Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1906-03-08
FENCE WIRE PROBLEM.
Causes of the C~orrosion of steel Wire
Fencing.

" - W "
Fencing.
Into the much discussed question OF
what is the matter with the fence wire
nowadays the department of agricul-
ture, in a recent publication, intro
duces the theory of electrolySis. lit Is
stated that all metal used for fence
wire at present made in this country Is
classed as steel. irrespective of the per-
centage OF carbon or whether made by
the Bessemer or open hearth process.
From the statements of officials of a
company consuming large quantities
of wire and from other authoritative
evidence, all tending in the same direc-
ton, the following two points are ac-
cepted: First, hat modern BeSsemer
and open hearth steel rusts much more
rapidly than iron wire; seeond. that
manganese. especially If ii is uncvenly
distributed ia the steel, is at least in
part the cause of the trouble.
Eject of ElectroIysis.
Mr.. Cushman. the writer Of the mon
ograph on the "Corrosion of Fence
Fire." argues that. although it is prob
able that the effects of electrolysis in
a fence wire are extremely small, ii
must be remembered that they are con-
~tinually going OF whenever the wire Is
wet. In almost all modern steel WOW
en- wire fences some wires will be found
to far outlast others. independent OF
the original weight of the galvanized
covering which they carry. If In WOW
en- wire fence all the wires would last
as well as the best one do there would
have been no complaints. 1t Is just
his point Of unevenness of lasting
quality I'm wires from successive heats
I'm the same mill which have practically
the same chemical composition that IL
hard to explain by any theory but that
Of galvanic or electrolytlc action. The
manufacturers have believed that the
whole trouble was In the In
the weight OF zinc covering that was
put on the wire, but experiment and
observations show that this Is not so.
Some wires will go to pieces before
others, although there IL no discernible
difference either In the weight or qyal-
ity Of the zinc covering. In one fence
which has been under observation for
four years one wire was In perfect con-
ering OF zinc, while the wire next to II
was badly rusted from end to end.
observations In the Field.
Almost every one who has carefully
inspected wove wire fencing rs 1t is
exposed to the weather on the farm,
says Mr.. Cushman, has observed that
some Of the wires go to pieces much
more rapidly than others. The bot
tom wires lying close to the ground,
which are kept wet in summer by the
growth of weeds and grass and In
winter by melting snow. are naturally
the n which we should expect to
rust most quickly. AS a matter OF
fact. however, they almost never do so.
But, on the contrary. are far more
lasting than the wires farther removed
from the ground. This observation has
been ~substantiated by a large number
Of competent observers. One would
not seek to preserve iron from rust or
zinc from corrosion by laying these
metals away In wet snow or weeds.
II. however, electrolysis takes place
and If he action can be diminished by
keeping the wires electrically neutral
through frequent connections to the
earth or through frequent short cir
cults we should then expect that wires
which were kept their whole length In
constant contact with the earth would
In the long run show greater lasting
quality.
Telegraph Wire.
The process Of making telegraph wire
Is noted, and 1t is explained that "tele-