248 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 
and in every instance they express themselves as in favor of the hog 
tight fences and would be glad to pay an increased rental of from eight 
to ten per cent on the value of the extra outlay of the landlord. We have 
a neighbor that rents a large farm who bought four hundred rods of 
twenty-six inch woven wire to complete the fence around an eighty of 
the farm he has rented. This is the first year of a five years' contract 
and he figures that the fence will save its cost every year in feed, and 
while none can tell what the price of feed will be for the next five 
years or even one year, I believe he is reasonable in his claim, as he has 
only to save two hundred and sixty-six bushels of corn. 
It seems a waste of time for me to try to point out to swine breeders 
the benefits to be derived from a law that v.ould require the owners of 
adjoining farms to erect and maintain hog tight fences wherever the ad- 
joining land was so fenced, and the owner desired it. I think every one in- 
terested in growing swine, sheep or horses, as well as lots of cattle men 
of the state, will agree as to the benefits not only in the matter of feed 
saved, but in an almost unlimited number of ways. So I will take it for 
granted that practically all members of the Iowa Swine Breeders' Associa- 
tion are in favor of a law maKing the legal fence for Iowa, hog tight. 
While it might be well for us to pass a resolution favoring such an act 
I believe it would do little good unless we followed it up with something 
a little more foreceful. The swine breeders have a powerful ally in the 
agricultural press of the state and if they would publish in our interest 
a form of petition for all interested to copy and circulate in their locality, 
it would be an easy matter for the swine breeders of Iowa to secure a pe- 
tition that would carry it through. There are in Iowa nearly two thousand 
men that are recording Poland China hogs in the different associations and 
here are probably as many more recording hogs in other breeds, and if they 
will take an active interest in circulating such a petition we could certain- 
ly secure a good fence law. My idea is, in case this plan should meet with 
approval, to have a copy of such petition in the bank, printing office, or 
wherever in your judgment would be the best place in your individual 
case, and have your local paper call the attention of its readers to the 
fact that such petition could be found at such a place for the signatures of 
parties interested. This the papers in my locality have expressed a will- 
ingness to do free of charge. Then bunch these petitions in the hands of 
a committee' of stockmen of the state 'for presentation to our law makers, 
or nave the petitions, if the association should think best, sent to the 
representatives of the counties in which they were secured, with a per- 
sonal request to favor same. 
As the hour was quite late there was no discussion of the subject 
presented by Mr. AVliittington, but after the meeting it received a 
very cordial reception and universal approval of every one who 
mentioned it. 
Owing to the fact that farm work during the month of June 
makes it a hardship for almost any breeder to lose the time neces- 
sary to attend this meeting, it was proposed to change the date to 
