The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1942-02-19

BY RICHARD REA BENNETT, in the
Shecpmen Of the United States arc
being asked to go the limit ON wool
productions
But Maryland is not expected to do
any more than usual.
The reason? A simple one
Maryland has no Statewide dog
law.
Dr.. T. B. Symons, dean of the col
lege Of agriculture Of the University
Of Maryland, and Dr. Fred H. Lem
bach, head of the University's depart
ment of animal husbandry, are author
tiles for the effect on sheep raising
of Malyland's nonresident State
wide dog law.
A killer dog, getting into a flock Of
sheep, can destroy a raiser's profits
for the year, if not a goodly share cf
his entire investment. Sheep always
have been particularly vulnerable to
dogs.
Called Too BurdensOme
Because Of the danger Of half-wild
dogs, unlicensed dogs and dogs which
are allowed by their owners to range,
farmers Of the State are obliged to
pen their sheep at night and keep
watch over them during the day.
Many farmers have stopped raising
the animals because of the time re-
quired for daily rounding up and
penning.
Many attempts, according to Dr.
Symons, has been made to get
Statewide dog law through the Leg
islature. All that has resulted from
such efforts, proponents say, is to
provide the General Assembly with
the appropriate setting for a comic
opera.
Legislators have refused to view
the question seriously, these propon-
cnts declare. The result is that the
sheepmen do not want to take the
chance which necessarily follow Most
Of the counties have dog laws, it is
said, but these are not being enforced
10 the degree necessary to protect
sheep raisers.
10000 Now In State
Despite this and the presence in
,f IN,
telnal parasite endangering the ami
mails, there are some 10000 head Of
sheep in Maryland
The University Extension Service.
Dr. Symons says. has been pushing
the slogan Of "a million sheep on
Maryland farms"
At present the greatest sheep pro
duction area in the State is in Garrett
county, with Talbot county second.
Queen Anne's county, which led in
the number Of sheep in 1890, now is
in third place.
Importing Meat
Maryland is deficient in meat pro
duction. Producers raise only As per
cent of the meat consumed. Meat i'm
ported annually for State consumption
includes:
1881, 900 pounds of pork.
67,7110O0 pounds Of beef.
10,5OO,O00 pounds Of lamb and NUT
ton.
10,175,000 pounds Of veal.
The average consumer in Maryland
uses during the year:
70 pounds Of pork.
so pounds of beef
7 pounds of veal.
7 pounds of lamb.
The Government is asking Mary
land farmers to go the limit on the
production of pork, according to W..
r. Harvey, president and general man
ager of the Baltimore Live StocI,
Show, and superintendent of the Beef
Cattle, Sheep and Swine departments
of the Maryland State Fair.
Sees 80 p. c. Increase
An increase Of fifteen per cent IN
pork is asked for, Mr.. Harvey says,
but the Government is more likely
to get an increase Of thirty per cent.
How much above that figure produc-
ton may go remains to be seen.
Mr.. Harvey explains that the mora
progressive farmers in Maryland an
ticipated the present situation and
held back from the market enough
brood sows TO give a production sched-
ule higher than the fifteen per cent
requested.
The livestock show head says that
Maryland should produce more hogs,
pointing out that in some counties
there are more people than hogs, an
unusually unbalanced farm situation
One reason that more hogs have
not been raised in Maryland, Mr.. Har
vey declares, is because farmers pre-
fer producing milk due to their proX-
unity to Baltimore and Washington.
Quick Return
Hog raising offers good opportun-
ity for a grower who plans to raise
,ron, ,yo,, oon,,.I