The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-01-30

that your Board recommend the reyea.
of sections ). - n p so far as they
IMP - a TAX or 80 cen 9 per ton. and
also that the state Treasurer be au-
thorized TO refund to such sheriff.
respectively, rhe amounts collected
and III by tu-ln as ton tax.
keIIry "a OF tuls embarrassment. and
lmpO-ng simply he tax Of I'VE hun-
drcd dollars on each brand sold IN the
State. i can be effectively. eronomi-
cally ana satisfactorily enforced.
am satisfied tat for economy,
aiulpllci Y and Effectiveness, .ur syS-
tem for regulating the sale Of "fertiii
zers, j. not rqualIed by hat of any OF
he ) ates. am | trust trat rhe essential
features OF its present form will remain
unchanged.
SHEEP HUSBANDRY.
When the admirable ~adaptabilily of
u State for the successful raising of
sheep is considered the wisdom in
awarding to this important interest
such prominence as to enjOin upon the
Legislature by Constitutional require
Inent, the duty of protecting and
fostering it, must be readily conceded.
That our farmers ard people generally,
have worked hard to improve their
condition, none can deny. and that
they nave made gratifying progress
amidst the most adverse surroundings.
Is rather to be ascribed to their tena-
clous and indOmitable spirit, than to a
wise utilization of the elements of
strength SO available and abundant.
An agricultu' al State, with soil, eli
mate and products favorable to the
development of varied industries, to
1ecome permanently prosperous, car
no better afford to neglect Of these
than could a farmer to neglect one OF
his important crops. Hence. our
farmers should be encouraged by a
proper means, and especially by favor
able legislation, to build up this indus
try, which would contribute SO largely
to their comfort and wealth, and
thereby advance tn general prosperity
OF the State.
In a report made to this office last
Spri g, bearing on the general agri-
cultural condition of our people, al
the counties in the State reported
sheep, except two, and the estimated
average cost throughout the State Of
keeping them was fifty cent per head
per anDum. And in a recent report on
this subject it is found that the i'm
proved breeds-Merino, South Down,
Cotswold and Leicester thrive finely
IN various S, ctions of the State, and
the grades obtained by crossing these
breeds on our native stock are especi-
ally priced. The aggregate number
Of sheep reported in the seventy-eight
counties making returns of farm sta
tistlcS, Is 80, 439 (anu this is only
partial, as twenty. four townships are
entirely omitted). This, for the most
part, is nat,ve or scrub stock but. |
am convinced that improved breeds
would rapidly take its pace, had our
farmers bitter laws for th4ir pr0tec-
ton, and that, instead of the number
reported, we would have in u few
years nOr less than two millions in the
State. With the facilities now being
50 rapidly enlarged for reaching the
markets of our own and other cOun-
tries with fresh meats, this industry
should engage the earnest attention OF
our people.
By Sec. 7 of the Act, your Board is
specially charged with such investiga-
tlons as may best promote this il d Is
try, and with the collection and publ
ca ion of such statistics as may c
age if, IAN more p .rticularly for the
of the Iavages of dogs
l have been untiring in my efforts 10
ascertain the sentiment of the people
in regard TO this question. | haye
discussed ii in all its phases, freely
and fearlessly, to the best of my abili-
ty, befote all classes of our people,
from d extreme of our State to the
other, wherever and wherever | have
had the honor to address them and
| have on file in this office hundreds
of letters ION intelligent, enterpris-
ing men IL all parts of the State, and
all agree that the dOg-nuisance must
in some manner be abated. And, to
give an idea of its enormity, permit
me to quote official figures from the
returns before referred to, inaccurate
and Incomplete as they confessediy
reported, there is an aggregate of
three sheep. In several Of the coun-
ties the number of dogs actually ex-
ceeds hat of sheep. The number of
s heep destroyed by dogs in these
for the year past was % 0s1 =
a about 5000 mere than we're destroyed
by disease
These figures furnish data tor an
approximate estimate of the annual
cost of dogs to our State-an amount
that must be startling to those who
have not investigated the subject.
large as IS this amount. it is but a
small proportion Of the real loss sus-
tanned by the people, who, by the
of this constant menace are
deterred from engaging in an industry
that could be made SO profitable. But
it is said that dogs cannot be taxed as
property under our constitution Be
it so. There are animals in our State
which the owners pay a tax for