Year: 1878

Is wire in straw dangerous Z? This


IL question that has been affirmed


and denied times without number dur.


ing the past few years, and Is perhaps


- far from settlement to day as ever.


Il u thus answered BY J. B. Clarksou,
agricultural editor Of the Iowa State
Register: 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 thrashing. The


cattle on the farm were wintered at


the straw stacks. At the time there


was considerable talk on the subject,
and consequently the result Of such


feeding was watched with interest.


1t is generally known in the neighbor.
hood that the agricultural editor raises
every year , little better steers than
any Of his nsighbors. Nor vas there
any exception to the rule the years
they ate straw With wire in il. There
could not be discovered outwardly any
deleterious effects Of the wire on grown
cattle. cows, or young stock All ap
peared to prosper and were healthy.
This would appear to be nearly con.
elusive evidence that there was no
danger from such wire.


But in the fall Of 1864 we slaughter.
ed a steer Of beef, and made close OBJ
servations as to the effect of the wire.
The steer had not eaten any Of the
straw IN which there was wire for sew :
en- months. The was in the first stom.
ach (sometimes called manifold) at
least one hundred pieces of the wires
Of from half an inch to an inch long.
sticking 10 the honey. comb lining Of
the first stomach. They were fast and
immovable by any operation Of nature.
and would evidently have remained
there as long o. the animal lived.
There were few in the second aud less
in the third stomachs. but none could
be found in the smaller intestines
And while the presence of these wires
threatened serious difficulty, vet there
was not the least Inflammation or os.
si6cation 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 man
fold. Again in the fall Of 1866, We
killed dry COW. which had no chance
for eating wire for twenty months, but
pieces were found plentifully. And
yet during all this time. and ever
since. our stock have been healthy and
grew finely under the care administer
ed st Melrose Farm. And there are
two old cows at least now on the farm.
dong their duty. who fed on straw and
wire twelve years ago.


And yet with the 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 bun.
dies, ard j: is but little trouble to
ca.ch the wire in the left hand and
pull it out as it is cut. This expert
ment 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 but band cutter. He
must be full hand. Then it can be
easily done. aud all danger avoided.


The war of races seems to have
moved across that famous imaginary
line on the earth's surface, for which
Messrs Mason and Dixon are held re-
sponsible, since the Inauguration of
President Hays southern policy To
make things even it is = good Repub.
l;can congressional district in the good
Democratic State of Indiana which ,s
the scene of the latest color line riot.
The trial Of the militia company of
Coal Creek, in that State, who went
cunning for negroes in the streets some
weeks ago, having ended 10 acquittal,
a Chicago disp"t tch announces that the
negroes have taken up arms to avenge
themselves, and executed a not very
we'll planned or successful raid on the
white quarter Of the town, which
accomplished little but the lodging Of
some two score of their number in pri.
son. The country which learned with
SINE surprise Of the acquitai Of the
white participants id the former assault
will watch with some interest to see
whether the same sort Of justice shall
be meted out to these black criminals.
-CPi.Press