a s

hae

a

476 LIVE STOCK.

in emulation, and in promoting the practice of breed- ing and feeding, by rendering it fashionable. A]- though some unnatural, and consequently inutile changes have been wrought, it must be allowed be- neficial ones also have been compassed, probably by a reproduction of the original form of the animal.

Not a few in the country, look on the proceed- ings of the cattle societies with an envious eye. They say, they can neither attend such meetings, nor otherwise obtain the smallest benefit from them: they pretend, they have hired males at high prices, to no sort of use, and have purchased store-stock of improvers at an enormous price, without having their expectations proportionally answered. There are probably some degrees of jealousy and prejudice in this: however,

To persons of this description, ambitious yet of equalling the improved stock, the following seems to me, the proper.track: let them procure the best stock of every species, from those coun- ties where improvement, at least, change, has not been hitherto held necessary; I warrant, they will have no need to be ashamed of a comparison with their neighbours, however deep in improvement. To begin with beef, what feeder is so extravagant in his expectations, as not to be content with the re- turn made by our prime Devons, Herefords, Sussex, Welsh, and Scots?-As to milk and procreation, the Bakewellian improvement, it is sufficiently no-

* torious, has been ever inimical in that view; as an

extreme, and almost exclusive tendency to pingue- faction must ever prove. For mutton, I know of no chance for profit equal to that which may be rationally