Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-03-11
The Dog Warfare.
I From the Agricultural Report.

The warfare of dogs upon sheep
still continues; the direct losses
are a million of dollars annually,
in wool and mutton, and, indirect
ly, even a'>1arger sum in the re-
preston of sheep,husbandry, and
the consequent waste of large per
centage OF the annual crop of
grass; a crop more valuable than
that of cotton or corn, through
out the Southern States and else.
where in all dog cursed sections
of the country. The canine war,
fare is a badge of vagabondage,
an indication of savagery and law
lessness inconsistent with a pro
gressive state of agriculture. In
communities where "every poor
man keeps a dog, and every very
poor man keeps two" the aver
age legislative candidate dares
not pledge himself TO vote for a
dog, law. Until recently, only a
few States in which wool growing
is prominent had dog laws, which
is equivalent to saying that the
ideas on which our agriculture
was based were primitive, and its
rural processes crude. Laws are
now in force in a large portion OF
the State, and in several are quite
efficient and protective. Farm
ers ere agitating for the passage
of such laws in the remaining
States. In the Southern States
the insane pursuit OF cotton to the
social oStracism of every one who
dared to produce meat or grow
fruit, for many years kept sheep
husbandry at the lowest ebb,
while it was known by all intel
ligent men not stricken with the
prevalent mania that millions of
acres of succulent grasses were
annually lost in decay in all the
southern prairies, the open pine,
forest, and the elevated gIades of
the sunny region. There should
at once be enacted these strlI.
gent laws for protection against
the ravages Of dogs, quAdruped
and biped, black and white. The
result would in twenty years ap
pear in degree of wealth to
which this section has never be.
fore attained, for it would revolu.
tionize and vitalize the entire ag-
riculture of this section.
We have repeatedly attempted
to gather some Of the items of
loss by this sconrge. In our stock
returns Of this month there are
reports from five hundred toln.
ties, with some losses reported, Of
course not all occurring, but they
make an aggregate of 1925
sheep killed curing the past year,
in counties holding one fourth Of
the territory, and nearly one,
fourth of the sheep. This is prob
ably not more than one half the
real number, as the State of Ohio
for 1878 makes the loss for that
year 35,440, seventy seven hun
dreths Of one per cent. of the total
numbers. Besides this, 1924
were injured in that year by dogs,
entailing a loss OF $47,2l0 in ad-
ditlon to $ll0,044 for those killed
outright.
1t is very evident that the real
losses by dogs amount to one and
one fourth per cent. of the value
of the sheep in Ohio, and
more than two per cent. through
out the country, of 81, 100000.
The percentage of loss is vastly
greater in States where no eff.
cient law exist. As far as the
territory is reported in these Jan.
nary returns, the annual losses in
Florida amount TO IL per cent. of
value; Arkansas, 6; Georgia. sc;
Tennessee, 4.6; Kansas 3.S; Vir'
ginia, 5. 4; Missouri, "a. In pro-
tected States-Ohio, four-tenths
of one per cent; New York, three.
tenths.