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country, sheep must become very scarce. There is no country better 

 adapted to sheep raisiug than northern Georgia, and our fiirmers would 

 gladly have their tlocks, were it not for the dogs ; but so long as the 

 country is overrun by dogs, sheep-raising is impossible. A neigh- 

 bor, not long since, counted fifty-two dogs in one mile square; of 

 course some were overlooked, and not ten of that number are of any 

 value. Since the negroes have been freed, a gun and dogs have been 

 the height of their ambition; hence, it is notuufrequently they are seen 

 passing along, with gun on shoulder, with three to four half-starved dogs 

 at their heels ; and, what is still more strange, among the whites, the poorer 

 they are in circumstances, and where they have to struggle the hardest 

 to feed their families, you will see as many as four to five curs in their 

 yards ; and, when we consider the scarcity and high prices of provisions 

 in the country, the astonishment is, how they can afford to feed so many 

 surplus dogs. Reduce the dogs by taxation, and sheep would rapidly 

 increase ; the country would be vastly benefited by a tax on dogs ; al- 

 lowing one dog to each farm free, but rather than to miss, make no dis- 

 crimination, but tax all $3 a head. We trust that Congress will protect 

 sheep-raising. 



Troup County, Ga. — We must have a stringent dog law for the pro- 

 tection of the wool grower, or that interest will go down entirely. 



Hall County, Ga. — The dogs are allowed to run at large, and on their 

 account sheep cannot be raised. But for dogs, thousands of sheep would 

 be raised here every year. Cannot Congress pass needful laws to com- 

 pel men to keep dogs on their own inclosures I 



Smith County, Va. — There are comparatively few sheep raised in this 

 county, flocks averaging from ten to fifty, and few of the latter, and 

 yet it is probably one of the best sheep-raising counties in the United 

 States but for the villainous dogs. No one makes sheep-raising a busi- 

 ness, only to sui)ply his own demands, with, in some instances, a small 

 surplus. Stock, as horses, mules, cattle, cows, &c., is constantly in- 

 creasing, both in quantity and quality. We have many fine Durhams, 

 and the farmers generally exhibit a laudable enteri)rise in improving 

 their stock. 



FranJclin County, Ga. — Sheep raised in this county only for home con- 

 sumption. The dogs and negroes kill them. 



Wilki7ison County, Miss. — Loss of sheep mostly by dogs. Lambs 

 killed by dogs, hogs, wildcats, hnzzabrds, {Cathartes aura,) and carrion 

 crows, {C. atrata.) 



Austin, Texas. — Owing to heavy losses caused by dogs, wolves, and 

 disease, and to the fact that almost every flock is infected with scab, 

 many sheep-raisers have become discouraged and there are only a few 

 flocks left. 



Fayette County, Tenn. — The almost universal reply, when questioned as 

 to your flock of sheep to the farmers and planters of this country, '•'■ All 

 Tcilled by dogs. I have lost all interest in this branch of husbandry." A 

 few flocks are strictly watched and penirtid at night to furnish a few 

 lambs in the spring. If a dog law could be enacted by the legislature, 

 a new and enlarged interest would be exhibited in this Department ; but 

 it is the sheerest folly to imdertake it when nearly every plantation can 

 furnish a pack of base-horn curs. 



Putnam County, Mo. — The ravages ot dogs among sheep continue as 

 bad as ever. 



Tayiey County, Mo. — Dogs and wolves make sad havoc among our 

 sheep. 



Sacram&nto County, Cal. — The wool crop was never better, and the 



