Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-09-21
DOGS AND SHEEP.

To the Editor Of the Rhig;
Having sem in your columns communication, 10
tended 10 draw tie attention of the Legislature the
prot cion Of sheep sganst dcgs, Wish 10 add The
We ght Of smother TO the object. There is
rot farmer 10 the Safe who has not suffered from Il
depr, dldons Of dog' upOl his sheep for years past
There i, not a Of iulelig NC who has Led seat
i'll the gsalure for the last ten years bit has had tte
matter brought to his attention, either by hs e1
pefienee or the complaints cf his sqf,rng neighbour
aud yet notwithstanding the enormous loss Of sheep
occurring each yeai; notwithstanding the uuEerssl
complaints made; notwithstanding that huadrsds Of
farmers lave entirely stopped the effort 10 rate sheep
being fairly driven from the field by bob tailed euts
the Legislature has taken up the subt in
rnes; has never seriously weighed with mature de-
bera ION the difference in value between the products
Of the sheep AMI the horde of dogs which pfest the
State The Legislature need not be informed that the
sheep Is most valuable. An essay upon the subject
would Justly be Supposed to come from some sch J.
boy, practising his FIRST lessons in composition. At Mis-
time WOOL is ore Of the staple peeesrs Of the clun-
try and one upon which the comfort and eff isncy of
the army manly depends.
Tnis valuable substance surely need protection if
an, thing does By the highly ipjldicous thinning f
the ocks caused by the demand for meat, thousands
aud Thousands Of sheep have been wsntonly killed and
TO- day the number IN Virginia canuct be ohe-hAf of
what il was two years ago. Uadcr the present reign
Of cur dogs at leas. ten per cent 1.-THE Of the -
maiuder must be Sc. apart to s.iAte the canine appe
tie. l say ten per cent Ny own experience tells a
more fearful loss than this. Five years ago con-
msnesd with 100 sheep intending to devote much Of
nv time 10 raising them. l eat a lamb occasionally,
but lost none through sickness or the Ia three years
nv aock numbered FIVE, notwithstanding large access
sous from the increase. All my Aock was killed by
dogs Not a single eur ia the neighborhoOj suffered
the penalty due to robbery Il suspected dog and
called upon The owner 10 seemed TO take it a. an in
suit; he declared his "ysltr" dog never left home ter
night that he would not notice a sheep If he saw one
and could readily prove by lttlc ngger," tremb
ling for Trowsers fate, that the particular night O
the slaughter the poor dog home all night long
The fact u, that it is as hard to convict q
sick man Of murder as it Is to get a verdict
Of guilty against dog suspected Of sheep-kiling.-
Unless the Legisllture does relieve the people
from the fearful pes. Of dogs, We mus. relnqush al
hone Of wool and nation. Everything evil incress
in times ike these, and dogs aarmingy the in
ereae As farmers grow uutlrifty their lands
run up and their production dBaishes, and tue nearer
hev are brought to the condition Of living from hand
70 mouth, in the same proportion do the number Ct
dogs increase and the more sheep demanded a. C.
tina Now we know that thrift and good cultivation
and rich returns are sadly checked by the war and 10
that extent do weeds and dogs and snakes increase