= ai are\- een——% $I ra reantone To pgagi mene Be ee Gane ae i Aes a ae== .”,=.

ra an pei

ii

470 LIVE STOCK.

tained with a constant sufficient quantity of whole- some food, without ever being suffered, from de- fect in that respect, to sink in condition, throughout both summer and winter, enjoying, during the lat- ter season, the most ample comforts of a good warm straw-yard,or shed. A thorough-shaped male must always be retained, or the females sent to such an one; of the young stock, females of the truest form should be preserved, or the desired number kept up from the original source. Every defect should be watched,(and some must remain even with the most successful and discerning breeder), in order to an attempt at its amendment in the next generation, which will be effected by pairing the faulty individual with one of the other sex, free from the blemish in question. This is the whole secret of breeding cattle to ultimate per- fection; and I believe it is a secret of nature’s own telling: whether she made the late justly celebrated Roperr’ BAKEWELL her confidant in the business, or some other before him, of ob- scurer fame, I have not been able hitherto to dis- cover.

Much has been written and said, but not always understood, of crosstnc the breeds of animals, with the view of improvement. The rationality

of the matter, I have before stated to stand thus;

—If you have the best-shaped breed, you can ob- tain no advantage, but may very probably lose ground by crossing; and as to breeding in and in, or from the nearest affinities, prejudice alone has degraded it, uninterrupted experience has proved its success. If you set off right, feed well, and

care-

snr Et JRE OTIS