1864. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



69 



portance of a better understanding of the true 

 principles of breeding, so that we may not only 

 ezpect, but certainly get, what growth of body and 

 quantity and quality of wool we desire. Complaint 

 is made that wool of merinos is too oily, or gummy. 

 This can be obviated with as much certainty as 

 that the scion will produce the fruit of its parent 

 tree. The change can only be reached by slow 

 degrees, and may require considerable time, but 

 the objectionable feature, — whatever it may be, — 

 can be increased or diminished by a thorough 

 knowledge of the true principles of breeding. Sam- 

 uel Jaques, of Massachusetts, an intelligent 

 pioneer in the art, once told him that he would 

 breed " to order," if desired ; he would enlarge or 

 diminish the muscles of a bull or a horse and 

 change the color of their progeny, or deliver a 

 Dorking Cock with a single black feather in his 

 tail, if sufficient time were allowed him. His suc- 

 cess with his " Cream Pot " cows and other animals 

 was certainly wonderful, and perhaps justifies his 

 declarations. Mr. Brown also spoke of the prob- 

 able future demand for wool, caused by the great 

 exhaustion in clothing a vast army, in a rapidly 

 increasing population, and in the change of ma- 

 chinery from a cotton to a woolen spinning power. 

 He spoke of the industry and patriotism of the 

 great State of Ohio, with her eighty-eight Counties, 

 two and a half million of people, and five million 

 of sheep, and predicted for her a glorious career 

 in her central position in the cluster of States. 



Mr. Stevens, of Delaware County, said, we 

 have Ohio law enough. There is no necessity for 

 applying to Congress for relief. Most of those 

 who own dogs are irresponsible persons, and when 

 their dogs have done the mischief no redress can 

 be obtained. No dogs should be kept. The next 

 speaker said that a national tax would be equiva- 

 lent to a license to keep dogs, and then the evil 

 would be increased instead of abridged. 



Judge Lawrence said there were 200,000 dogs 

 at large, and it is certain that they almost destroy 

 the leading interest of the State. Voluntary 

 associations will amount to nothing. After some 

 further discussion, he offered the following resolu- 

 tion : — 



Resolved, That a memorial be presented to the 

 General Assembly, asking the enactment of a law 

 providing : — 



1st. That when any person shall own or harbor 

 more than one dog he shall give bond with surety 

 in $1,000, for all damages done by all dogs he may 

 keep or harbor. 



2d. The owner or harborer shall furnish the 

 proper stamp for the bond ; the bond shall be taken 

 by the Assessor, and in default of giving the bond, 

 the Assessor shall kill the dog. 



3d. The Assessor shall receive no pay until he 

 makes oath that he has performed all his duties 

 under this law. 



4th. In all actions to recover damages for the 



sheep killed or injured, the Court shall, in addition 

 to the damages recovered by the owner, render 

 judgment for an equal sum to be paid into the 

 County Treasury, to be appropriated by some just 

 mode in paying for sheep killed or injured, and in 

 prosecuting actions against the owners of dogs 

 for damages to sheep. 



5th. That when the owner of sheep killed or 

 injured by any dog fails to sue for damages for 

 three months, it shall be the duty of the Prosecu- 

 ting Attorney to sue in the name of the State 

 when like damages shall be recovered as in cases 

 where the owner prosecutes, including the double 

 damages — and the money recovered shall be paid 

 into the County Treasury. 



This drew out a spicy debate which woke all 

 the late storm-tossed travellers, and gave the Con- 

 vention a lively appearance. The debate was 

 arrested by the following more conservative propo- 

 sition of the Hon. Columbus Delano, late mem- 

 ber of Congress from Ohio, viz: — "That a Com- 

 mittee of three be appointed to prepare a bill to 

 be submitted to the legislature for promoting the 

 interests of wool-growers, and for protection 

 against dogs ; and that said Committee memorial- 

 ize the General Assembly in favor of passing said 

 bill." This resolution was finally adopted as an 

 amendment to, and took the place of Judge Law- 

 rence's resolution. In his remarks urging the 

 passage of this resolution, Mr. Delano said the 

 power of the legislature had not been exhausted, 

 and excellent results might be obtained by further 

 appeal to it. 



Foreign Competition. 



Mr. Montgomery offered a resolution, " That 

 a Committee of three be appointed by the Chair 

 to draft a petition to be presented to Congress, in 

 accordance with the resolution passed on the sub- 

 ject of taxing dogs." While this was under dis- 

 cussion, Gov. Stanton, late member of Congress 

 from Ohio, was called for by the President. He 

 said he had always been in favor of a general 

 system of protection. Whilst in Congress, lie hud 

 interested himself in this subject and investigated 

 it with all the care with which he was able. The 

 American wool-grower needs protection on several 

 accounts, but the principal one is, because wool 

 can be grown in South America, at the Cape of 

 Good Hope, in Australia, and other warm coun- 

 tries, cheaper than it possibly can be by our agri- 

 culturists. Wool costs nothing in those countries 

 but what is incurred in collecting the sheep ana 

 shearing them. They roam at large, require no 

 feeding or shelter, and multiply with marvellous 

 rapidity, while our growers are obliged to erect 

 barns and sheds to protect them from the inclem- 

 encies of both summer and winter storms. The 

 season is also so long during which they are kept 

 from the succulent pasture food, and fed upon dry 

 hay, that roots and grain are required to carry 

 them safely through our long and severe winters. 



