No. 4.] SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 119 



possession of a small island at the straits of Gibraltar, more 

 than twelve hundred years ago, levied a compulsory tribute 

 from all who came his way sailing in or out of the Mediter- 

 ranean, and who gave his name to a system of exaction 

 which has continued to this day. What influence this Arab- 

 born institution may have had on the increase or the diminu- 

 tion of sheep and wool of this State, I don't know, and 

 haven't been able to find out by a system of careful reading 

 and inquiry. Twenty-five or thirty years ago it was a com- 

 mon complaint from old farmers who had flocks of hundreds 

 of Merinos and Saxonies that their wool growing was ruined 

 by the tariff, and that they had to abandon sheep raising. 

 My opinion is that, for the past thirty years at least, the 

 effect of any legislation would be very immaterial, con- 

 sidering the small quantity and low grade of our wool, in 

 reducing to any large extent the number of our sheep so 

 terribly depleted ; but I leave this to be settled in the discus- 

 sion to follow. 



Dogs and Sheep. 



Beyond all question the real reason which deters farmers 

 from engaging in the raising and breeding of sheep at the 

 present time is the constant apprehension of the destruction 

 of flocks and their demoralization by dogs. Our observa- 

 tion and the statements of sheep growers generally through- 

 out the Commonwealth universally show this. We are 

 often asked by dog owners why there is so much complaint 

 now, when there was but little fifty or sixty years ago. 

 The answer is that in numbers the dogs and the sheep are 

 out of all proportion to what they were then. Then, when 

 there were three hundred and forty thousand sheep, with 

 but few dogs, and the sheep in flocks of hundreds, and each 

 sheep worth only a dollar and a half, if a half-dozen sheep 

 were killed they might not be missed, and, if they were, 

 the damage was inconsiderable ; but now, when a man has a 

 flock of say forty, each worth six dollars, and often bearing 

 lambs, ravages by dogs, killing a half or a third of his 

 flock, tearing others and demoralizing all, become a very 

 serious matter. I shall not go into any detail of the losses 

 we have had, nor shall I attempt to stir up agitation. It is 

 of no use ; dogs and dog owners have the mastery, and a 

 double-barreled shot gun with eleven buckshot, or a few 



