118 THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



are to be twisted. An iron kettle full of burning coals will sub 

 serve a good purpose. It is not always an easy job to unite the 

 ends of large wire when they are cold : but by heating them to 



FIG. 41. 



MANNER OF UNITING THE WIRES. 



redness they may be bent very readily without danger of break 

 ing them. 



143. "When a coil of wire is uncoiled, the coil should be rolled 

 along like a hoop, or hung on a reel, until it is all uncoiled ; be 

 cause, if it be uncoiled by allowing it to run off at the side, the 

 wire will be twisted just as many times around as there are rings 

 in the coil. And twisting wire very often produces a kink or a 

 number of kinks in it, and causes it to break before it has been 

 strained to half its proper tension for a fence. When wire is to 

 be coiled up, instead of winding it around anything as we do a 

 cord or a string, the coil should be rolled over and over like a 

 hoop, in order to avoid twisting it, or wound up on a reel. 



144. The most expeditious manner of separating a wire, either 

 large or small, is, to file a groove with a triangular file on two 

 opposite sides; and if the wire be a large one, file entirely around 

 it, and then bend it back and forth a few times, when it will sep 

 arate very readily. It is by no means an easy matter to break 

 a piece of anne?led wire simply by bending it back and forth, 

 unless it is held firmly by two pairs of pinchers or tongs. 



145. Doubtless the beginner will often be in doubt as to the 

 most proper size of wire for fences for ordinary purposes. One 

 man will recommend No. 3, or 4, or 5, or some other number, as 

 the most suitable ; but he must exercise a little judgment of his 

 own in this respect. As a general rule, those farmers who have 

 built wire fences, and have reported their success in the Agri 

 cultural journals, have used twice or thrice as large wire as was 

 necessary. Many have insisted on Nos. 3 and 4 as the only suit 

 able sizes. There can be no disadvantage in using a large wire; 



