(U BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



Mr. Clapp. I lost sheep for which I was awarded five 

 dollars a head. I went to Buckland to find some to replace 

 them, and I could not find any short of six dollars apiece. 

 Within two or three weeks men have been travelling about 

 the country to find breeding ewes, and could not find any- 

 thing they wanted short of ten dollars. 



Mr. BowDiTCH. Mr. Chairman, I would like to say that, 

 from my experience, and from what I have learned in cases of 

 damage to sheep by dogs, I think the general feeling with the 

 selectmen is to give a liberal award. I have heard of very 

 little complaint. I believe the public generally are inter- 

 ested in the advance of agriculture in our State, and that for 

 the encouragement of sheep keeping they are willing that 

 the authorities should make very liberal awards for damages 

 done by dogs. The public recognize the fact that one object 

 of the dog tax is to provide money to pay for stock killed 

 or worried by dogs ; and as the dog fund is abundant, dam- 

 ages should be well paid for. This should be so, for it is 

 very discouraging to have the prospective income from your 

 flock cut off by a raid of dogs. 



Mr. Taft of West Upton. After some eighteen years' 

 experience in appraising damages, I find the price awarded 

 by the selectmen seems higher than the price at which sheep 

 can be bought, and I asked one how that happened, and he said, 

 " when a sheep is killed by dogs they always select the best 

 one in the flock." Looking the matter up pretty closely, I 

 came to the conclusion that he was correct. They go for the 

 one that is ahead ; and the best sheep are always leaders. I 

 think the disposition of the selectmen is to make a fair 

 appraisal. But, after all, Mr. Chairman, I came to the con- 

 clusion that a man whose sheep were damaged by dogs did 

 not get paid, if they attack sheep when they are in lamb. If 

 they half kill the sheep it is good for nothing. The damage 

 to a flock by worry of the sheep is much more than is sup- 

 posed. I suppose the dogs in my section of the State are 

 worse than others. You can not raise sheep in Worcester 

 County. In my town there are fourteen sheep. I think in 

 the town of Grafton, where they used to raise quite a num- 

 ber, everybody has gone out of the business. They are wor- 

 ried to death by dogs. Every man pays two dollars. It 



