-of-ways and the adjoining land wherever the 
owner of the land has it enclosed in like manner. I believe the swine 
breeders of Iowa who do not happen to have railroads for neighbors 
would be satisfied with the same treatment and that it would be of ines- 
timable value to the stock men and farmers of the state. 
Some will say this would work a hardship on some. Let us grant that 
this is true. It is also a fact that all of our laws are made with a view 
to the greatest good to the greatest number. This being true, we would 
certainly be entitled to better fence laws than we have at the present time. 
The claim has been made that it would be detrimental to the renter, 
based on the claim that the landlord would require a higher rent. Let 
us see as to this. Figuring on a basis of a hundred and sixty acres it 
would require, in case there was a road on two sides, four hundred and 
eighty rods of fence. Figure this at thirty-eight cents per rod, which is 
the present price of twenty-six inch woven wire fence of the best quality in 
my market, the cost of the fence would be a hundred and eighty-two dol- 
lars in round numbers, on which, let us say, the landlord would ask an 
increase of ten per cent. This would amount to eighteen dollars and twen- 
ty cents or eleven and three-eighths cents an acre and would require a sav- 
ing in feed of thirty-two bushels and fifty-three pounds of corn at the pres^ 
ent price of fifty-seven cents and I think it would be a very poor renter 
that could not beat that and have a handsome profit. I have talked to 
renters of farms ranging from forty to three hundred and twenty acres 
