The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-03-27
KING GEORGE.
The DOG and Sheep Question.
Correspondence Of The Free Lance


Comorn, Va , March 2lth. 1900
Newspaper correspondents are IRE
auently criticised and condemned for
reporting as news the destruction oi
sheep by dogs. and it is said by some
fastidious folks-ardent friends Of the
cur-that it is very poor taste, even
coarse, to discuss sheep-killing dogs
through the public press OF course. 1t
is unnecessary to comment here on the
absurdity Of such views. Let commc n
sense be the j dge In displaying their
poor taste" and common "coarseness, ~
the C0m0rn and MontrOss correspon
dents Of The Free Lance a week or so
ago reported items relative to dogs as
sheep destroyers, which have Pot the
public TO thinking on the subject, at
least since the Montross man and The
Free Lance rendered the p1blic a valu
able service by giving out the start
ling information" that there are about
four thousand q 0OO) dogs in West
moreland, the pc, pie are, for the first
time, realizing the magnitude Of the
dog nuisance they are seriously con
sidering the actual value Of the sheep
eggs and poultry destroyed annually by
these thousands Of dogs Now, the
calculation or estimate Of the enormity
Of the dog nuisance must go further than
the items Of sheep. eggs and poultry
destroyed We must take into con-
sideration the well. known and ac-
knowledged fact that the existence Of
thousands Of unrestrained dog--sheep
killing dogs-debar hundreds Of farmers
from raising sheep There are many
small forest farms right here in this
county, which are peculiarly adapted
to sheep.raisinR. and which would pay
their owners out Of debt and yieli a
comfortable income from sheep.hus.
bandry alone but these farms are sur.
rounded by multitudes Of dogs. that
roam by day and prowl by night. so
that TO bay flock to put on farm
under these circumstances would be
throwing away the money paid for the
sheep. Taxes are being paid on a vast
number Of small farms that are practi.
cally worthless to their owners-worth-
less because dogs make it impossible to
conduct the only business enterprise
(sheep raising. for which these farms
are suitable. This thing Of depriving
loyal tax-paying citizens Of the privi-
lege of making their own private
property Gland profitable to themselves
and families. just for the sake Of dogs,
is not only a high.hsnded hardship but
amounts 10 far more in dollars and
cents than the value Of the sheep and
eggs destroyed. etc
Add the two thousand q, 000) dogs Of
this county to the four Thousand in
Westmoreland, and we have total Of
six thousand dogs in the two counties.
Then add the cost of feeding these
6, 900 dogs to the value Of sheep and
other property destroyed by them, and
we have a tremendous aggregate
startling figures, indeed Observant
farmers and friends CT the cur, say that
it requires about an average Of quart
of meal per day to feed a dog. Let's
give the cur the benefit Of the doubt
and put his board at half that estimate
-one pint Of meal per day, or the bread
and the cooking Of it at two p cents q
day-and certainly 2 cents day the
year through will not feed the average
dog. Two cents day is g. 30 per year
for each dog, and forty.odd thousand
dollars per year for the corn bread
alone fed 10 dogs in the two counties
Of Westmoreland and King George
According to the lowest estimate thai
can be made the grub" fed 10 dogs,
the sheep. eggs, fowls and other things
destroyed by them. and the loss t
thoss not allowed to raise sheep, cost
these two counties forty.6ye Thousand
dollars per year. say nothing OF th'
value of the time lost by those who dC
little else from November lst to Feb
ruary 10th, but hunt with dogs. Now
what can be placed to the credit oI
these dogs? What is their real value t
their owners and tj the community
The Community that is willing t
maintain an excess of useless dogs ant
opposes a tax on those not necessary fo
any practical purposes. should say moth
ing more about "hard times" and thu
cost Of supporting poor houses etc
/ ID ,~1ro III Gao NJ A.,