[154] 



phobia, is well calculated to re- a waken inquiry as to the 

 cause, consistency and wisdom of the lenity shown in vari- 

 ous sections of the country, to curs of various degrees. A 

 late Tennessee correspondent of the Cincinnati Commercial 

 makes a fair exhibit of the too prevalent folly in this re- 

 gard. Tennessee has recently chosen to stand by the dog, 

 instead of the sheep. And taking the population of the 

 two States as a basis of comparison, this correspondent finds 

 that there are nine dogs in Tennessee to one in Ohio. In 

 Ohio there is but one dog to every twenty- seven people, 

 and as for sheep, there are forty-six sheep in that State to 

 one dog. The Ohio farmers annually receive over twelve 

 millions of dollars for their wool and mutton. On an 

 average the farmers of every county of Ohio receive over 

 one hundred thousand dollars cash, annually, for their sur- 

 plus wool and mutton. 



"There is nothing within the domain of agriculture in 

 which the permanent interest of even the average farmer 

 may be more essentially promoted than by sheep- raising 

 and goat- raising. And yet, on account of the strangely 

 delusive dog detriment, of which The South has so often 

 complained, indefinite millions of dollars are annually lost 

 to the Southern country, on account of the enforced neglect 

 or abandonment of sheep culture to say nothing of the 

 dangers and death from the most hideous madness all en- 

 dured out of deference to the dogs. What men ! 



"As the writer quoted well and truly says, sheep are an 

 emblem of civilization. He should have added peace and 

 innocence. Wherever you find them in greatest numbers, 

 you will find wealth and prosperity. This is true the world 

 over. A sheep is a producer in two senses: it produces 

 both food and clothing, and also enriches the land it occu- 

 pies more effectually than can be done in any other way. 

 And this destruction among almost the most useful of our 

 domestic animals is nearly as much to be deplored on ac- 

 count of the worthless and wimton character of the de- 



