LAW FOR THE FARMER. 3()5 



some other element was -wanting-, but here the evidence is clear of 

 the want of bone-forming material — that is to say, of phosphate of 

 lime. If the herbag-e contained a sufficiency of this indispensable 

 constituent you would never see any signs of bone disease such as 

 is now so common and becoming more plentiful every year. 

 Adjourned to afternoon. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



Hon. A. G. Lebrok'e delivered the following extempore lecture, 

 upon 



Law for the Farmer. 



Phonographically reported by J. M. W. Yerrington. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: — The subjects which I 

 shall discuss, in my way, are fences, lot lines, pounds and tres- 

 passes, wilful trespass, way* or highways, law of the road, includ- 

 ing the regulations for traveling upon the road, fires as necessarily 

 set, miscellaneous matters, among which will be a review of the 

 new statute for the prevention of cruelty to animals. 



Fences. 



In speaking of fences perhaps I might say that we have a sub- 

 division of law in this country, and in all other countries wherein 

 the English common law prevails. We have what is called the 

 common law, which consists of those ancient usages and customs 

 adopted and sanctioned by the courts in Great Britain before the 

 American Revolution, together with such statutes as had been en- 

 acted in England, and were in force there and in force here up to 

 the days of the Revolution ; which were applicable to our new 

 State and situation in this Western World, and the customs in 

 our courts sanctioned. And to make it very clear to you, I will 

 say that common law means all laws which are recognized by the 

 courts, which the Legislature have not enacted. If your Legisla- 

 ture enact a law, it is statute law, and is inflexible and binding to all 

 intents and purposes, without question, being left only for the 

 construction of the courts — and to them on the further question of 

 its constitutionality. Common law is just what would exist in 

 this State if our statutes were all repealed ; we should still have 

 the common law, which would be the entire jurisprudence of the 

 State. It would be those ancient English usages and ancient 

 English statutes which were adopted in this country up to about 

 20 



