The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1877-01-18
Wintar Cara Of Sheen.

1t scarcely seems possible that there
should be aquestion about the benefits
of afording sheep shelter in winter,
even in any part of the country where
cold rains and frosts occur. Still there
are flock owners who excuse them
selves for not providing shelter by de-
claring that their seeep do better
without it. If their sheep are COM
PEELED to wade through the snow and
mud, getting their wool matted to-
gether and their feet sore through be-
ing constantly wet and half frozen, we
are informed that this is Gardening
process" which will make them a
tougher breed.
II is certainly something TO marvel
at, that sheep live at all under such
treatment, and we are rather surprised
that so many live, than that so few
die. If had ever been proved that
sheep could be kept Oh much less food
if given warmer quarters than when
fully exposed to the weather, then
there would only be the cruelty part
of the question to be discussed, but
the testimony of our most scientific
and experienced shepherds is all in
favor of shelter, not only for its econ
omy in saving food, but the preven-
ton of serious and often fatal diseases.
If an animal is compelled to stand
shivering in the snow, mud, or gold
rain all day, it cannot be laying on fat
very rapidly to say the least, still thou
sands of our farmers, aud especially
the herdsmcn on the western prairies,
are very 10th to spend either time or
money in constructing any thing
which will afford shelter to their ami
mails, beyond perhaps stables for a few
horses required for work.
In few instances where we have
protested in person against this cru
city to animals, we have generally met
with the old and stale argument that
the animals were better off for not be-
ing pampered and coddled up in warm
sheds and stables. OF course it is of
little use to talk to such men or try to
make them look on the humane side
of the question, for they have but one
object in view, and that is the greatest
profit out of the least possible expense
trouble. 1t is for this reason that our
sympathies are never aroused in be-
half of those who lost their flocks or
herds through negligence in provid-
ing food or shelter in winter. But
we do feel sorry for the poor ansmals,
which have had to suffer when there
is no reasonable excuse to be offered
on the part of their masters in extenu-
alton of what should be considered a
heinous crime in all civilized COM
munities and punished accordingly.
A brush fence, sod wall, and few
stacks of straw, bag or prairie hay,
would frequently be the means of saw
ing great suffering among sheep If not
their lives in winter, and still even
this much is not provided in many
western localities where sheep breed
ing is carried on upon an extensive
scale, consequently it is not strange
that we frequently hear ofgreat suffer-
ing and loss of life among the fiocks
and herds, from unprecedented" Sc
we're storms. That these ''imprece-
denied severe storms have occurred,
therefore are likely to occur again,
should be sufficient to prompt owners
of flocks and herds to make prepare
tons for them in the future, but the
story of the old man who never patched
the roof of his house for the reason
that when it rained he couldn't, and
when it didn't rain there was no need
of it, is applicable to many farmer
ond che INLAND