166 BOAKD OF AGRICULTUEE. 



Mr. BowDiTCH. If they could be hurdled close by your 

 garden, I don't see why not. You can feed them anything in 

 the way of rubbish, such as turnip tops, old cabbages, or 

 anything of that sort. 



Secretary Russell. I wish to speak in regard to the 

 protection which sheep owners have under the law. As you 

 all know, who have heard me at the institutes for the last 

 seven years, I have continually advocated sheep husbandry ; 

 and I remember to have said six years ago, in my first sea- 

 son before the institutes, that if I was secretary of the Board 

 of Agriculture for four years, and there were not four times 

 as many sheep in the Commonwealth as at the time of speak- 

 ing, I should consider that I had lived in vain. Well, 

 gentlemen, I have lived in vain, so far as that part of my 

 duty is concerned. There are fewer sheep now in the Com- 

 monwealth than there were five or six years ago, notwith- 

 standing we have kept this matter continually before the 

 agricultural community at the institutes all over the State ; 

 and the continued complaint of the farmers in regard to the 

 matter is that they are not sufficiently protected by the law 

 in this most ancient and valuable of all husbandry. There 

 are a few here who have had practical experience ; and prac- 

 tical experience bears out all that you have heard to-day 

 from Mr. Bowditch, and bears out all the records of the past 

 which have been so strongly in favor of sheep husbandry in 

 every part of the world. 



In regard to this matter of sheep and dogs, — this " irre- 

 pressible conflict," — it is not any greater here than it has 

 been in every other part of the world where sheep and dogs 

 have been kept together ; and men, notwithstanding, have 

 been enabled to maintain their sheep husbandry. Mr. 

 Bowditch's essay indicates a great deal of Bible learning, 

 which was noticed especially by Captain Moore. The cap- 

 tain said he could correct him on some points that he made, 

 having brought his Concordance with him ; but I don't 

 believe it. You will find that there are constant references 

 in the Bible to the ravages of dogs, and to the injuries that 

 the husbandmen in the early days sufiered from them. We 

 here are no worse off" than men have been in every other part 

 pf the world. 



