306 THE BEGINNER IN POULTRY 



which a given fencing will rust under normal conditions. 

 These are : 



a. The actual quality and the characteristics of the 

 steel used in the manufacture. 



b. The real character and the quality of the zinc 

 (spelter) used for galvanizing the wire. 



c. The evenness of the zinc covering. 



d. The weight of zinc that is, the thickness of 

 the covering. 



e. The weight or gauge of the wire itself. 



It may be thought that these are all matters for which 

 the manufacturers are directly responsible. While, 

 strictly speaking, this is true, in actual commerce with 

 wire fencings it is yet the buyer who fixes the quality 

 commonly used, because he so commonly insists on low 

 price as the first consideration. Manufacturers are now 

 making better steel, and are so alive to the necessity of 

 this that the quality is likely at least to hold as at pres- 

 ent, if not to improve. The quality of the zinc is a 

 problem not yet fully solved. But great gains have been 

 made in evenness of covering the wire, within the last 

 few years. Heavier covering can also be produced. 

 But, as regards these two points latest noted, the buyer 

 exercises as much responsibility as the maker of the 

 fencing, because only a given amount of zinc will cling 

 to the wire, and a fine wire cannot be made to carry as 

 much as a coarser wire. Hence, the lighter, cheaper 

 fencing cannot be as well made as the heavier one. 



The consumers of fencings of this class largely de- 

 mand a product with a certain price limit. It is to the 

 interest of the maker and the middleman to supply that 

 call which will make for them the most sales. Thus, 



