Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-02-04
Mhe M,1>itatsr.
FRIDAY MORNING. FEB. 4. 1881.
Local
A TALK WITH THE WOOL GROWERS.

A TALK WITH THE WOOL GROWERS.
INTERESTING CONFERENCE.-THE NEW
DIsEAsE-THE SHEEP AND THE HARD
WINTER-COMPARIsON OF VIEWS AS TO
SHELTER, WATER, FOOD AND MEDI-
CINE,
&C., &C., &C.
Tuesday morning was as bad in its way
as morning could be. The night before
there had been snow, sleet and hail and
the town pavements and county roads were
hard to navigate. At the instance Of Col.
Saml A. East, Mr.. G. w. Koiner, the eff
Gent Secretary of the Augusta County
Wool Growers Association had called that
body to meet here, Tuesday morning at
10 O'Clock, the chief subject to be consider
ed being the disease now affecting sheep
in this county. Ten O'Clock arrived and a
few of the members had gotten to town.
In talking to some of them we learned that
Col. w. A. Anderson out of 1l2 sheep bad
lost %; Mr.. Lyons had lost Is; Capt. John
Opie had lost and there were other losses
reported.
A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE INEFFICIENT
EXECUTION OF THE DOG LAW.
While waiting for the arrival of more
members there was good deal of general
conversation about sheep. Said one well
known grower to our reporter:
"While disease among sheep Is one of
our troubles 1t is not the only one. The
inefficiency with which the dog law
is enforced is great drawback. Not long
ago two of my sheep we're killed and two
wounded by two dogs belonging to one OF
my neighbors who pays neither poll tar
nor dog tax and yet keeps two dogs. The
law requires that the Collector shall kill
such dogs, but this, though an imperative
duty, IS rarely ever done. One of the dog
that killed my sheep I caught and hung
out the OF er escaped and in less thai
5wenty-four hours had jumped sheep bt
longing t. a neighbor some dista nee away
l wish you would Call the attention of tn
Collectors to this, or the attention of an,
IF the authorities who have the power t.
see that the law is enforced. It is yer!
hard on US who pay tax on our property Il
have it destroyed by dogs whose owners
will neither pay taxes On them nor kill them
There is another thing we sheep growers
have a right to complain of. It IS Sale
that the dog tax fund will not be equal to
paying us for our losses by dogs. II this II
so then the Supervisors should see that thu
county makes up the deficiency as the sur
plus of the dog fund in the past has beer
used by the county. Please call the atten-
tion of the Collectors and the county au
thorlties to our complaint.
THE ASSOCIATION MEETING.
By IL O'Clock, notwithstanding the bad
weather goodly number Of prominent
sheep growers had gathered and repaired
to the law office of VIM. E. Craig, Esq.
which had been kindly rendered Them
Among chose present we're 4. G. Child
Capt. c. Benton Coiner, Capt. J. N. Ople
Col. w. D. Anderson, Col. Saml A. East
j. L. Kemper, Alex. 81. McCue, A. W
Arson, Il. w. Koiner, VIM. Green. ant
others of Augusta, and Fox Danger6eld
of Harrisonburg. Vice-President Il. e
Child was chosen chairman of the meeting
IN the absence of President A. M. Bow
man, who was unavoidablv detained. MIR.
Child explained that the meeting was held
in view of the loss of sheep by disease that
had occurred recently and for an inter.
change of views about the causes of and
remedy for it.
VIEWS OF A VETERINARY SURGEON.
DR.. H. S. Hogshett, regular graduate OF
veterinary college and familiar with disc.
asses of domestic animals, who was present
by invitation, was requested to give hi>
views. He asked that some of the members
should give the symptoms of the disease
in the sheep they had lost.
Capt. John N. Opie said he had lost five
ewes. They became stiff and their heads
turned to one side. In some cases they re
fused to eat, while in others, they ate up to
the time of their death. He had given
them oil.
DR.. Hogshett-What kind Of food had
you given them.
Capt. Opie-Corn.
DR.. Hogshett-Did you make a post
mortem examination
Capt. Ople-No! only took the fat off
after they died.
DR.. Hogshett then said that he thought
the sickness resulted from what is unpro
called package Of the stomach
which sometimes results in "dry MUIR
rain.'' All Illuminating animals have three
and it is in one of these that the
package" occurs. In feeding sheep some
get too much and gorge themselves. AT
ter Inflammation sets in in the stomach they
can't be saved, but before that comes they
may be saved by opening them and re-
moving the food from one of the manifolds.
His opinion, without however having
made any examination, was that the sick
less was the result Of over eating and 90
title exercise.
Col. East-Would that cause the affec-
ion of the head which has been mention.
ID?
DR.. Hogshet THE gorge of food creates
pressure on spine which causes the affec-
ion of the head. knew the same result
n some calves I treated for Mr.. Frank
1ilkeson.
Mr.. G. W. Koiner-It has been sugges-
ed that pine tops be given them.
DR.. Hogshett-They would act we'll as
hey contain turpentine. Turpentine itself
> good, given in proportion to the food |
hey take.
Capt. Opie-Those who havn't lost any |
heep say they have been feeding bran to
hem.