The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 129 



it freely; or that the cost of woolen clothing should reach such 

 exorbitant figures? The writer likes dogs, believing them to be 

 one of the most wholesome and desirable of all pets, but the dog 

 should not be given free range to destroy what should be one 

 of the country's most important industries. We have literally 

 thrown sheep to the dogs. When will we come to our senses and 

 confine or destroy the worthless cur and give the golden-hoofed 

 sheep a chance to aid in the agricultural emancipation of the 

 South and in the restoration of much of our worn and gullied 

 lands which now lie practically idle? Surely this situation can 

 not continue much longer. It is too much out of joint with the Throwing 



^ , IV J^ •,, • 1 J ^ ^u 1- 1 i. Sheep to the 



times. Surely some Moses will arise to lead us to see the light ^ 



and act in a rational manner towards the solution of this question 

 and the establishment of sheep husbandry on some basis com- 

 mensurate with our opportunities and the needs of the South and 

 the nation as a whole. 



The question naturally arises as to the relation of animal 

 husbandries in the South compared to the population as a whole. 

 In other words, what are we doing towards providing ourselves 

 with animal food as compared with other sections of the country? 

 As already pointed out, the area of the fifteen southern states is 

 899,747 square miles. The area of the United States is 3,026,789 

 square miles. The South, therefore, comprises practically one- 

 third of the total area of the United States. In 1910 the popula- 

 tion of the United States was 91,972,266, and of the South, 

 28,855,939, or a little less than one-third of the total population. 

 We possessed, according to the figures of 1916, about one-fourth Warns South 

 of the dairy cows, about one-third of the beef cattle, about one- °^ ^^^^ ^^'*'^ 

 seventh of the sheep, and about one-third of the hogs owned in 

 the United States. Therefore, in spite of the substantial increase 

 shown in the number of swine in the past six years, we are barely 

 holding our own in the matter of maintaining our animal indus- 

 tries as compared with the rest of the country. It behooves us 

 to realize this situa;tion and take steps to avert the crisis which 

 will shortly confront us! unless something radical towards en- 

 couraging and developing our live stock industries is accom- 

 plished very soon. 



The population of the United States in the last sixteen years 

 has increased by more than 26,000,000, or 33 per cent. In the 

 past six years, it is believed that the numbers have increased by 

 more than 10,000,000. There has been no such proportionate 



