BARB AYIRE FENCES. 215 



declared that the accidents from the barb are not relatively 

 numerous, are mainly trivial, or where more serious do not 

 swell the number of accidents that have always occurred 

 from fences. 



In no State in the Union has any law been secured, prohibi- 

 tory or restrictive. In Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas, 

 and Washington Territory, barb-fence legislation has pre- 

 scribed the number of strands and barbs, to check a too 

 light construction of a material easily made into a repellant 

 fence barrier. 



But even this form of legislation has been rejected, though 

 sought in other States, the farmers' uses so varying that 

 they desire to employ the material in their own fashion. 

 And there seems to be no general peril in this, since the suit- 

 ableness and due legal character of any fence is devolved, in 

 all the States, upon local authorities, either fence viewers or 

 town and county officers, from whom, or through the courts, 

 can be secured a legal check everywhere against insufficient 

 fencino; of whatever kind. 



This is true of the Avhole subject of the alleged cruelty of 

 barb wire. It is least dreaded wherever barb wire is in 

 most common use. It is most a matter of complaint and 

 protest in regions where it is least known, and by those w^ho 

 have no direct interest whatever in farm fences. 



Do not accidents occur from barb wire ? It is undenia- 

 ble ; but fence accidents are no novelty. The chief subjects 

 of such accidents are lively horses, and these arc always in 

 more or less peril from common fences. The special perils 

 (jf barb wire to this class of farm stock, many farmers who 

 use barb wire are themselves guarding against, by making 

 their fences more visible, at least until such stock get accus- 

 tomed to them. A light wooden strip in place of the second 

 wire from the top, or some sightl}^ cheap attachment to the 

 top wire, — wood, metal, or, as in one case I have seen, bits ot 

 cloth, — will warn and educate the animals to heed the fence 

 and will be perfectly effective. So, too, may be said to be the 

 even more conmion practice of leading the horse to the fence 

 line, and showing him that barbs will prick. Careful in- 

 (][uiries in Niagara County, New York, as well as localities 

 in Vermont where horse-breeding is a farm specialty, have 

 furnished the basis from which these statements are drasvn. 



