Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56: No. 1, January 5, 1884 | Page 5

many of the products of
the country 'round about. It should give a new name, "Barb City," to the
bustling, busy town. There are three concerns now making barb-wire at
this point. The one spoken of is the largest. Next is that of Jacob Haish,
an extensive establishment, turning out an excellent wire, and the
Superior, run by Mr. Hiram Ellwood, Mr. Glidden having a
considerable interest in it.
* * * * *
Mr. I.L. Ellwood is the owner of some 2,600 acres of land in the
vicinity of DeKalb. Much of this land is naturally low and wet. The
proprietor, with his accustomed energy and intelligence, has set
vigorously to work to reclaim it. To this end he has already laid eighty
miles of tile. He last year expended nearly $15,000 in this work. His
poorest land is rapidly becoming his most productive. Mr. Ellwood has
also turned his attention somewhat to horse-breeding, and he is now the
owner of a fine stud of draft-horses, the equal of many better-known
establishments of the kind in the State. Of his drainage operations we
hope to speak more in detail in a future number.
* * * * *
Mr. Glidden told the writer that his first trial of his fence with stock
was not undertaken without some misgivings. But he thought to

himself, "It will stop them, at any rate, whether it kills them or not." So
he took down an old board fence from one side of his barn-yard, and
towards night when his stock came up, turned them into the yard as
usual. The first animal to investigate the almost invisible barrier to
freedom was a strong, heavy grade Durham cow. She walked along
beside the wires for a little put her nose out and touched a barb,
withdrew it and took a walk around the yard, approached the wires
again and gave the barbs a lap with her tongue. This settled the matter,
and she retired, convinced that the new-fangled fence was a success.
* * * * *
Barb-wire is now sent from this country to Mexico, South America,
and Australia. It is also being manufactured in England under American
auspices.
* * * * *
Mr. Glidden, associating with himself a Mr. Sanborn, a young man of
push and enterprise, has opened up an extensive cattle ranch in Potter
and Randall counties, Texas. They have fenced with wire a tract thirty
miles long by about fifteen miles broad, and have now upon it 14,000
head of cattle. Two twisted No. 11 wires were used for this fence, and
the posts are the best that could be procured. The wire was taken 200
miles on wagons. The total cost of the completed fence was about
$36,000.
* * * * *
Messrs. Glidden & Ellwood put up the first barb-wire ever used by a
railway company--the Northwestern. So great was the caution of the
company that the manufacturers built it themselves, agreeing to remove
it if it proved unsatisfactory. The railway folks feared it would injure
stock, the damages for which they would be forced to pay. It is needless
to say that the fence was not removed. More than one hundred railway
companies are now using the Glidden wire, and it stretches along many
thousands of miles of track.

A RAMBLER'S LETTER.
I would like to call your attention to the fact that there is considerable
cholera among swine in Dewey township, Ill., west from Joliet. Mr.
Cooter lost about 130 hogs. Other farmers have suffered equally.
I have been looking over the stock in this part of the country and find it
excellent, as a general thing. Many of the farmers are breeders of fine
Hereford cattle. They also own first-class horses. Some of them whom I
called upon would like to know the address of State Veterinary
Surgeon Dr. Paaren, and I should be pleased if you will give it in THE
PRAIRIE FARMER.[A] I have often thought, Why is it that so many
sons of wealthy farmers leave their homes for the purpose of either
studying in some classical college, to learn a trade, or to become
book-keepers and clerks in mercantile business. I think if farmers
would take more interest in agricultural papers, instead of having their
children fooling away their time on novels or comic stories and pictures,
it would be better for both old and young. Let the parents buy a
microscope and let the young folks examine insects and fungi of all
kinds, and let them write their experiences down in a book whenever
there is leisure time. Or let them write to THE PRAIRIE FARMER
something in the line of farming, be it agriculture, horticulture, or about
raising and caring for stock. In so doing the boys of