64 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Commonwealth, on or before the 20th of April, annually, to the 

 law for the protection of sheep against dogs, (commonly known 

 as the dog-law,) and to urge its enforcement ; and that he be 

 also directed to ascertain on the first day of October annually, 

 from the cities and towns of the Commonwealth, the number of 

 dogs licensed, and the amount received therefrom." 



The adoption of this vote, and its communication to the town 

 authorities, it was hoped, would be sufficient to secure the 

 enforcement of the law, the justice and wisdom of which has 

 not been questioned, so far as the committee have been able to 

 discover, in any part of the Commonwealth. 



The returns which have been received, do not, however, 

 fulfil the natural and reasonable expectations of your committee. 

 It appears that many of the towns have entirely neglected to 

 enforce the law, while others have been so remiss in their duty 

 as to render it almost inoperative. Few, very few, can return, 

 as in Worthington and Upton, " that every dog- within the 

 knowledge of the clerk of the town is licensed,'' and from the 

 small number generally given as licensed, it does not require 

 this not unusual comment, " not one-third of the dogs 

 licensed;" or "we do not observe any marked decrease in 

 dogs, though few are licensed this year." That tlie law is 

 culpably ignored in some cases, and in others, if not ignored, 

 shamefully neglected, is very apparent, from the returns which 

 have been received. 



From twenty cities and towns, viz. : Chatham, Lanesborough, 

 Windsor, Raynham, Groveland, Hamilton, Rockport, Buckland, 

 Charlemont, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Blandford;" Springfield, 

 Enfield, Lincoln, Somerville, North Bridgewater, Wareham, 

 Winthrop, and Mendon, no returns of dogs licensed have been 

 received, and from thirty-four others acknowledgment is made 

 that no tax or license for dogs has been collected. Many 

 towns have returned but a single dog licensed, and forty 

 have returned less than six in their respective towns. That 

 the enforcement of the law has been neglected, if additional 

 evidence were required, is shown by the fact that the 

 number licensed in 1861 is little more than half tlie 

 number licensed in 1859.* Although there is reason to 



* By returns for 1859 there were licensed 32,707 dogs, paying $35,89 i. In 

 1861 there were licensed 16,905 dogs, paying §17,972.05. 



