PROCEEDINGS OF THE FAEMERS' CLUB. 233 



and sliarp sand, and plastering over the old shingles, and after it hocnmcs 

 dry paint with coal tar. How do the Club think such a process would do 

 for barn roofs ?" 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — T think it will not answer. It is ver)' difficult to 

 repair an old shingled roof, by any process except reshingling. A great 

 many roofs have lately been made with pitch and coarse gravel, laid upon 

 clotli nailed to a boarded roof, pretty flat, and some })crsons who have them 

 prefer them to all others. We think if they are skillfully put on by expe- 

 rienced workmen these roofs are good, durable, and not excessively expen- 

 sive. It is certainly time for farmers to be considering what they can use 

 for roofing as a substitute for shingles. We have never been able to dis- 

 cover the reason why thatched roofs have gone out of use in this country. 



The Dog Law. 



"Sh. n. p. Fitch writes from Oswego, New York, a congratulatory letter 

 to the Club, for agitating the subject of an improved dog-law in this State. 

 lie says : " It is a move in the right direction, and now is the time to act. 

 Don't stop agitating until we have such a law as we desire. 



" There are men in every town that would be glad to circulate a petition, 

 but they perhaps do not know exactly how to draw up one — that is, how 

 to word it. If the Club would frame and publish a form, it would be copied 

 and circulated in many towns, and prove- a dead shot to dogs." 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — Here is a form that will suit the purpose : 

 To the Legislature of the Slate of New York : 



Your petitioners ask an amendment to the "dog law" of this State. We 

 ask for one similar to the laws of Massachusetts and Connecticut, which 

 requires all dogs to be registered and licensed to live, upon paying a tax 

 and wearing a collar. Make it lawful for any one to kiil an unlicensed 

 dog, and the duty of all officers to execute them. We believe in protecting 

 sheep. We believe there is no mode of doing it equalh^ effective as taxing 

 those who will keep dogs, for they prevent farmers from keeping sheep. 

 We pray you, make the dog tax a general fund to pay all damages done 

 by dogs. 



Dr. John B. Rich related''a circumstance of fourteen valuable sheep de- 

 stroyed one night in Columbia county, by a small Avire-headcd terrier, 

 which no one suspected to be able or disposed to do such mischief. He 

 said he was obliged to keep dogs upon his farm, and wanted a law that 

 would protect good ones and destroy the vicious. 



^fr. D(;dge said the damage usually done sheep, as in the case mentioned 

 by Dr. Rich, was by dogs which had no owners. He presumed there were 

 ten thousand dog.s in this city in that condition. 



A gentleman present said he had seen 75,000 sheep in one flock in South 

 America, and the flocks there are constantly attended by a number of dogs 

 wliich are trained to be their natural protectors. The pups are taken from 

 their mothers and suckled by ewes. The sheep will follow the dogs where- 

 ever they lead, or in case (^f danger will huddle together while the dogs 

 run aroufid upon the outside of the fl(jck. 



The Chairman. — At the Ohio Woolgrowers' Convention, which met some 



