Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-28
DOGS, SHEEP, AND TURKEYS.
Practical Points About Dog Law for the
Legislature-One Badly Needed.
OFFLEY. HANOVER COUNTY

OFFLEY. HANOVER COUNTY.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
In the discussion Of dog-tax I would
any dog-law, whether general or special,
would be made more popular. and l may
truly add more just. IL it provided for
compensation for losses to turkeys as
well as to sheep.
1t may not be generally known, but
thrifty housewives in every county In
the State make annually many hundreds
Of dollars from their turkeys. and they
could make a great deal more but for
the dreaded onslaught OF the dogs, whlch
either break up the nests of the setting
turkeys or, later on. catch and kill the
Young brood, or the flock when grown.
In this nelghborhood last fall one lady
lost eighteen fine turkeys at one fell
swoop, and another twelve, while similar
losses were heard OF in every direction.
These turkeys would readily have aver
aged a dollar apiece i'm the market at
that time, and brought more later on
and their loss meant something 10 the
owners In some instances magnificent
goblers OF the choicest stock were de-
stroyed.
Now. then. in such cases, let the loss
he properly ascertained and certified 10
(as II would have 20 be done in the case
OF sheep and due compensation MADE. IN
some of the counties that have doS-Iaws
there is. / believe. proviso that any
surplus shall go to the schools. Let
some Of this surplus be applied as IN
dicated above The schools are amply
nrovlded for by the State, and are re-
ceiyfng much more protection at present
III or the sheen.
PROSPEROUS.
The turkey Industry" would receive
fresh impetus in every county III Wh'Cii
compensation for loss was guaraiteeu'
for while to some IL may sook IKE
very small matter. yet 1t is the deVeioP-
mont of all such little branches of trade
that goes 10 make a country prospei iou'.
Commodore Maury states in one OF his
Biographies that the French people make
more annually by their poultry than Is
realized from the largest crop OF tobacco
in Virginia. MI.
Again. and an important point: Ihere
are many men in every county VINO own
dogs. but no sheep-men VINO from oiic
motive and another would vote soiiuly
against a dog-taX; but If the wives oi
those men are rkey-raisers-and the
most OF them are--then that would pu' d
different aspect on the case, and they
would doubtless feel an interest in the
matter. such as they had not felt before
and their opposition would be grea'!
modified.
DRAW THE LINE.
Let the line he drawn strictly at tuI
kevs. IL IS true that there Is often nuch
destruction TO other fowls, but to IN
clude them would open the hood-gae1
for hundreds and hundreds OF Trivial
cases whose investigation would be 100
tedious and costly. l., .ho
These suggestions are mace III u'o
hone that they can be turned 10 some
nractical account In the solution OF tnc
,uuch-vexed question. That sheep-raisihs
could be made n large and pronuapie III
dustry in Virginia is a well-proVen iac'.
tgghetc are thousands upon thousands u,
ocres of broom straw, "turned-out iahu
,bat could be utilized TO more advantage
through sheep than in any other way
and sheep always improve the iahu 'h.!
NM, over But standing in the pain Is inc
Grim spectre OF the little "cur-doG'
THE Dispatch, think. is wise IN lts op-
nosition to a general dog-law' which
might bring party disaster. but there IS
,o reason why any individual county
should not work to try to get tne ue-
e,rnd relIef. and I believe that the COM
hinatlon referred TO above of turkeys anu
sheen would go largely towards acoUii-
nlishing the desired end. -'