Lexington dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1917-1919, 1919-09-03
Department of Agriculture Interested
in Laws Controlling Dogs.

Washington, Sept. 1.-Re-e establish
ment of sheep growing in the south is
one of the arms of the Southern Set
tlement and Development Organlza-
ton with which are cooperating ami
ated organizations in several southern
states and progressive members of state
legislatures, as we'll as officials OF the
United States Department of Agrlcui-
trre. One of the first steps deemed
necessary in several Of the states sou'n
of Mason & Dixon's lines and for thal
matter in certain northern states also'
is the control Of the predatory oos'
which has caused and is causing very
heavy losses in the sheep industry III
various parts fthe country.
The department OF agriculture IS
interested in controlling dogs and mas
made a close sud- Of the SUBJECT
throughout the United States. On the
national forest ranges the department
has men who kill stray dogs along with
predatory animals, bit about the only
thing the department feels authorized
to do in other parts of the coutry is TO
collect information and give advice
about model dog control law which
il is still up to some of the states to
enact.
Bills along this line are being press
ed before the Georgia legislature and
other state legislative bodies, it is un-
derstood. The necessity for their en-
actment is recognized by experts famll
lar with the sheep industry and the
difficulties it is confronted with, TOR
no matter how suitable the forage,
climate. market and other conditions
NAV be to the growing of sheep, this
branch of agriculture cannot be very
successful or profitable if dogs are left
free to prowl about at night and prey
upon the flocks.
Realizing this fact now dog control
laws have been passed in Kentucky
Virginia, North Carolina, and Alaba-
ma. Generally speaking a satisfacto-
ry dog control law it is said, should
provide registration and taxation OF
dogs, outlawing dogs not so officially
recorded, permitting the killing OF
stray dogs especially at night or on
sheep farms, and compensation to
sheep owners for damage sustained
The need for dog control was illus
trated in the case of two northern far
mers who settled in Alabama some
time ago. Within a short time one
Z killed 80 dogs on his sheep farm and
the other killed 79 dogs.
An idea of the damage caused by
the predatory dog to the sheep indus
: try may be had from official statement
of the department of agriculture that
in one recent year over $4,000 sheep
were killed by dogs in 502 counties re-
porting 6.S00,00O sheep within their
borders. And dogs uncontrolled are
officially declared to constitute one Of
the chief reasons for not increasing
the raising of sheep in SO farm states
where the department estimates 34,-
100000 additional sheep could be placed
WITHOUT interfering with other live
stock.
The southern states present good op-
portunities for sheep raising, according
to L. G. Connor of the bureau of farm
management, agricultural department,
who has been studying the situation in
the south in connection with the pre-
paration of national agricultural at
las. This is known by many men in
Florida, western Alabama, some sec
tions of Mississippi and in Tennessee
land.
Department of agriculture scientists
believe that there is a, big chance for
sheep growing in a number of south
ern states. Texas live stock men think
so lokewise and have taken sheep,
goats, and cattle into Louisiana and
further east with some success. West
ern Florida and southern Georgia and
other parts of the south are deemed
especially adapted for sheep raising,
according to the judgment of govern
ment experts. The More Sheep More
Wool Association, with headquarters
in Philadelphia, IFS cooperating in
the movement for re-establishing the
sheep industry in the south on the
large scale that it can attain there.
Government exnertS saw that num-