The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-04-07
high priced farm land the Importance
CT a small flock OF sheep cannot be

| vi St floCh Oh Slittp' CAuHOl uC
overlooked.
| In addition to pointing ont these
facts the bulletin already mentioned.
"The Sheep Killing Dog" discusses
the possible means of preventing in
the future the loss from dogs. AT the
present time the various state laws on
this subject differ widely. some states
using the money obtained from dog
licenses TO reimburse sheep owners.
]Mlile others permitihe sheep men to
Recover damages from the dog owners
Land two offer them no recourse what
isaeyer. Dogs. however. are very sell
Is always difficult to determine their
DWners. and where the damages are
paid by the state directly from the
deg tax funds the money very fire.
| Gdently is far from sufficient to meet
iaif the claims e'$es
A remedy tlia. is suggested for this
situation is !. uniform state dog law
embodying The principle of a tax upon
dogs sufficiently heavy to discourage
those who are not willing to take care
cf their pets from Keeping them. Tn
der this plan all dogs over six months;
OF age must be licensed each year. the
| tax paid at the time of licensing and
a metal tag bearing the license num-
ber attached to the dogs collar. Any
dog found without this tag. unattenl-
ed and off its owners premises, may
be killed When found unattended on
a farm where sheep are kept the dog
may be killed whether it has the tag
or not, and under any circumstances
dog caught chasing or killing sheep
may be killed. All dogs which can he
proved to be sheep killers must he,
Filled whether caught i'll the act or
not, and reward Of SIS should be
offered for any one Identifying Il
sheep killing dog. The money receiv-
eu from dog taxes should be devoted
to reimbursing sheep owners for their
lost stock and the county should in
turn recover This money whenever
possible from the, dogs owners. A
special license should be issued for
kennels where large numbers of dogs
are maintained under such conditions
that they cannot possibly do any harm
to neighborins hocks.
While some such plan as this is
probably indispensable to the full de-
velOpment of the sheep industry III
| the United States, there are cases
where the flock master will find in It's
absence the use Of dog proof fences
very desirable. The grazing ofNsheep
upon comparatively small areas OF
land sown to forage crops, instead
LOT upon permanent pastures in larger
fields, materially reduces the area to
Pie fenced and makes this practicable
precaution In the west fences have
been built whici, provo a satisfactory
defense against coyotes. and the fence
lthat will turn aside coyote will turn
dog. A fence of this character can
be built rs follows:
Posts 7la feet in length. set 2h feet
in the ground and lG feet apart; =
barbed wire stretched fiat to the SUR
face of the ground; 3 inches higher Il
sc inch woven wire fence having
inch triangular mesh; S inches higher
n barbed wire; inches higher sec
ond barbcd wire; inches above this
third barbed wire. Total height 81
inches.
1t is important to remember. how
ever. that the bottom strand of barbel
wire must be stretched fat on the sur
face of the ground at all points. Ii
necessary the ground should be grad
ed before the fence is built. Thereaf-
ter such small holes as appear may be
filed in 1t is not always necessary,
to fence the entire pasture. for dogsl
usually attack sheep at night only. IL
sufficient area can be fenced to give
the flock protection during the night,
therefore. they may be safely left in
unincosed pastures through the day.
This method involves a certain loss of
time in driving the sheep to and from
the Enclosure, but in many cases will
be preferred to The expense of fencing
on large scale.
1t is, hoped that some of our broth
/ I- u i ~,