xviii . BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



demand either the extermination of these handsome but de- 

 structive animals, or else their confinement in State parks. 

 The present law allowing the farmer to shoot them when they 

 are caught in the act of destroying his crops is an excellent 

 help, but he can ill afford to spend his time policing his fields 

 and orchards. The short open season in the fall in the western 

 counties helps out the situation, as it not only thins the ranks 

 of the deer, but also causes them to become a trifle more wild 

 and wary and not quite so bold in their advances. This back- 

 wardness, however, largely disappears by the following growing 

 season, and can hardly be called a help. The following figures 

 furnished by the Commissioners on Fisheries and Game in- 

 dicate that the number of deer in the State is evidently not 

 decreasing. Deer killed in 1911: doing damage to crops, 230; 

 during open season, 1,269; total, 1,499. Deer killed in 1912: 

 doing damage to crops, 313; during open season, 1,231; total, 

 1,544. If the welfare of agriculture in Massachusetts is to be 

 considered, no change will be allowed in the present law which 

 will afford any greater protection to these animals, and your 

 secretary would urge that he be instructed to oppose any 

 alteration in the present law, and he would even advocate fuller 

 protection and more adequate reimbursement for the farmer 

 rather than any change, prompted by sentiment, in favor of 

 the deer. 



Pheasants. 

 Investigations conducted by the Board this year, coupled 

 with considerable disastrous personal experience of your secre- 

 tary, have convinced him of the need of legislation affording the 

 farmer protection from the pheasant. For emphasis of this 

 matter a quotation is made from the May, 1912, issue of the 

 Crop Report of this Board : — 



It would seem from the reports that, while these birds are not as 

 yet plenty enough to do much damage in most sections, they will 

 where numerous, do a good deal of damage, especially in the fall, to 

 the ripening corn, and in the spring by digging up seed and pulling 

 young shoots. 



The result of this investigation showed plainly that, while 

 the damage was not general, it was especially marked in all 



