74 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



fact that we can make money feeding our corn and grass to beef 

 cattle, even though it does take 23 pounds of feed to make 1 

 pound of beef. I think this audience wants to take account of 

 the fact that we have in our midst three kinds of animals with 

 special privileges, and they are the dog, the cat and the deer, 

 and there is no reason for it. We have had dogs drive sheep 

 into the barn and lacerate them. I know there is a difference 

 of opinion as to whether the dogs do drive out the sheep in- 

 dustry, but I think there is no reason why the dog and the cat 

 and the deer should be specially privileged animals. And there 

 is no reason why a man who owns a dog or cat or deer should 

 not be obliged to keep it under subjection the same as he does 

 the horse or cow or sheep. And I think we ought to think 

 that over and perhaps put them all under the same restrictions. 

 Professor Wing. I am glad Professor Foord brought up 

 this matter of the dog, because I was sure it would come up. 

 I didn't mention it before because I preferred it should come 

 from the audience. I have perhaps some radical views on both 

 sides of the dog question. I have no use whatever for a 

 worthless dog, and 99 dogs out of 100 are worthless in my 

 opinion. And I thoroughly agree with what Professor Foord 

 says, that there is no logical reason why the dog should be a 

 privileged animal any more than a cow. If the dog can run 

 loose in the highway, I claim the same privilege for my cow, — 

 let her go where she wants to. Then, so far as keeping sheep 

 is concerned, I don't believe that the dog excuse is a valid one 

 for failure to keep sheep, for two reasons, one based on my own 

 experience, or on an experience that came very close to me. 

 My father-in-law was a farmer in western New York and kept 

 sheep in a dog-infested region. He always kept sheep and a 

 good flock of sheep. He kept a loaded shotgun behind the 

 door, and it was very seldom that a strange dog crossed that 

 farm in daylight and got clear across, law or no law. They 

 were usually buried quietly under an apple tree and helped to 

 produce fruit, and did more good that way than ever before, 

 and nothing was said about it. Then, too, there is another 

 factor in sheep-producing, so far as dogs are concerned. 

 Modern wire fencing is a fairly safe protection against dogs. 



