The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-12
DpGs TIEE EaaEEaE
 SHEETS WORST I1N ERLY
lan E9caa Gould Be Easily 1Enre T1aa Doahaed.


 1Easslineson. Apral- I a-Ilne number sst.sa1esp sn the se farm states which do not include any h the western Di- vihson could be increased by 15o per cent 1t Is estimated. without dis 1hpEatzen believe that the increase could be even as much as 800 per 1esx1f 1khout serious lnteE9ereace with tse nuuszser of ether anfnna le- An sass Of 15e per cent- in Ehass 36 states would mean in money s144s- the peparfnasnt pf Agrdculture, Farm CTS Buzaettn 662, the responsibility for kstl1fs loss to the country is Laid upon Ethe sheep killing dog.
 Sheep Killing dogs 1t is aaid, are the principal cause of the marked decrease in the numbers of sheep on American farms In the 10 years between 1900 and 1910 the number 1of sheep in the country. exclusive Of the states in the Western D1VzEIons decreassd 5000 900 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 1n this area was S19. GOO, GOO or ap- proz rna;teAy 25 per cent more in 1910 than in 199o- FaBorab1e though the market conditions were, they were. not sufficient incentive to induce 1arnaars to risk the heavy losses from stray dogs.
 The number of sheep killed an nEalIy by dogs cannot be stated ex- actly since there arc many cases which are not reported at all Jqdg- 1ng from the figures in those counties and states in which reasonabIy com pIete reports are obtainabIe how ever. 1t may be said that fh the 36 farm states moro than IeO, Go sheep
 
 # is true, is less than 1 per cent Of the total number of sheep in this Areas but a 1 per cent loss on bust ness that Is being conducted on a prodt basis Of or per cent cannot De Ignored This estimate 1t must De reunembered, is also probably much lower than the actual figures It Ia certain too that many men have been kept out of the sheep business through fear that in their own par ttcu1ar cases the loss would be much more than per cent Any one who has actually seen sheep killed. in- jured or fr1ghfened by dogs is likely to think twice before engaging in the business Tn many cases while only one or two sheep may be actually bitten by the dogs, the whole flock is chased until it dies from exhaa1s- fion.
 If the dog question could be sat-
 
 to be no reason why the nun1ber of sheep in the country could not De Increased to the extent already fndt- cated In Great Britain there is one Eneep or lamb for each 2.5 acres Of 1{le total area In the s38 farm sGtates in this country there is one 8heep or lamb for each 31.8 acres. The British farmer handles his lana on an intensive basis and feeds bis sheen on forage-crop pastures Such pastures not only increase the ferti1- I1ty Of the land but also free the sheep from many internal parasites con- Lracted through grazing upon per- TrlaaezI pastures In particu1a the use Of a succession of forage-crop pastures will prevent stomach worms. aone of the most prevalent and disas- tro11s 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 usua11y the highest the lambs that were born in the late winter CT early spring. Han died under such conditions and on Iii g1 priced farm land the importance of small flock Of sheep cannot be overlooked
 In addition to pointing out these facts the bulletin already zaenffoned The sheep-KiI1ing Dog, discusses the possible means Of preventing in the future the loss from dogs. At t1le present time the various state flaws on this subject difEer widely. Nofne states using the money obtained From for licenses to reimburse sheep