REPORTS OF AUXILIARY SOCIETIES. 301 



make a long pasture for my neighbors I had to put a fence around the whole 

 farm — 280 rods of fence for other people's accommodation, and after all this I 

 have had my potatoes rooted up, my clover rooted up, my wlieat a tangled mass, 

 almost impossible to cut, and I have run after other people's cattle and hogs 

 more than I ever shall again. " "Well," says one, " what shall be done ? " I say 

 club together and throw down road fences (which cost the State more than 

 $3,000,000 annually), fall back on the constitution of this State, and tell those 

 who wish, to let cattle run if they think best. I know this is strong talk but 

 I have suffered so much that I believe in taking this matter by the forelock. 



W. T. Smith said it was really not much of a job to cause the restraining of 

 stock. A few years ago they tried in Hopkins to get the town meeting to vote 

 that cattle should be kept out of the streets, but they failed. Those who 

 opposed most strongly Avere best able to keep their stock on their farms. A 

 petition was made to the supervisors and they passed a resolution restraining 

 stock in Hopkins. There was much talk of opposition, but after a few seizures 

 of straying cattle there was no more trouble. Then owners in neighboring 

 towns grew wroth but were quieted by the same process of stern enforcement 

 of law. The law has now been changed so that the supervisors have to vote to 

 allow stock to run instead of voting to restrain it. Any person may take up 

 stray stock and deliver them to the pathmaster of his road district, who is by 

 law obliged to receive, advertise, and if necessary sell them. Farmers may 

 detain stock and collect damages for trespass. In Hopkins crops are in many 

 places grown close up to the track in the highway. 



Geo. T. Lay said: This is the first year the subject has been agitated in Mon- 

 terey. There is some opposition but they expect to come out all right and 

 keep the stock shut out of the roads. 



M. T. Smith: Any person taking stock from the pound unlawfully may be 

 prosecuted as a thief. 



J. H. Wetmore: I am my own poundmaster and I have educated half of 

 Monterey on this question this spring. Much trouble comes from bad, con- 

 flicting, statutes. The constitution says in effect, that the land in highways 

 belongs to the owner of adjacent land, while the legislature has undertaken to 

 say the supervisors may make free commons of it. The way to rid ourselves of 

 the stock-at-large nuisance is to ''talk square," take down our fences, and put 

 cattle into the pound. All that is necessary in taking up stock is to notify 

 the owner if known, if not, post three notices to the effect that you have 

 taken up such stock, describing it. 



"W. H. Ely read from the pomological report of 1877 figures showing the great 

 cost of fencing. It Avas estimated that the fences, if built of boards, in an 

 ordinary township would cost $129,600. The interest at seven per cent, wear 

 and tear, and repairs amount to $24,624 per year. Presuming that ten per 

 cent profit may be made on stock raising, to pay this annual cost would require 

 the profits from $1,000 horses worth $100 each, 4,000 cattle at $25 each, and 

 15,413 sheep at $3. These figures include the cost of division fences as well, 

 but serve to show important facts. 



J. H. Wetmore: Each farmer may have pasture enough for his own stock by 

 using a movable fence, and the interest on the cost of other fences will pay 

 the expense of shifting the movable one. 



M. T. Smith : We are obliged, not to fence other stock out, but to fence our 

 own in. 



With but one dissenting vote, that of Mr. Wetmore, who said no resolution 

 was needed, the society adopted the following: 



