The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-04-15
DOGS THE FARM
SLEEPS WORST ENEMY
If This Menace We're Removed Ameri-
can Floeks Could be Easily More
Than Doubled.

Washington, u. g., April 10 | X
number Of sheep in the 36 farm States
which do not include any in the West
ern Division, could be increased by l5(
per cent, il is estimated, without dis
placing other live stock Some au-
thori,ies believe that the increase
could be even as much as 500 per
cent without serious interference with
the number of other animals. An in
crease Of 100 per cent in these 36
States would mean in money si44 ,267,-
600. In a new publication Of the De-
partment of Agriculture, Farmers
Bulletin 652, the responsibility for
this loss to the country is laid upon
the sheep-kiling dog.
Sheep-killing dogs, it is said, are
the principal cause Of the marked de-
crease in the numbers of sheep on
American farms. In the 10 years be
tween 1900 and 1910 the number of
sheep in the country, exclusive Of the
States i'm the Western Division, de-
creased 100000 head in face of the
fact that during these same years the
market value Of sheep rose so rapidly
that the total value of sheep in this
area was $l9,000,000 or approximate
| ly % per cent more in 1910 than in
1900. Favorable though the market
conditions were, they were not a suf-
| ficient incentive to induce farmers to
risk the heavy losses from stray dogs.
The number of sheep killed annually
by dogs cannot be stated exactly since
there are many cases which are not
reported at all. Judging from the fig
ures in those counties and States in
which reasonably complete reports are
obtainable, however, it may be said
that in the SO farm States more than
100000 sheep are killed each year by
dogs. This, it is true, is less than one
per cent of the total number of sheep
in this area, but a one per cent loss
on a business that is being conducted
on a profit basis of five or six per
cent cannot be ignored. This estimate
it must be remembered is also prob
ably much lower than the actual fig
uresy 1t is certain too that many men
have been kept out of the sheep bust
ness through fear that in their own
particular cases the loss would be
much more than one per cent. Any
one who has actually seen sheep killed
injured, or frightened by dogs is
likely to think twice before engaging
in the business. In many cases while
only one or two sheep may be actually
bitten by the dogs, the whole flock is
chased until it dies from exhaustion.
If the dog question could be salts
factorily disposed of there seems to be
no reason why the number of sheep in
the country could not be increased to
the extent already indicated. In
Great Britain there is one sheep or
lamb for each 2.5 acres of the total
area. In the So farm States in this
country there is one sheep or lamb for
each 31.S acres. The British farmer
handles his land on an intensive basis |
and feeds his sheep on forage-crop
pastures. Such pastures not only in
crease the fertility of the land but
also free the sheep from many inter-
nal parasites contracted through graz
ing upon permanent pastures. In par
ticular the use of a succession of for
age-crop pastures will prevent stom-
ach worms, one of the most prevalent
and disastrous scourges of young
stock, and will enable the farmer to
market by the end of June or the first
Of July, when market prices are usual
ly the highest, the lambs that were
born in the late winter or early spring.
under such conditions and on
high-pricedfarm land the Importance
Of a small flock of sheep cannot be
overlooked
In addition to pointing out these
facts the bulletin already mentioned,
'The Sheep Killing Dog" discusses
he possible means Of preventing in
.he future the loss from dogs. At the
present time the various State laws on
his subject differ widely, some States
ising the money obtained from dog
licenses to reimburse sheep owners,
while others permit the sheep men to
ecover damages from the dog owners
md two offer them no recourse what {
oever. Dogs, however, are very sell {
lom caught in the act of killing sheep, s
{ is always difficult to determine their !
'wners, and where the damages are
'aid by the State directly from the
og-tax funds the money very fire. q
uently is far from sufficient to meet d
II the claims.
A remedy that is suggested for this v
ituation is a uniform State dog law r
mbodying the principle of tax upon 0
ogs sufficiently heavy to discourage