Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-05
SHEEP IN KENTUCKY.
Dog Tax 10 Levied to Protect the Wool
Gronuors.


Growers.
Under date of April 9Th, you wrote
this office asking for information on
the following questions concerning the
sheep industry Of the state:
a-What breed predominates?
b-Do farmers breed for mutton or
wool?
Care sheep Increasing In Ken
lucky?
d-Are there any large fiocks in
Kentucky?
-Has Kentucky any laws for the
protection of sheep against dogs?
fare they enforced?
g-Are owners remunerated for loss
by dogs? ~
h--Does Kentucky ship many spring
lambs?
How many?
jEIf so, to what market?
k-Where is the wool shipped to?
In answer to these questions I de-
sire to say:
a-As far as pure-bred sheep are
concerned, the Hampshire and Shrop-
shires predominant, followed by
Southdowns and Dorsets In the order
named. The ewes are mostly what
are called Mountain ewes or Western
ewes as the case may be. The Noun
tain eve is nothing more than q
scrub that has been bred in the noun
tains of Virginia, the Carolinas, Ten
nessee and Kentucky for many years
The Western eve is usually more or
less black faced eve with some Hamp-
shire or Shropshire.
b-The farmers breed mostly for
spring lambs that are usually sold
something like 25 per cent in May,
SO per cent in June and 25 per cent in
July. Wool is simply a by-product.
c-The number Of sheep In Ken
lucky is gradually increasing year by
year.
dew men In Kentucky have
focks Of sheep exceeding 500. We
know of but one flock reaching as
many as 1000.
e-Kentucky's tax of s1.00 each on
dogs is collected annually and goes
into a sheep fund. II the claims for
sheep killed or manned by dogs in
any county are in excess Of the
amount of dog tax, the fund is pro-
rated among the claimants. II there
is any fund unclaimed, 1t goes to the
common school fund Of that county.
This year there was something like
100000 turned over to the school
funds in a few Of the counties Of the
state. This only occurred where the
number Of dogs was comparatively
large, while the number Of sheep was
comparatively small. Where the op-
posite conditions exist the farmer did
not obtain more than 33 1-3 per cent
for the value of the sheep killed by
dogs.
f-As to the enforcement Of the
law, this varies. Nothing like COM
plete assessment Of the dogs is made,
as a rule.
GAS to whether or not owners are
remunerated for loss by dogs, this Is
answered above.
has to Kentucky shipping many
spring lambs-yes. The Kentucky
and Tennessee spring lamb crop Is a
very important one. About the time
the run of western lambs ends at
Chicago, the spring lamb crop In
Kentucky and Tennessee starts or a
new year. In May and June there are
often days in which Louisville Is the
greatest lamb market in the United
States. p .t.-
THE number Of lambs marketed
each year in Kentucky will be in ex-
cess Of a half-million.
Most of these lambs go to Louis
vile or Cincinnati where they are pur-
chased for eastern markets. The
wool is usually sold to dealers In
Louisville, Lexington or Cincinnati.
1t is then rehandled and shipped east.
In conclusion I desire to say that
there are now nearly million sheep
| in Kentucky. The annual sale of
lambs and wool amounts to nearly
five millions of dollars. While the
dog tax Of the state is more or less
imperfect, 1t has had a tendency to
bring about an increase in the number
of sheep in the state. There Is moth
ing like as many sheep in Kentucky
as the conditions justify. There are
many thousands Of acres Of land well
adapted to sheep pastures that prac-
tically bring no revenue as they are
handled. The price Of lambs, for
mutton and for wool that have pre-
vailed for the last several years have
paid we'll the flock master.-Hon. j.
w. Newman. commissioner Of agri-
culture in Kentucky. for Our Coun-
try.