Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-05-24
Wire in Straw.

Mr.. J. g. B., in Marshall county, in
quires if we have amy opinion or know
ledge of injurious results to cattle from
eating straw Of graid bound with wire.
Its well for us good and wide awake
farmers as Mr.. B. to investigate this
question closely. Self binders, using
wire, are coming into general use, and
stock raising is of too much consequence
to be jeopardized by any injurious ele-
ments. In 1863 and 1864, the grain on
Melrose Farm was bound with wire,
using the Burson binder. There was
no effort made to save the wire from
the straw when threshing. The cattle
on the farm were wintered at the straw
stack. At the time there was considera-
bic talk on the subject, and consequently
the result of such feed was watched
with interest.
1t is generally known in the neigh
borhood that the Agricultural editor
raises every year little better steers
than any of his neighbors. Nor was
there any exception to the rule the
years they eat straw with wire in it.
There could not be discovered outwardly
any deleterious effects of the wire on
grown cattle, cows, or younger stock.
All appeared to prosper, and were
healthy. This would appear to be near
ly conclusive evidence that there was no
danger from such wire.
But in the fall of 1864 we slaughtered
steer for beef, and made close obser-
vations as to the effects of the wire.
The steer had not eaten any of the
straw IN which there was wire for seven
months. There was in the first stomach
sometimes called manifold) at least one
hundred pieces of the wires of from half
an inch to an inch long, sticking in the
honeycomb lining Of the first stomach.
They were fast and immovable by any
operation OF nature, and would evident
ly have remained there as long as the
animal lived. There were few in the
second and less in the third stomachs,
but none could be found in the smaller
intestines. And while the presence Of
these wires threatened serious difficulty,
yet there was not the least infamma-
ton, mattering or Justification around
the wires. The next year (after they
had been feeding two winters on the
same) we slaughtered again, and found
the wires in the manifold. Again, in
the fall of 1866, we killed dry COW,
which had no chance of eating wire for
twenty months, but the pieces were
found plentifully. And yet during all
this time, and ever since, our stock has
been healthy and grew finely under the
care administered at Melrose Farm.
And there are two old cows at least,
now on the farm, doing their duty, who
fed on straw and wire twelve years ago.
And yet with this evidence before us
of the innocent effect of wire, we would
in threshing remove the wire from the
straw. A band cutter can easily throw
out the wire. A pair of shears is best
for cutting wire on bundles, and it is
but little trouble to catch the wire in
the left hand and pull it out as it is cut.
This experiment was tried on Melrose
and found to be easily done. But in
this case it will not do to follow the
usual practice of taking the hand who
is good for nothing else, for band cutter.
He must be full hand. Then it can
be easily done, and all danger avoided.
Register.